Anchor Brewing's "Our Special Ale" 2008

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

Tröeg's Mad Elf Ale

Tröegs is a local brewery, despite the umlaut. They're located in Harrisburg, PA, which is just west of Hershey, a mere 2 hours from where I live. Like Dogfishhead, the closest major craft brewery to me, they offer regular tours of their facility, which I'd love to visit at some point. I'm fortunate to live in one of the few states they distribute to, which are Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. They offer a number of year-round brews, as well as seasonal beers. The Mad Elf Ale is one of the latter, brewed for Christmas.

The beer pours a deep reddish-brown, that's clear with few bubbles in the glass. It has an off-white head that's 1 finger thick from a very vigorous pour, but it quickly dissipated to leave just a little head on the brew.

The aroma is pleasant and fills the area quickly. From a distance, the smell is sweet and dominated by cherry. Closer in there's a malty grain smell that's maybe a little on the grassy side. I also noted hints of alcohol that reveals some of the 11% ABV. The sweet smell of honey is also present.

The taste is sweet especially at first, I definitely noticed malt & honey. Not getting any bitterness really, just a light warm sensation on the tongue. The cherry is muted at first, but comes through a little more as it sits in the mouth. It's really more of a cherry liquor flavor, you can taste some of the alcohol in this one. I think I'm also getting just a touch of vanilla in the aftertaste, although I don't know why. This beer is actually reminiscent to me of the bottle of mead I purchased a while back. Probably mostly from the honey that is used in the brewing of Mad Elf. Unfortunately the honey lends a somewhat medicinal taste to the beer as well, but not so much that I would turn down a glass. I'm also a little reminded of Chimay Blue when I drink it, but I'm not sure why. The flavors also come out a bit as I go through the glass. The cherry got a little more tart and stronger.

The mouthfeel of this beer is just great. It's got a medium body with a nice balance of carbonation for just the right amount of tingle. It coats the mouth lightly, leaving just a trace of smoothness on the teeth. It's warming, not too wet or dry going down, but a little more on the dry side. A little more rounded feel than crisp.

I'd say the drinkability of this beer is not the highest. The taste is a little bit on the sweet side, so one at a time is enough. Still, it is good and even better as the glass progresses, and it's putting me in a festive mood. I'd definitely identify this with the season more than the Sierra Nevada.

- Adam