Anchor
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Our Special Ale 2016 and 2014
- * Skip It
- ** Good Craft Beer
- *** Well Above Average
- **** Exceptional
- ***** Top 1%
20170102
Yesterday we compared 2015 to 2007 vintages of Anchor’s spiced holiday ale. Today we bring it up to date with the current 2016 edition. We see it as a fairly radical departure. Spices are still there, but pepper is more pronounced and the blend has a deep and rich fruitiness that was not in the 2014. The “usual suspect” mix of dry spices largely disappeared last year, but this year’s version shows little of last year’s chocolate and much more dark fruit. It’s also a point stronger 6.5 as opposed to 5.5% abv. The extra strength gives it an unprecedented depth, but still keeps an exceptional balance of flavors.
Anchor is no longer under the control of its founder Fritz Maytag, but some of the brewers have been there for decades. We think they’ve done a marvelous job of taking a step forward even as it maintains one of the best traditions in brewing.
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