Left Hand Snow Bound Winter Ale

Dark mahogany pour with orange tints. Thin off white head, receding quickly down to a well retained thin and creamy top. Aroma is of sweet caramel malts, slightly scorched coriander, allspice, nutmeg, clove, banana pudding, orange zest and hints of brown sugar. Flavor is sticky sweet malts that near cloying. Spicing is muddled together, indiscernable now. A touch of hop bitterness pokes out. Toasted malts aplenty. An odd addition of pumpkin seed flavor creeps slowly in, very earthy. Cinnamon is noted as well. Palate is sticky, medium to medium-full bodied. Finishes spicy, pretty soft, with a delicate balance of dryness/sweetness.

Pours a murky brown, with a quickly dissipating light tan head. Smell is quite interesting and compex. Tons of different things to pick out. Graham crackers, nutmeg, clove, brown sugar, cinnamon, and if you breathe deeply a little ketchup. Taste is somewhat similar to the smell, big on the nutmeg and some clove. Cinnamon, brown sugar, and various other spices are all quite noticeable. Finish is fairly smooth and delightful. I dug this brew.

XXXmas Ale bottle sampled on 11/1/06: Pours a clear copper amber with a thin-lacing white head. Aroma of sweet caramel malt and cinnamon nutmeg spice. Body starts fairly full and caramely sweet, balanced with a good amount of spices and ginger toward a more bitter spiced, mild milk chocolate finish. A nice holiday beer.

Clear dark brown body, off-white head. Smells of spices, palate is somewhat thin. Flavour is an overabundance of nutmeg spice with a little malt.

Bottle: Brownish with copper highlights, moderate to large frothy head, light beige in color, dies somewhat quickly, spotty lacing.   Heavy spiced nose.   Licorice, nutmeg, and cinnamon are the stronger components in this one.   Softer elements of roasted malts, peated malt, and ash on the tongue, all while remaining fairly spicy.   Does have a little bit of burnt molasses feel to it.   Moderate body and mouthfeel.   Strong spicy finish, sweet but not cloying.   All the components combine to make one big lingering spiced up finish.   A bit of citrus peel and ginger emerge after the finish.   Good Winter offering.

On tap at Capital Ale House - Downtown. Clear deep ruby body with a small creamy tan head. Sweet molassas aroma with a light spicy foreground. Sweet molassas and caramel flavor with a lot of spice. Dominated by nutmeg and some light coriander

Bomber. Snowbound. Aroma is that of spice and malts. Flavor is sweet, malts, chocolates, and spice, though the spice flavor was a bit lighter than I expected.

Bomber. Pours dark brown with an off-white head. Initial sniffs found the aroma of veggies but that dissipated and malts were the main aroma. The flavor found sweet chocolate and winter spices with a light hop background. Medium body. Pretty decent.