 kyzr (993), Belgrade, Montana, USA
Nov 25, 2003
2001: Spice nose with hints of roasted nuts and cloves. Deep dark color with brown head. Flavor of ginger, nutmeg and clove with a touch of roasted sweet malt. Finish is nice clean and crisp, leaving you with a nice hint of flavor.
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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