The Twelve Beers of Christmas - Anchor Christmas Ale 2005
The next beer of Christmas is Anchor Christmas Ale by Anchor Brewing Company. It is one of my favorite holiday beers. It’s dark, rich, and spicy. The beer is a little different each year. Anchor has produced a new Christmas Ale for the last thirty-one years. (By the way, for you spirits folks, Anchor Distilling makes whiskey and gin.)
Eyes: This beer pours a dark ruby color producing a rocky caramel head that leaves traces of lace on the sides of your glass.
Nose: Introduce this one to your olfactories; you should get faint whiffs of molasses, nutmeg, and ginger. I detect some pleasant phenols (appropriate in this context) and some maltiness.
Taste: Begins bright, then dries out almost kissing the tip of your tongue. This is a full bodied, thick beer, but it’s also sprightly. A lingering bitterness (I think the bitterness is from Black Patent malt) appears as the initial sweetness dissolves.
Overall: This a balanced, full, and energetic beer ideal for sipping thoughtfully.
My Rating: 14/20 or 7/10
Pro: Clean tasting with appropriate levels of spice, sure to encourage holiday cheer.
Con: The phenols and the malty bitterness might be challenging for drinkers not used to these aromas and flavors.
I’ve had Junipero Gin but had no idea it was from Anchor Brewing. Interesting, indeed! I guess it makes sense that a company involved in one would be involved in the other but it’s so uncommon!
~ B