Brewery – MadTree
Beer – Thundersnow
Style – Spiced Scottish Ale
ABV- 8.5%
IBU- 18

The conditions have to be just right for the formation of Thundersnow. Ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, hints of cinnamon and bready malt sweetness are the secret. When you find this rare occurrence, savor it as long as you can.

Not just satisfied to brew a typical winter warmer style ale for the winter season, MadTree crafted a “spiced Scottish” ale as their first real winter seasonal, and I for one and extremely happy that they did.  This is a beer that without which my winter can never really feel proper. Bold flavors, heavy body – just boozy enough. This is exactly what a winter beer should be!

My Thoughts On MadTree Thundersnow

This beer pours a very dark chestnut brown with a thick creamy light tan head perched upon it’s crown.  It’s beautiful to look at as I’m sitting on my window seat with falling snow outside my window, the bright white light coming through the window highlighting the beautiful color of this fantastic beer.

I seem to find something new in this each time I place my nose over the glass… especially as it warms up over time… so don’t drink this too cold!  I start with a nice brown sugar smell, that starts to evolve into a warm cookie type aroma.  There might be some cinnamon lying on top of it all, helping with the cookie thoughts that are running around in my mind.

Tasting this, I can’t stop with the cookie thoughts… But a slightly bigger alcohol component really helps to give me some other thoughts as well, such as a nice room temperature whiskey.  It’s got a fantastic full mouthfeel that helps the spices linger on the palate.  Just as the flavor starts to leave my mouth, I’m left with a nice brisk ginger aftertaste that is the last thing that I get.  Phenomenal.

Cellar Notes

I don’t think that MadTree would tell you that you should cellar this beer, but with that being said, I’ve drunk quite a bit of it aged for anywhere from 1-5 years – and I enjoy it quite a bit with some time on it. The spices really start to fall out after about three years, and a five year can take on a really great rounded chocolatey character that is really tasty.

It’s worth an experiment if you have the desire!