I’ve come to the realization that no matter what the calendar says, it’s still going to be freezing in Syracuse. And since it feels like winter, I thought it would be fitting to grab a seasonal winter beer while they’re still on the shelves.

The Anchor Winter Wheat is brewed in San Francisco, California, where people don’t understand winter like we do in Syracuse. In fact, this beer was originally created as a summer beer, but I guess Anchor Brewing wanted to send some love our way.

As expected, this beer pours very, very dark — similar to the color of coffee or the color of the Syracuse sky on a chilly January night. And flowing from that dark color is the strong scent of roasted malt, maybe even hints of coffee. All of these characteristics are exactly what you’d expect in a winter beer.

The first sip of this beer will make you feel cozy, just as it should. It’s full-bodied, and you can definitely get a hint of the alcohol in the aftertaste and it warms up your throat as it makes its way down. At 7 percent ABV, it’s not overpowering, but it’s certainly present.

The coffee flavor from the nose is a lot more present on the tongue. If you’re not a fan of bold flavors, this beer definitely isn’t for you. The hop and wheat flavors aren’t shy, and they last on your tongue long after you’ve swallowed. The beer is also pretty highly carbonated, so every element of this beer is daring.

There are a couple different ways you could go if you want to eat something along with this beer. It would go extremely well with something hearty like a steak or a beef stew. But this would also be an awesome beer to have at a holiday party as you snack on chocolates and other sweets.

The Anchor Winter Wheat is a beer lover’s dream. It has every element that a winter beer should have, and it knocks each of those elements out of the park in a courageous way.