Schell's Snowstorm 2020/2021
August Schell Brewing Company

 

12-oz can into Samuel Smith Tulip pint glass

A - huge beautiful foamy light brown head cascading into a deep body of black with ruby highlights; as good as it gets

S - chocolate, toasted malt, dark fruits; inviting!

T - chocolate, dark fruits, like chocolate-covered berries, lactic character, rich toasted malt almost like a fine coffee

M - medium body, moderate prickly carbonation, smooth and creamy

O - very nice winter brew

Appearance: Pours a nearly jet black color with a tame light-tan head. SRM of 23-24. (3.75)

Aroma: Moderate aromas of rich chocolate upfront. Some dark chocolate and black malt. Then a strong dark fruit aromas comes through the end. Cherry and Raspberry. (3.75)

Flavor: The flavor follows with rich chocolate upfront, but this is only a coating for the dark fruit that is in the middle. Some rich raspberry, cherry, strawberry, and syrup, all with a chocolate coating. Some black forest cake and frosting. Mild roast. Finishes with a dark fruit and triticale sweetness and creamy milk malt sweetness. (4.00)

Feel: Medium-bodied. Moderate carbonation. Nice milk malt allows it to be smooth on the palate. Finishes dark, fruity, and relatively sweet. (4.00)

Compared to Deschutes Obsidian Stout 3/30/21: Pours a similar color with a lighter and milder head. More dark fruit aromas/flavors. Less dark chocolate and roast.

Overall: A pretty good beer, but I don't know how accurate it is to an oatmeal stout. Based on the reviews, others were mentioning how roasty and chocolatey this one was, but I'm not quite getting that perception. I get a lot of DARK FRUIT in this beer. Mostly DARK RASPBERRY, CHERRY, AND STRAWBERRY, COATED IN CHOCOLATE. A nice milk chocolate and creamy body. Some tricatale used to brew this one, but not sure I could distinguish it. Quite flavorful and would drink again. (Final Rating: 3.93)
*Would compare to Castle Danger's George Hunter Stout*

Pours rich and take with a fluffy tan head.
Aroma is very roast dominant with maybe a little herbal or citrusy happiness.
Taste: just a no frills oatmeal stout, very roasty, slightly sweet finishing with an herbal hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel is medium with low carbonation.
Overall, it’s good, but there are better in the style. For $10 a six pack it’s still a great value.

 

On tap. Khaki tan head. Dark caramel brown.

Roasted malts. Tastes like an oatmeal stout. Just has that creamy texture. Lots of chocolate/cocoa and caramel. Earthy and grassy buttering hops. Solid year for snowstorm.

Looks and smells just like Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout (One of my favorites) but the taste is bland and there is a wickedly bitter aftertaste that intensifies unless you sip again or eat something. I'm glad I only bought a single can.

12oz can. Poured out an opaque, jet-black color with a small, light brown head of foam. It left thin rings of lace on the glass. It smelled of rolled oats, chocolate, toffee and coffee notes. It tasted of chocolate, coffee and roasted malt. Mild bitterness.

Fresh citrus-like aroma, some indistinct roasted malt.

Very dark, nearly black, from the front. Clear dark ruby with vigorous carbonation with a back light. Khaki head, thick and creamy, with moderate retention. The lacing forms as sheets as you tip the glass.

Flavor is roast malts, some citrus and bittering from the hops. Moderately sweet, licorice. Some earthiness. Slight chocolate, very slight coffee. The finish is somewhat bitter, but not dry (not sweet, either, though). Flavors become more intense as it warms. More roasted, more chocolate, more bitter.

The feel is smooth and medium-thin.

Overall, nice flavor, weak aroma, and a good, but not great, stout.

Snowstorm 2020/2021 pours a very dark brown, with a very small, barley lacing head. Aroma is sweeter, with roasted/fire notes. Flavor is smooth and easy, but very present, hints of licorice, and a little tang. Good body and feel. Overall, very solid, flavor has a nice little bite, oats are there, well balanced.

Maybe not the most drinkable Snowstorm, but it is a good oatmeal stout. Nice roasted qualities to go along with the creamy mouthfeel. Probably their most roasted malt beer since their English Stout/Snowstorm 2005? Just glad it was not another BS Belgian style Snowstorm.

From a 12oz can:

Appearance: Very dark brown, big brown head.

Smell: Roasty.

Taste: Mild sweetness, roasty malt, slight mocha flavor. Medium feel.

Overall: Nice oatmeal stout, not too heavy or too light. I usually try the snowstorm at my company's beerfest, but that got cancelled this year. Well made beer and a style I like this year.

 

Look: Black body that allows some light to pass thru. Impressive light tan head that lasts forever leaving some lacing.
Smell: not much for aroma, roasted oats
taste: chocolate, roasted oats malt, micro hints of coffee and something else maybe dark fruit. a hint of earth or wood. Only slightly bitter overall but does have sweet notes plus dry notes mixed in
feel: medium duty slightly creamy
A solid beer that is rather easy to drink.

Aroma is dark malts, oats and chocolate. The flavor is chocolate, dark/roasted malts, slight earthiness and a mix of mild/medium sweetness and acidic in the finish.

 

12oz can. Stamped on can bottom is '030621'.
Black colored body, with a large edge of red oak, when posed to the light. Light tan cap throughout the session.
Aroma of dark roasted oat malt and chocolate.
Taste includes the chocolate, and adds in coffee. Dark roasted oak malt.
Mouth feel is very smooth and creamy. Good carbonation.
Slightly coffee bitter, but the oat malt smooths it out. Good addition of chocolate.