June 11th, 2007 by Andy
I have been thoroughly impressed with Anderson Valley beers in the past; consequently, towards the end of last year, I picked up a few of their 2006 Winter Solstice Seasonal Ales and proceeded to have one. I’ll spare you the details, suffice it to say, I was less than impressed. In fact, I left the remaining 5 in my cellar, figuring they’d mellow out with some time.
Finally, after roughly 6 months, this beer is ready to enjoy. The Solstice pours a light brown color with a light lacing and reveals a wonderful spicy nose. This pleasant pour is complemented by a cinnamon taste rounded out by a solid malt backbone, which seems to impart a slight date-like finish. The spices work well with the beer’s maltiness and it surely would be a warming taste around a hearth on a cold winter’s night. Thankfully, this beer ages quite well and is worthy of beer snob’s long term planning.
Indeed, the Winter Solstice came a bit late this year– perhaps it should be called Anderson Valley’s Summer Solstice?
