A couple of weeks ago, I received a recommendation from my Thirsty Thursday photographer, Nicole, to review Sam Adams’ new seasonal release, Cold Snap. Since then, I have been trying to find the perfect context to sit down and give the Belgian white ale a proper tasting experience.

Fast forward to Sunday night, when I was browsing the Internet and came upon a very interesting article discussing the “science” behind a shower beer. For those who are unfamiliar, the illustrious shower beer is a staple for any binge drinker who’s in a rush, but the benefits of a shower beer extend beyond simply killing two birds with one stone, apparently.

The article claimed that the steam produced from a hot shower heightens your sense of taste and smell, which is why shower beers are so enjoyable. That was all I needed to read before running to my fridge and grabbing my towel on the way to the bathroom.

The Cold Snap is almost aggressively flavorful, but not in a bad way. I waited as the bathroom filled up with steam and, subsequently, I took the first gulp of my shower beer.

Maybe it was a placebo effect, but the flavor was definitely amplified by the steamy environment. The first thing I noticed was its burst of spices and subtle malt flavor, followed almost immediately by orange and citrus undertones.

Usually I can only handle when a beer goes for one type of flavor — either spices or citrus, not both — but Sam Adams’ Cold Snap executes the mixture of flavors perfectly.

Despite its full flavor, the Cold Snap isn’t too heavy or overwhelming to enjoy in larger quantities.  I’m not going to say on record that I’ve killed the 12-pack of the beer, but I would recommend snapping some up before spring kicks into full gear.