Time for a beer review! But before we get into the Anchor Christmas Ale I wanted to show a photo of my own "christmas brew" which is a batch of hard cider I started a day or two before the holiday. It's been moved over for a secondary ferment now and I really hope it turns out excellent!
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| Yum! I used English Cider yeast this time around. |
Anchor Brewing Company - Our Special Ale 2013 (Anchor Christmas Ale)
Beer Type: Winter Warmer - 5.50% ABV
Appearance: A jaunty (and slightly stunted) 12 brown bottle with a very seasonal/merry snowy tree on the label. Beer pours a dark red/brown/black color with a nice big tan head.
Smell: Cinnamon, candied fruits, ginger, clove, and something odd like cardamon or coriander.
First Drink: Not as nice as the aroma sadly. Something acrid and a bit bitter up front followed by hints of the flavor in the sniff I just had.
Mouthfeel: Pretty mild, a little oily maybe, not getting much here.
Last Drink: Something more "dark fruit" coming through now along with a bit of caramel. Pretty muddled.
Drinkability: Not in love with this beer.
Notes: Rarely drink Anchor beers so I can't really compare this to too much of their regular line. Not impressed with this one though.
Verdict: 3 out of 5. Seems a little muddled or not focused enough.
Hey, now there's a beer I have tried. Though I agree with your assessment.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you were a brewer too! I'm gonna try and put some brews up on my blog also (mdarrow.blogspot.com). Hope your cider turns out!
I think your synopsis applies to most of Anchor Brewing Co's stuff, they're OK but not great.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if these guys have made it out of Colorado yet but I'd recommend giving Dry Dock Brewing drydockbrewing.com at try. They're styled after the Anchor brewing with a little cleaner taste.