I highlighted Anderson Valley‘s Winter Solstice when I was doing the Beer Advent Calendar last month, and tonight I tried a bottle of it myself. I’m glad I did! It’s an excellent beer. My notes:

Appearance: Poured clear, a bronzed-copper/amber-brown color. Two fingers of creamy beige head dissipated slowly. Nice lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Floral, raisin, fruity. Plum pudding comes to mind.

Taste: Reminds me of an old ale. It’s plummy, raisiny; there’s the telltale alcohol strength in the background. Rich, dark fruit, spicy—I can’t identify the spices, but the impression I want to convey is rich, moist, dark fruitcake.

Mouthfeel: Perfect. Smooth, medium-thick. Not chewy like a stout, but just right—a perfect balance for a strong winter warmer.

I really need to pay more attention to Anderson Valley’s beers; I’ve only tried a couple but like this one, they’ve been very good. I’ll drink Winter Solstice again, definitely.