Anderson Valley Winter Solstice

Brewed by Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Boonville, California USA

12 oz bottle, 2005 vintage, from...??...(Dec 2005). Cellar temperature from a Corsendonk Christmas Ale glass. Ruddy, deep red-inflected dark umber, light bubbling action lasting some minutes, smallish lasting near-white head....aromas of black walnuts, raspberries and tarragon waft out, a strange confusion but interesting and not uninviting....luscious thick fruitiness is balanced by a fairly harsh, burnt, woody hoppiness and acerbic spicing on the tongue, hints of baker’s bitter chocolate and strong finishing mineralic qualities make this one that is a bit of a challenge to quaff easily....syrupy initial mouthfeel does dry out somewhat at the end thanks to all the harsh astringent elements....quite distinctive and interesting overall though I think it would profit from a few months of mellowing.

Bottle (12oz). Poured dark copper with an average lasting foamy-creamy tan head. Mild medley aroma of light caramel roast malt, apple and apricot, and Christmasy spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice) - pleasant, heck, even a hint of dry floral hops and the alcohol is not quite hiding in behind it all. Taste has a strong amount of vanilla extract, slightly scorched - plus the light malt and spices, very much like a fruity/spicy Christmas cake with a bitter alcoholic finish after the sweet start. Mouthfeel is fairly flat, sugary, syrupy and sticky. Very nice! Dessert beer.

Pours a somewhat hazy, but dull brown color, with a skim of a head. Bubbles cling to the sides of the glass. All in all, this beer doesn’t look very appetizing. Aroma is quite spicy, a lot of various odds and ends it seems went into this one. Mild, yet biting flavor. Distinct orange, vanilla, cinnamon, others...very nice! I really like this winter seasonal, probably one of the best all year.

Bottle. Pours a very bubbly dark amber with an average size lasting off-white head. Mild aroma of vanilla, spices (mainly cinnamon & nutmeg), malt and maybe a touch of fruit. Flavour starts with lots of vanilla, almost too much in my opinion, along with some caramel malt, spices and alcohol and ends bitter. Medium bodied and very smooth. It’s good but I’d like it better with less vanilla, it’s a little too sweet for me..

12 oz bottle. Pours a hazy reddish orange with a creamy off-white head that retains pretty well.

The aroma is sweet grainy malts and some spices (vanilla, gingerbread) and a little honey.

The flavor is more gingerbread and vanilla and caramel. It has a sweet alcoholic finish. The mouthfeel is is medium and a little watery.

Overall, it’s too sweet for me. I don’t really care for the blend of spices too much either (especially the vanilla - not a big fan). Very reminiscent of cream soda. Give me an Anchor OSA over this anytime!

This beer pours a cloudy orange/grey weird but that is what it looked like and leaves a very small white head. The nose of this brew is nice, sweet vanilla, citrus, herbal notes (pine as well). The taste is so smooth you could almost chug it cause of the small amount of carbonation, the malt presence is done to perfection the caramel flavor in this brew bounces around your palate for a few minutes then is subdued by just a touch of bitter and winter spices to round out the finish.

Pours an amber color with a tan head. I really noticed the alcohol in this beer. The flavor is of sweet malts and spices, it is not very well balanced.

Pours a red/amber with a hint of brown. Head went quickly to a thin strip around the rim. Aroma is sweet with some spices. Almost has a pine scent to it with some orange. Taste is nice. A fast swirl of fruit and spice that leaves a nice spicy feel afterwards. This is a very drinkable beer. The after-feel in my mouth is refreshing, almost like a breath savor! You know when you breath in and you can feel the cool from the mint. I have the 2005 version and cannot wait for next year’s!