New Belgium Releases Snapshot Wheat Year-Round

The wait is over! In November 2013, Fort Collins-based company, New Belgium Brewing, announced the upcoming launch of its newest year-round beer, Snapshot Wheat.  High Country Beverage started distribution of the anticipated new product throughout Colorado the week of January 27, 2014.

“This is the biggest brand launch for New Belgium that comes along with a new packaged look for their company, “ said Steve Nichols, President of High Country Beverage. “We’re happy to help them get their new product on the shelves for people to enjoy.”

Snapshot has the aromas of citrus hops, accompanied by the sweetness of coriander and grains of paradise.  Brewed with wheat and pale malt, Snapshot pours a hazy, lemon-yellow with bright-white lacing.  But the real enticement is the snap of tart. New Belgium’s affinity for sour beers led to the in-process blending of lactobacillus to pucker up Snapshot’s base­–an extra step to acidify and beautify this beer.

Update 2 Feb 2014 from New Belgium:

Big news everybody! Snapshot Wheat has hit the shelves. I know we’ve been talking bits and pieces of this beer for awhile now, but I wanted to offer a full-blown breakdown.

First, the details: Snapshot is a year-round offering. Not a seasonal, or a one-off. This beer will be around for the long haul. Also, people have been asking "yo, Juicebox… don’t tell me this beer is replacing Sunshine?!!!?!" And I am here to tell you that it is not. Sunshine, while seeing a slightly smaller distribution footprint than it used to, is still very much alive and well. 

The label: It’s totally great. On it is a hand-painted (thank you Leah Giberson) Kodak Instamatic 104 camera. We thought it relevant to Snapshot, and nostalgic, and awesome. We have been accumulating actual Kodak 104’s since the beer label was painted. I thought it would be nice to take a picture of one. Here it is:

Still more: What’s the beer like? What’s the breakdown of all the liquid-related things? Let’s go over it…

Raw materials and special processes: Pale malt and wheat make up the backbone. Cascade hops offer a touch of hoppy bitterness with some grapefruit notes. Snapshot is spiced with coriander and Grains of Paradise. The yeast is a hybrid ale, offering some fruity and spicy notes. We pitch Lactobacillus into a portion of the wort to sour it. That soured portion then makes it back into un-soured base wort, pre-boil, to get just the right amount of tart for the finished product. And then this blend is fermented into the wonder that is Snapshot Wheat. (Here is a really great piece that details this Snapshot specific souring technique from Jonathan Shikes of The Westword.)

Visual: Hazy, pale-straw in color, like a good, unfiltered wheat be should be. And a bright-white foam lofts atop. Here’s a closer look:

Aroma: Fresh cut lemons, lightly floral, with subtle bready notes.

Taste: Snapshot starts sweet, then moves to a tangy tartness.

Mouthfeel: Initially rich and creamy, but that gives way to spritzy, and the finish carries a refreshing twang. 

Body: Medium to light.

Overall: Dang howdy, I love this beer. It has a snap of tart that gives the drinker something to think about. Snapshot has a feeling of refreshment that is out of this world. And the beer is super (like, SUPER) sessionable. Out of 10, I give it a 12.3…

In closing: Snapshot is available in bottles, cans, and draft. And you should be able find it all over the place. Please give it a try, and tell us what you think.

On that note: Take it easy and I’ll see you soon…

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