Like other spiced beers, this one hides the malt and hops, but in this case, it worked. The usual pumpkin pie-like suspects -- like cinnamon, ginger and clove -- were there, as well as what I believe was a touch of myrrh.
(By the way, my friend Mark says myrrh is his favorite word when he plays hangman because it's a tough one to figure out, what with no vowels, unless you count the "y" and the double "r." I am not sure why he is playing hangman at age 39, but whatever. Myrrh also seems like it would make for a good Scrabble word. As for the beer, I was just kidding about the myrrh flavor.)
Anyway, I did like this beer, which surprised me because I haven't liked some of Anchor's previous holiday efforts. -- Jonathan Shikes
Craft breweries in Colorado and across the country make seasonal beers all year round, but the best of the best come out in the final three months. To see reviews of my other favorites, check out our Booze News blog archive.