Wild Goose Snow Goose Winter Ale

Brewed by Wild Goose LLC (Flying Dog)
Style: English Strong Ale
Frederick, Maryland USA

Poured dark brown color with a normal head that provided normal lacing. The aroma was malty and somewhat nutty, similar to a brown ale. The flavor was based on caramel malts, was somewhat nutty, and finished with a nice touch of hops and spiciness. A nice holiday ale with a typical moderate body.

07-Jun-06 (12 oz bottle: Obtained in trade with hopscotch, thanks Eric!) I always have compared this beer to the Blue Ridge Snowball’s Chance, especially now that they are brewed at the same place. As always, I like the Snowball better, but this is still a really nice winter seasonal. More balanced than Snowball, it’s malty, toasty, chocolaty and roasty, but also moderately hoppy and bitter. For some reason, this release seems less bitter than my notes from the 90’s indicate for those releases. The nose is also quite malty, showing lots of chocolate and toast, plus a bit of aromatic hops. Medium-full bodied with nice carbonation. If I still lived in DC, this beer would find its way into my fridge each winter.

09-Apr-05 (12 oz bottle: Obtained in trade with jasonp, thanks Jason!) I’ve been drinking SnowGoose for a dozen years, but now that I’ve moved away from DC, I have to trade to get it. I’ve never been a huge fan of this beer, but yet, it’s still nice to drink this beer once again, and reminisce about my days in DC, drinking Goose with my buddies. It’s fairly roasty and malty early on with sweet caramel and a moderate hop bitterness emerging in the finish. I like the balance of this beer, but there’s an odd underlying grain maltiness running throughout the beer that seems out of place in a winter seasonal. The nose is on the light side, with some roast, grain and gentle hops contributing most of the aromas. Medium bodied, with a nice, clean mouthfeel. Chestnut brown in color, topped by a pretty small, tan head, even right after the pour. Wisps of lace sporadically decorate the glass. Good stuff. (7, 3, 6, 3, 13 = 3.2)

Medium reddish-brown color. This beer has a predominant nutty, woody flavor, and pretty dry palate. Not quite what I was expecting in a winter warm-you-up ale; perhaps a little sweetness or extra spice would provide the finish I looked for.

Bottle. Dark color. Nice smooth caramel flavor. A little heavy, espeically for when I drank it, but in the winter this would be a perfect beer to drink to warm up to.

Pours a nice reddish brown color. Aromas of dark fruits, nut, hops, and a touch of wood. Flavor is smooth caramel malt, wood, and a nice hop.

This bottled brew poured a small sized head of foamy fine to medium sized mostly lasting bubbles that left behind a body with both suspended carbonation and yeast floaties in a dark brown colored body with a fair lacing. The aroma was yeasty and malty. The mouth feel was vinous and tingly from start to finish then mellowed into a very nice vinous malty sweet caramel malt flavor. Very yummy.

Bottle. Small tan head that quickly dissipated, minimal lacing, carbonated, floaties, transparent, and a red hue with some orange peeking through. Malty, caramel, some chocolate notes, sweet, and hoppy. Flavor was sweet, malty, caramel, some chocolate, and lightly hoppy. Mostly smooth palate and somewhat dry. Light-medium body.

Pours deep brown with a two finger thick tan head. Aroma of piney hops, citrus, sweet malts, and caramel. Flavor is sweet, caramel notes, some roast is present, bitter hoppiness and finishes dry, full bodied brew.