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Going Nuts with Snow Pilot

Snow Pilot is the first beer I’ve tried from Stevens Point Brewery. This Wisconsin brewery has an extensive lineup, but they don’t make it out to California very often. So far I’m impressed, and I look forward to trying more of their brews.
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Snow Pilot is a straight forward brown ale with a nutty twist. This new winter seasonal is an English-style mild brown ale with crushed pistachios added. Snow Pilot pours a ruby brown with a small off-white head. It didn’t retain much head as I drank it, possibly due to some pistachio oil. The aroma has a nutty maltiness.
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The first thing I noticed when tasting Snow Pilot was caramel maltiness, reminiscent of classic brown ales like Newcastle or Samuel Smith. That gives way to a unique pistachio nuttiness. It has much more pistachio nut flavor than the nose implied. The nuts give it a bit of sweetness, almost like an almond roca. There are hints of raisin which compliment the pistachio flavor.
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Snow Pilot is a perfect beer for a fall evening. It’s a classic brown ale with the unique addition of pistachio. I haven’t had pistachio in a beer before. It works well here. Snow Pilot’s pistachio flavor is not subtle, but it enhances the brown ale characteristics rather than overpowering them.
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About the author

Keith Adams is the founder of BeerSelfie.com and can be found on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as @grubulub.