Tonight I'm drinking a bottle of Christmas Ale from Anchor Brewing in San Francisco, CA. This is a seasonal brew which Anchor has released every November (dating all the way back to 1975). The recipe changes every year, but the basic 'rich, dark-spiced' concept is maintained each year. Anchor features a different tree on the label each year - this year the feature is the bristlecone pine, a tree commonly found in the White Mountains of California. Since the recipe is super-top-secret, I wasn't able to find any stats on it, so we're going into it blind!
The label includes a mention that this brew is 5.5% alcohol. Great label design, very simple but festive. The beer is damn near black, basically a dark chocolate color. Very creamy, almost luminescent off-white foam that leaves lots of lace behind. Aroma is very distinct....there is a pleasant caramel malt, some dark fruits, burnt toffee. But there's something else in there that reminds me of something. Christmassy. What is it? NUTMEG! That's the distinct Christmas smell, it smells like a beer with a dash of egg-nog added.
The flavor starts off with a hefty malt profile - some roasted barley, caramel undertones, sweet toffee. Then comes the spices, a combination of earthy pepper, a hint of cinnamon, and some light nutmeg that leads into a crisp, fresh pine hop bitterness. The finish is dry and clean, and there's no sign of alcohol anywhere. Mouthfeel is lighter than I expected, with a heavy carbonation.
Overall Rating: This is a unique winter ale. It's not your typical "winter warmer" - it's got a light body and refreshing, dry, slightly bitter, crisp combination of flavors. The 5.5% alcohol means you can have another without getting sloppy. Nice beer, certainly worth a try over the Holidays. B+
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