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Left Hand Snow Bound Winter Ale

 (RETIRED)
Percentile
76
overall

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
3363.32/5.03.31/5.0Winter8.6%83.2Lager glass, Tumbler
Commercial Description:
Fight cabin fever! Made with Rocky Mountain water, malted barley, hops, yeast, honey, orange zest, and other spices.

Editor’s Note: beginning in 2006, Snow Bound became the name for Left Hand’s strong winter seasonal beer made with honey and spices. It was previously known as XXXmas Ale. Below is the original XXXmas Ale description for reference.

XXXmas Ale is a spiced strong ale, using all natural ingredients to give it its festive nature. We brew this beer from a relatively high initial gravity to give it strength and body. This is (in our opinion) appropriate to a winter beer, and it helps to balance the numerous spices added. Honey is also added to increase fermentable sugars and give additional sweetness. Northern Brewer and Saaz hops are used sparingly, to allow the spices to evidence themselves. We add ground nutmeg, whole cloves, crushed cinnamon, orange zest and chopped ginger to spice the beer. Carbonation is kept low to accentuate the flavor of the beer and spices. It’s like a liquid cake. Brew water is relatively soft.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 GreatLibations (1441), Last Supper, Arizona, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/105/56/104/515/20
Dec 17, 2006  
Pours a deep nut brown mahogany color w/ a medium semi creamy froth. Aroma is full on sweet Angostura bitters. Medium full nectar w/ mellow residual effers creating a very creamy texture. This is one spiced brew. Tastes like it smells. Strong flavors of Angostura bitters w/ a touch of sweetness. Ginger, evergreen, licorice, clove, roasted nut shells, sweet chestnut. Finish is long and well bittered w/ the spice going the full distance. Overall: a strongly spiced brew w/ a creamy texture. Rather interesting.


 redlem (1155), Illinois, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
4/103/56/103/514/20
Dec 10, 2006  
A dark brown color with a medium off-white head. Initially ther is some spice aroma ( cloves, mutmeg) but this quickly dissipated into nothing more than a porter style. A roasted malt aroma and taste but very watery body. Not much mouthfeel to go along with the little spice.


 Likerighteous (120), Pflugerville, Texas, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/104/59/104/516/20
Dec 10, 2006  
All the stuff I want in a winter warmer beer as I sit beside the fire with friends. Yum yum cookies, hints of nutmeg, ginger and molasses. Oooh, and pop-tarts too. Probably my favorite of this style.


 jzzbassman (842), New Albany, Mississippi, USA
2.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/55/103/511/20
Dec 8, 2006  
2005 Bomber. Too much spice all the way around in the flavor, although muted in the aroma. Liquid cake sounds good in theory, but it is sweet and tough to drink for me.


 garretjax (103), Colorado, USA
2.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/103/54/102/57/20
Dec 8, 2006  
Cloudy copper colors, sweet aromas. Citrus, nutmeg and even banana. A bit sticky in the finish with out the spices. This beer seems to be fashioned out of haste and is lacking in real winter style flavors. Not a real good winter brew.


 Metalhead (570), Lake Zurich, Illinois, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/103/513/20
Dec 3, 2006  
Medium brown pour little head. Huge nutmeg and mild malt aroma. The Nutmeg faded within several minutes. Overall "ok" mild spice hints of malt,thin body but ABV well hidden.


 Cornfield (4926), Oak Forest, Illinois, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/56/103/514/20
Dec 3, 2006  
Nice pour, a deep reddish copper with a thick light tan head. The aroma’s like fruit cake sans the fruit, spicy with ginger, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon - all that Christmas cookie stuff. There’s caramel beneath the spices in the flavor, but after drinking it a while, it all begins to wear. Still, a nice spicy finish and a respectable drink for the holidays.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Beverage Depot, Schaumburg, IL<font size=-1>


 Kevin (1918), Colorado, USA
4.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/105/58/105/519/20
Nov 27, 2006  
bottle. dark grape juice like body with a yellow white head. a great aroma of ginger snaps, corriander or something similar, and oranges. really a great one to dip my nose in. highly spiced flavor with ginger, allspice, pine, caramel. the flavor of christmas cookies and a rich doughy note work amazingly well. spices linger and make me go back for more. orange flavor lies underneath with a thick body and a wonderful sweetness. one of those beers that makes me shake my head in amazement. i really can’t believe how damn good this is. the best "christmas" beer i’ve ever had.



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