 VikingHammer (292), Lynnfield, Massachusetts, USA
Dec 10, 2007
Black opaque pour with a thin tan head. Aroma of roasted malts, raisins, dried fruit, allspice and gingerbread. Ginger,chocolate, and coffee flavors. More bitter than anything else. Not well balanced. Thin mouth feel.
Benjiehorn (10), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Dec 3, 2008 Very nice holiday offering from Anchor! Pours dark brown with a thin white head and a little lacing. Very nice complex aroma and palate. Lots of bread, but with a nice hoppy bite on the finish.
fluffy (78), Florida, USA
Nov 29, 2008 boy howdy. this is a holiday beer done right. lovely and complex, and not one of those syrupy concotions with overblown nutmeg and cinnamon messes that most holiday beers usually are. i taste the clove and ginger, but some pear and apples and even coffee and breadiness with some dark carmelization overtones. it has a hoppier bite than most holiday beers, but it doesnt drown out the other flavors. its been beautifully balanced. the mouth is left with a buttery finish and bit of the hops, but some warm banana and vanilla and a mild spiceness. i bought just one bottle on a lark, but i will need to go back and buy some more as this one is a keeper to stow away for later tastings. seriously quite impressive.
Steely (63), , Sweden
Nov 28, 2008 2008 Pours dark brown with a thin disappearing tan head. Sweet and spicy aroma of gingerbread, cloves and wort flavoured dark bread. Spicy roasted flavor of wort bread and ginger with a coffe-bitter finish. Well carbonated with a rich mouthfeel leaving a thick stickyness. Truly a beer that catches the spirit of christmas, really well done.
hobbersr (53), Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Nov 27, 2008 2008 botte. Pours a syrupy dark brown with little to no head. Really interesting aroma, it smells like a christmas trade show. Hot apple cider (cinnamon, apples), popouri, britch bark, some cedar, coffee. Palate is weird, at first taste. I guess weird is a bad word interesting would be a better word. Herbs, spices, a little apple, coffee and a little dark chocolate, that popouri comes through on the palate as well. Maybe a little tight and needs some age. Still really interesting.
danielcurtis81 (262), San Diego, California, USA
Oct 29, 2008 Getting notebook online. Bottle, 1999 (had 8/11/07 at Lucky Baldwin’s). Chocolatel and burnt sugars on the nose surprising expectations (Sometimes surprises are good). Wonderfully complex flavors: chocolate, caramel, and coffee. Creamy and drinkable!! Had a 2007 a few days later it it seemed a lot hoppier I guess they make it different every year. I wonder why ratebeer doesn’t break out the year by year of beers like this?
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