The Brew SiteAdvent Beer Calendar 2008: Day 5: Anchor Christmas Ale
Each year doing this Beer Advent Calendar I’ve included Anchor Christmas Ale (their "Our Special Ale") and this year I’m continuing the tradition. However, today is also Repeal Day—and not just Repeal Day, but the 75th anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition—and what better holiday beer to celebrate with than America’s oldest craft seasonal?
In many ways Anchor can arguably be credited with playing a major role in reviving craft beer in the post-Prohibition era in the U.S., so I think it’s the perfect selection for a Repeal Day Advent Calendar.
Anchor has been brewing this beer every year since 1975 (this year’s is the 34th incarnation), each time with a different secret recipe and with a different tree on the label. I know many people don’t consider the holiday beer season "official" until Anchor Christmas hits the shelves.
BeerAdvocate grade: B+. RateBeer score: 3.57/5, 88th percentile.
I’ll have to pick some of that up. I didn’t know they changed recipes and the tree on the label every year. They say some people store the beer for years like a fine wine. Have you ever done that? Do you keep it refrigerated do you think?