Anchor Brewing, a San Francisco based brewery, has long been famous for both their Steam Beer and Liberty Ale. While i have not had a chance to try either of them, I recently picked up a "Magnum" (1Qt, 1Pt, 2.7oz) of their 2008 Christmas Ale. This is their 34th Christmas Ale since they began producing them in 1975. They say that the recipe changes each year, but "the intent with which we offer it remains the same: joy and the celebration of the newness of life." So, with that in mind, Adam and I pulled out our pint glasses, and went about tasting this and other Holiday beers.
This ale had a much darker appearance, I think, than Adam or I had anticipated. It was almost black in appearance, and only revealed its deep red tones when held to a light. Poured gently it still developed a solid two finger, tan head. The head held very well and left a nice, light lacing on the glass.
The aroma of this beer is outstanding. It smells heavily of sweet malts, and cherries. It initially reminded me of Chimay Premiere (Red Label). Going a bit deeper you begin to get a yeasty smell, and nutmeg appears, just to preview what you are about to taste.
The tongue is dominated by nutmeg and the malty flavors that came through so strongly on the nose. Given that i had to dig a bit to find the nutmeg in the aroma, I was pleasantly surprised at how present it was in the taste. As we drank more, Adam noticed a seedy flavor which I seemed to taste as a nutty component to the beer. It reminded me of walnuts. I could not find any information on the alcohol content. Traditionally a holidy beer has a relatively high ABV, such as the Mad Elf's 11%. Whatever the alcohol content, the taste of alcohol was not present at all.
This beer has a surprisingly light mouthfeel for being so dark, and a Holiday or Winter style Ale, which are both typically very heavy ales, brewed to be both filling and warming on a cold winter night. The carbonation was just right. It leaves just a little tingle on your tongue, but not enough to be overpowering.
Drinkability is high with this beer. I could easily have seen myself getting through the entire bottle on my own, a feat which i may be attempting this New Years Eve. However, for all of the ways I could describe to you how drinkable the beer is, I think that Adam put it best in his tasting notes, where he simply wrote: "Yes, Please."
Overall, this beer is Christmas. I'm certain this is largely due to the nutmeg flavor, which is associated with and present in so many Christmas desserts. I could not help but think of how well this beer would go with a big Christmas dinner. It is simply wonderful, and has put me in the Christmas Spirit.
- Dan
- Dan
Horray! Dan finally made his first post!
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