Ska Brewing Co.'s Snowdown 2010 Beer: Hyper Fierce Gnar Gnar Hefe

Every year Ska Brewing Co. creates a special, limited release, only available in Southwest Colorado beer for Durango's Snowdown Festival.

Snowdown 2010 is no different, and last week Ska release Hyper Fierce Gnar Gnar Hefe, a 5% ABV Hefeweizen with pineapple and toasted coconuts.

The thermometer on the wall outside says it's 10 degrees Fahrenheit out there, normally this isn't the type of beer I'd grab this time of year, but the Snowdown theme for 2010 is "Life's a Beach" and with the heat turned up inside it's a balmy 70 degrees and sipping the Hyper Fierce Gnar Gnar Hefe makes me feel like I'm at the beach, even if there is a foot of snow on the ground just outside the door.

Hyper Fierce Gnar Gnar Hefe
Alcohol By Volume: 5%
Purchased From: Star Liquors (available at liquor stores throughout Durango)
Price: $4.49 for a 22oz bottle.

Hyper Fierce Gnar Gnar Hefe is an unfiltered Hefeweizen and pours a hazy yellow with a thick white head on the top, which slowly recedes leaving white foam on the sides of the glass.

The smell is definite hefeweizen, no doubt about that. It smells sweet and of bananas. The first taste is sweet and the banana flavor from the yeast stands out. The sweetness mellows out and the banana flavor gives way to pineapple. One worry I had about this beer is that the pineapple might be too thick and syrupy, imagine canned pineapple, but that worry is completely unfounded, the pineapple flavor comes through perfectly.

I let this beer sit out a bit before pouring it, and took my time drinking it to let it warm for more of the flavors to come out. I would take a sip every few minutes and it seemed like each time alternated between flavors of banana and flavors of pineapple. As I finished the pint and poured the rest from the bottle into the glass I noticed a less sweet, slightly more bitter taste, not the fruit flavors of before. I'm assuming this was the toasted coconuts. I tried to decipher the flavor as I drank more, but couldn't pin it down. If I hadn't known there was coconut in there I never would have guessed that was what it was. It took some time, and the beer to warm up for that flavor to come out.

Even though I've described it was sweet multiple times, it wasn't overly sweet and would be easy to drink a few of these. As Ska Brewing Co. President and Co-Founder Dave Thibodeau said, "it’s truly a Summer masterpiece... we’re going to want this back in 5 months!" I can't think of a better beer to make you feel like you're sitting under a palm tree watching the waves.

Hyper Fierce Gnar Gnar Hefe available in 22oz bottles in Southwest Colorado and on tap at the Ska Brewing Co. Taproom.

Checkout BeernBikes.com for more info about Durango beer.