Day 7 of the 2nd Annual Advent-ure Calendar
Day 7: Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale
We are super excited about this beer. Anchor Brewing is one of the top breweries around and they have a lengthy history of brewing excellent beers. Unfortunately, we don’t get a lot of their beers here in Ohio but we do get some of the staples.
About their Christmas Ale from their website: “A deliciously smooth winter warmer with notes of seasonal spices and a malty backbone, our 2016 Christmas Ale marks the 42nd annual release of this celebrated Anchor tradition…The Ale’s recipe is different every year—as is the tree on the label—but the intent with which we offer it remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life…The 2016 Christmas Ale is a deep mahogany brown with a creamy, tan head and boasts aromas of fruitcake, molasses, and fresh cut wood. The beer tastes of a roasted caramel malt, with notes of spiced chocolate and nuts. And it has a rich, smooth, and velvety mouthfeel.”
REFLECTIONS
Beard & Broad
Beard: I was really looking forward to this one and I’m glad we put it towards the beginning of the calendar. On the nose I get lots of dried fruit: figs, dates, raisins. The taste is super rich with notes of those fruits and a hint of chocolate and just a subtle hint of spice. At 6.5% it’s amazing how much flavor is packed into this beer. I’m ashamed we don’t buy this more, and I plan on changing that.
Broad: I am very excited for this beer! It’s supposed to be one of the best Christmas Ales, and I love the story and tradition behind it. Full disclosure: Beard has told me I’ve had this before but I don’t remember. Anyways, this was love at first (re)sip! It’s the perfect Christmas Ale. It’s so smooth, velvety, and almost woodsy. I get some holiday spice but it is far from overwhelming. It’s also dark and the perfect amount of maltiness. I think this may be my favorite Christmas ale. We are definitely going to start buying this more.
Adam & Alex
Adam: This beer is malty and delicious. I get subtle notes of chocolate and toffee and the fact that I burnt my tongue while eating chili this evening. Despite the singed taste buds I can still tell that I would drink lots of these.
Alex: I enjoyed this beer. It’s definitely malty and I could taste the chocolate, nutty flavor as well as the spices that I associate with holiday beers. I did not find the spices overwhelming, but subtle and delicious.
Scott & CT
Scott: Now this is a Christmas beer! Really nice aroma and taste, a little bitter (in a good way) and my favorite color…dark! I know, dark isn’t a color, but dark beer makes me happiest and this one brings out my Christmas spirit. As a bonus, they printed 2016 on the label to remind you that there was something to be happy about this year.
CT: Review: Merry Christmas is right. This beer is a gift. I love it and it may be my favorite thus far. Nose is woodsy and it tastes a bit, just a bit, like a chocolate malt. Goes down really smooth. Okay, if this beer were the date, I think I’ve found the one. Heart eyes emoji and all.
Lou & Jen
Lou: I like this brewery, I like their unique ovalesque bottles, and I like the Christmas tree label. But this beer is weird. I don’t get any holiday spice, but I do get a lot of licorice flavor which I’m not a fan of. I’m slightly disappointed, but I like that they play with the recipe each year, I’ll give it a chance next Xmas.
Jen: At first pour, I found a fruity nose with a cherry and smokey black sent. I was prepared for a nice smooth tasting beer. Unfortunately, this beer did not make the cut for me. It is too bitter, and I am getting an almost metallic, even copper-like, aftertaste. The alcohol and carbonation overpower any good flavors this could have pulled through. This was just, meh, for me.
He couldn’t hold it anymore.