Every year since 1975, Anchor brewed a new Christmas Ale under a new secret recipe and a new hand-drawn tree on the label. The 2020 vintage, the 46th in the series, was a milestone: the first Christmas Ale from newly appointed brewmaster Tom Riley, and the darkest and strongest the brewery had ever made. It was also a deliberate turn toward comfort in a difficult year, less exotic and spiced than recent vintages, more like a fireside treat.

The basics

• Brewery: Anchor Brewing Company (San Francisco, CA)
• Style: Winter Warmer (Spiced Brown Ale)
• ABV: 7%
• IBU: Not disclosed by the brewery

What to expect

The 2020 Christmas Ale pours dark mahogany, closer to a porter than to past vintages, with a tight, creamy cappuccino-colored head. The aroma leans into fresh coffee and dark chocolate, with baking spice and a hint of citrus in the background. The flavor is where the holiday character lives: layers of chocolate, toasted marshmallow, and graham cracker, like a s’more in beer form, over a sturdy malt base with clove, ginger, cinnamon, and a whisper of spruce.

The body is full and silky, and the 7% ABV is remarkably well hidden. It finishes dry and spicy rather than sweet, which keeps it from becoming a dessert beer and makes it work just as well with a holiday meal as it does on its own by the fire.

Our rating

8/10

Rated by Alex (8). Alex gives this one an 8, the highest score in this batch, and it earns it. The 2020 vintage is the rare Christmas Ale that is both a great holiday beer and a great beer on its own merits, rich and layered without ever turning cloying. If you find a bottle tucked away somewhere, buy it.