So, of all of the Christmas ales I've looked at in the last few weeks none of them have near as much history as this one. The 2012 offering of Anchor's "Our Special Ale" is the 38th such beer. Since 1975 the brewers at Anchor have been putting out a Christmas ale, but the really cool thing about how Anchor does it is that each year the recipe for the beer, along with it the beautifully illustrated label, are different. No two Christmas Ales are quite the same and Anchor is very tight lipped about what exactly goes into each year's batch. All I know is that this will be a dark, rich, spiced beer. That's it. I'll have to drink it if I want to find out anything more. To the beer!
Anchor Christmas pours a deep, dark, nearly opaque brown. Only when the beer is held to light are beautiful ruby red highlights exposed. All that inky darkness is topped by two fingers of frothy tan head that laces beautifully on the way down.
The aromas on this beer are out of this world. Big licorice notes start the party with a bang. Followed quickly by some bits of vanilla, ginger, and a spicy peppery note. There's also a faint nuttiness mingling with some earthy roastiness and charred caramel. This is one of those beers that I could just leave my nose above for an hour without taking a sip.
Alas, curiosity has gotten the best of me and I must take a drink. And boy, am I glad I did. Anchor Christmas Ale is rich, full bodied and very creamy. Those licorice/ anise notes return but here they're paired with a much more pronounced roasty espresso/ chocolate flavor. Hints of vanilla and ginger come in joined by a fascinating and delicious almost peanut butter like character. It finishes tart and dry with a lingering licorice and vanilla flavor.
This beer is outstanding. Delicious, drinkable, and one of the most complex beers I've had in quite some time. Seek this one out. I think it's the leader in the clubhouse as far as this year's Christmas ales go. Just a fantastic beer.
No comments:
Post a Comment