Accumulation is a rare breed known as White India Pale Ale which is a relatively new style inspired by the American IPA revolution.  Accumulation leverages the best aspects of the American IPA and minimizes the ones that turn so many drinkers off. The first thing you notice is that the bitterness tends to be much cleaner and smoother than its hop-forward cousin and the Belgian Ale yeast used causes a sort of dry finish that is very pleasing and helps offset the palate destroying aspects of the standard American IPA.  The color is a cloudy pale yellow with with light pure white foam and on first pour smells faintly citrus with only a slight note of it’s hoppy base permeating from its dense white head. The beer itself is cautiously hopped and quite subtle with the wheat malt balancing out the flavor profile extremely well. Dry-hopping is evident with a satisfying but not overbearing in either finish or taste.  

This is an extremely well balanced beer that I look forward to enjoying on many cold winter nights as the sunlight slowly fades and the world around you slowly freezes over. Crack open an Accumulation by New Belgium and enjoy the best season for beer there is.  

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I poured the 12 oz bottle into a New Belgium snifter glass and immediately a light brown head built thick and tall. The head dissipated extremely slowly into an equally dense pillow that rested over an ale that is so dark that it is nearly black; hardly any light permeates at all. The nose was very complicated and aerated extremely well by the thick head. The smell at first was extremely hop forward due to the the three distinct hop varieties; Cascade, Centennial, and Styrian Goldings but mellowed with the help of balanced citrus overtones.

The taste is truly surprising and the strongest aspect of the beer; I thought there would be much more maltiness and heavy acidity since that is characteristic of near black brews, but boy I was wrong. The taste profile itself is actually quite balanced and flavorful thanks to the Midnight Wheat base malt imparting very neutral and even wheat like flavors, even though it is responsible for imparting the near black coloring. Overall, the taste is very hop forward with profiles of sweet cocoa infused with coffee, finishing a bit hoppy and dry making your mouth plead for more.    

Overall, Snow Day by New Belgium is a very palatable beer that is also extremely multifaceted and deep in both flavor and complexity. This would be a great beer to introduce to friends that are looking for something a bit more challenging yet still accessible and satisfying. Pick up some Snow Day and enjoy it while it is still available and snow is still on the ground.  

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