Anchor Brewings 2019 Christmas Ale: Review by @Robyn_Seto

For my last “polite expression” of 2020, I have chosen Anchor Brewing’s 2019 Christmas ale. Every year for the last 46 years Anchor Brewing has produced their Christmas ale, available seasonally from November to January. The illustrated Christmas tree adorning the label changes with each year’s iteration. 2019’s Christmas ale features a lush western red cedar on the label, while 2020’s label features a specific trio of sequoias called The Three Graces located in Yosemite National Park. The recipe of the beer itself also varies slightly from year to year. The variations in the recipes are kept secret from the public, so it’s always a new yet familiar experience between the years.

Since this is a beer from 2019, it has about one year of aging on it at the time I am reviewing it. It’s not necessary to age this beer because it’s not very boozy (only 6.9% ABV) and it doesn’t continue to ferment in the bottle. It’s perfectly lovely when freshly bottled as well! However, mine is aged and is very mild at the sip. It’s subtly sweet, and has dark notes that remind me of black tea. As the sip dries, you begin to experience a warmth from both the alcohol and spices. It’s not overwhelming at all, and it’s really the perfect example of the “winter warmer” beer. While it’s not a terribly complex beer, it is a very pleasant beer and a lovely way to wind down after a long, long, long, looooong 2020.

If you happen to see an Anchor Brewing 2020 Christmas Ale out in the wild you may notice that it’s an ever-so-slightly higher ABV at 7%. Keep in mind this is a beer that changes a little every year, like every well-rounded person does.

4/5 Burps

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