Day 17 of the 4th Annual Advent-ure Calendar
Day 17: Mad Tree Brewing Thunder Snow
“The conditions have to be just right for the formation of Thundersnow. Ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, hints of cinnamon and a bready malt sweetness are the secret. When you find this rare occurrence, savor it as long as you can.” Oh boy, we couldn’t avoid having Broad’s least favorite type of beer on the list, Scottish ale. Hopefully the holiday flavors can overpower any extra booziness from this beer.
Reflections
Beard & Broad
Beard: I remember liking this beer when I tried it at a grocery store last year, and I think I liked it when we had it in the calendar, so I was excited to revisit it. I’ve grown to really like Scotch and Scottish ales because the flavors go perfect with cold temperatures. They’re boozy, malty, caramely, toffee-y(?) and rich. This has just a touch more complexity with the spice additions, but it’s just enough to make this beer a bit more interesting. I was super surprised to see that this is 8.5%. Never would have guessed that cause that level of booziness is completely masked. Well done MadTree!
Broad: I was very hesitant to try this because for some reason I thought I didn’t like this one. But I was very wrong. It’s smooth, caramely, and I get slight hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. I normally do not like Scotch or Scottish ales because they’re usually too boozy but not this one. I could drink a few of these and be very happy. I would add this to our Christmas beer stash in the fridge next year.
Adam & Alex
Adam: I am really glad we tried this again bc I thought I hated it last year but I must be misremembering bc I really enjoy it. I get the nutmeg and the vanilla a lot and a fair amount of maltiness. I used to not love Scottish or Scotch ales but between this and bells Christmas ale apparently I am a grownup boi with changing tastebuds. I do not recommend playing the thunderstruck drinking game with this as you will certainly not make it through those shredding solos.
Alex: I agree with Adam that I thought I hated Mad Tree’s Thunder Snow last year. However, I really do like it this time around. Hooray for second chances! I can taste the vanilla and cinnamon with the hint of malty smokiness. It’s one that I wouldn’t have planned on drinking again, but now I definitely will.
Scott & Christa
Scott: ThunderCats, Snow!! Sorry that was lame but the Madtree Thunder Snow is one of my favorites and I’m happy to yell it at the top of my lungs. It’s a really warm tasting beer, that is malty, caramely and not too spicy. This one is more mellow to my tastes and makes for an easy to drink winter brew. This is the type of beer you’ll want to share with newcomers to the Christmas Beer party but is still one that I’d show off to any beer snob.
Christa: I get so excited about Cincinnati breweries because I grew up there. I’ve been to this brewery a few times and I highly recommend stopping if you are ever in the area, if not for the fabulous beer, try the pizza! I love Thunder Snow. I don’t know much about Scottish style ales but I love the breadth of this. It’s a little thicker than most and I get hints of nutmeg and vanilla. It’s the kind of beer that goes down easy and warms the whole way. It’s not as remarkable or rare as Thundersnow but don’t let that stop you from drinking a few. We luckily don’t have to wait for natural phenomena to enjoy this.
Tony & Megan
Tony: This was one of my favorites from last year and I still really like it. Its caramely (that a word? 🤔), malty, and darker in color. Labeled as a “spiced scottish ale” I do get some of the spice flavor as well. Cool can design, great name, and in my opinion a really good holiday beer.
Megan: I’m getting a lot of caramel and malts. It’s a dark beer and smells really inviting. It’s on the heavier side but not overwhelmingly so. Now that we’re more than half way through the calendar, I’m not sure this one is going to stand out for me but I like it!
