2016 Craft Beer Cellar Advent Box: Day 14

Advent Beer Day 14:

Anchor 2016 Christmas Ale

It's always fun to get this year's Anchor Christmas beer. This year's seems darker than I remember. It tastes like a porter, with chocolate malt flavors, but not very chocolaty. I taste allspice and perhaps apples with a long sweet finish. A good showing this year.

Craft Beer Cellar Advent Beer Day 17

Sierra Nevada was one of the first craft beer producers, and they continue to be one of the best. They have been brewing Celebration since 1981, just a year after the brewery opened.

Celebration is not the typical malty Christmas beer. Indeed it is one of the first examples of the IPA style in American craft brewing. Oddly though, the strong bitterness on the back of my tongue reminds me of a spiced beer, with flavors like mace, ginger, pepper and perhaps a little evergreen. It is a great beer to sip while sitting around the tree.

Craft Beer Cellar Advent Beer Day 13

Look at that lovely, unopened Brooklyn Winter Ale. This is the second time I couldn't drink the Advent beer. Looks like I need a break about once a week.  Fortunately, I have all winter to get to it. Since both my daughters live in Brooklyn, I'll think of them when I drink it.