Beer Revisited: Anchor Christmas Ale 2016
Christmas Eve and Christmas were too hectic to bust out the gold-rimmed Christmas Ale pint glass, so I revisited Anchor’s Christmas Ale 2016 last night.
It was, unfortunately, the last bottle of Christmas Ale chilling in my fridge. I did not buy the 2017 edition since it was unavailable in the Iowa City area, and I did not see the 2018 edition on any local beer shelves, though I did not look very hard. This may be the last time I revisit an aged Christmas Ale, but we’ll see.
The color is very dark brown, almost black. A finger of tan, dense, buttery, bubble-spotted head dissipates slowly.
The aroma is a strong, pleasing mix of toasted malt, vanilla, cherry, cinnamon, peppermint, and cocoa. It’s spicy but sweet. It’s also very festive and a touch arboreal.
The flavor is also festive and much spicier than the aroma. The cinnamon and peppermint are prominent and leave the taste buds tingling after each sip. It has a light flavor reminiscent of flat pop but is not distracting or off-putting. There are also flavors of toasted malt, cocoa, vanilla, and cherry. It is very sharp and tasty after two years.
Comparison to 2016 and 2017 tastings
Ginger is an aroma and flavor I did not pick up this time. I did not note any caramel, either. The aroma was subdued last year, but it was very strong this time. I wrote last year, “[i]t’s spicy and tastes like a chocolate-coated candy cane that grew on an evergreen tree.” I concur. This version has aged very well.
It was, unfortunately, the last bottle of Christmas Ale chilling in my fridge. I did not buy the 2017 edition since it was unavailable in the Iowa City area, and I did not see the 2018 edition on any local beer shelves, though I did not look very hard. This may be the last time I revisit an aged Christmas Ale, but we’ll see.
The color is very dark brown, almost black. A finger of tan, dense, buttery, bubble-spotted head dissipates slowly.
The aroma is a strong, pleasing mix of toasted malt, vanilla, cherry, cinnamon, peppermint, and cocoa. It’s spicy but sweet. It’s also very festive and a touch arboreal.
The flavor is also festive and much spicier than the aroma. The cinnamon and peppermint are prominent and leave the taste buds tingling after each sip. It has a light flavor reminiscent of flat pop but is not distracting or off-putting. There are also flavors of toasted malt, cocoa, vanilla, and cherry. It is very sharp and tasty after two years.
Comparison to 2016 and 2017 tastings
Ginger is an aroma and flavor I did not pick up this time. I did not note any caramel, either. The aroma was subdued last year, but it was very strong this time. I wrote last year, “[i]t’s spicy and tastes like a chocolate-coated candy cane that grew on an evergreen tree.” I concur. This version has aged very well.
