Befana doll
It’s the Twelfth Day of Christmas today as I drink this beer and, so my friend Jerry Carbone informs me, the night La Befana visits. This is apparently a bit of Italian folklore about a witch who fills the stockings of children with candy and presents if they’re good. If not, they get coal—carbone—on Twelfth Night, the Epiphany.
I’m guessing we weren’t too good this year, as our water heater just kicked the bucket, so to speak, and we may be looking at an expensive bit of figurative coal. And there is a snow report looming. We may get a whopper starting tomorrow night. Not a good time to possibly be out of hot water.
On the other hand there is this beer, frankly a wonderful way to wrap up the 2023 12 Beers of Christmas. And in so doing, Allagash gets the honor of being the first brewery to have two beers on the same year’s list, what with the previous Gatherwell.
On its website Allagash suggests this is an Imperial Saison, which would put it in the same category as La Brasserie Dupont’s Avec les Bon Voeux, one of the best ever in the 12 Beers history, and frankly one of my favorite beers of all time.
I quite liked it, but Snow Report is not quite in that category. Actually, I might question the category. On the can the beer is called a Festive Honey Golden Ale, and though the yeast used may be of the Imperial Saison variety, the beer is far closer in style to typical Belgian Golden Ales, and seems particularly like Duvel.
The beers are similar in the fruity, pear-like aromas, though Snow Report unquestionably has some honey traces in the nose. The flavor is sweet and fruity, again a bit of pear or apple, but right from the first sip the Snow Report has a real peppery bite. The sensation is like biting into a tart, crisp apple, but there’s also a fairly full mouthfeel.
Allagash has churned out so many fine beers over so many years that it has burdened itself with expectations (from us) of excellence. Well, in this case, it hasn’t let us down again. Making Snow Report part of the brewery’s regular seasonal rotation would be an excellent idea.
As for the actual snow report, we’ll see. It’s supposed to start Saturday evening and keep going through much of Sunday. But, like beer, you never really know until you’re into it.
What we’ll be into for the 2024 12 Beers of Christmas remains to be seen. But hope to see you then. Have a great new year, with great new (or old favorite) beers.
Name: Snow Report
Brewer: Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, Maine
Style: Belgian-style Golden Ale. Or Imperial Saison
ABV: 8.6%
Availability: “In late 2023” throughout the Allagash footprint in 19 states and Washington D.C.
For More Information: www.allagash.com
[January 5, 2023]
