Anchor Our Special Ale (2001 and earlier)

Formerly brewed at Anchor Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
San Francisco, California USA

Serve in Lager glass, Tumbler

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UPDATED: FEB 3, 2004 This is for the 2000 Christmas release, labelled as Our Special Ale. Interestingly spiced with definite hints of nutmeg and ginger. I also imagined a trace of ginseng, but it was probably the nutmeg. Interesting complex beer good for sipping and studying on a quiet cold evening. Aging may be order for better flavor integration.

Addition: 1998 bottle sampled in February 2004! Very dark brown, reddish tinge, dark enough to be near opaque in the glass. Creamy tan head, fading quickly. Aroma modest but there's a dense complexity: mostly unchanged from fresher samples, dark chocolatey/nutty malts with a cardamom quality. Flavor is dark and slightly burnt/woody,with the malt continuing to be chocolatey and walnutty. Spices come through quite clear, I get nutmeg first and foremost. Ginger may also be present, as may be ginseng, cardamom. Any juniper flavor, if its an actual ingredient as hinted by the label, is pretty hard to notice, but I'm less than 100% sure what it tastes like. Finish is light, generally clean, with the aforementioned spices lingering all over the palate in the aftertaste.

I've raised the numbers for this after rating the 6 year old bottle. I think this beer really does get better with age, so this rating will now reflect "aging" quality.

Vintage 1996. Awesome extra received from calise1122 (BA) in a trade awhile ago. Huge thanks for this very unique beer, Brett! Popped the cap, and spurt of carbonation fizzles out. Good sign. Poured into a pint glass, this pours a very thick, dark mahogany with a thin tan head on top. Some ruby shades to this foam. Retains weakly, and leaves little-to-no lace on the glass. Scents of old apples, prunes, figs, dates, leather, soy...you name it. This is crazy how much "flavor" is in the nose. The body still retains a good amount of depth and good carbonation bite, almost a little harsh. I wasn’t expecting so much "bite" to this. I thought it would be mellow with no carbonation at all. Shows how much I know. Unfortunately, the flavor on this did not do it for me. I think this beer has gone past it’s prime. At first sip, I get a wash of old mushy apples and slightly tart cherries. I liked that first sip. As I continue to drink though, this becomes a musty, dry, vinegar-y, dirt-flavored soy sauce. I thought this had characteristics of a good Old Ale, but it became a drain-pour. I hate to admit it, and I very RARELY pour out a beer, but I could not get past the third or fourth sip on this one. This may have been good a few years ago, but it has lost whatever good characteristics were still clinging for dear life long ago.

This beer is heavy on the spices and is very off-balanced as a result. I smell nothing but sweer molasses and the flavor is heavy on gingerbread and molasses. Not a balanced, nor a particularly mouthwatering beer. I will not drink again.

Pours a good looking dark brown with a thick tan/light brown head. Smells spices (allspice/anise)...very much in the aroma of christmas. The spices come through in the taste, as well as some yeast flavors. A bit too watery on the palate for me...and the flavors kind of drop off at the end as well.

Unique taste....not for me. A heavy beer, slow drinking. Almost has a hint of Christmas tree taste.

2010 Magnum courtesy of my neighbour Dale. Darkest amber, big lasting rocky mocha brown head. Sweet dark roasted malt aroma, some herbs. Bittersweet dark malt taste, some dried fruit, spice and spruce hops. Finishes dry and bitter. NFL (Not For Lagerboys)

Bottle, 2011 batch. Pours a dark red-brown with a high ecru head. Nose is darkly floral, fruity, and spicy. Deep and rich, not as sweet as I expected from the nose. Finishes long, warm, and bourbon-like. Good.

This poured a dark amber color. Spicy aromatics with a highly complex palate. Completely different than many other Christmas/Winter ales. Spicy aftertaste as well. Great stuff!

Poured from 12 oz bottle. Color dark like cola with red hues. Thick off white head that left solid lacing on the glass. Aroma of sweet malt. Piney hops dance across the tongue leaving the mouth dry. Smooth mouthfeel overall good.

Bottle from 2011. Light, malty, and sweet. It could be more spicy for a holiday ale, but it is well-balanced and goes down nicely. It could be a session brew.

1.75L bottle. Dark brown pour with ruby in the light. Aroma is full of holiday spices. Taste is similar, sweet, a bit syrupy. Very delicious easy drinker: I killed this whole bottle solo on Christmas. Merry Christmas to me.