Anchor Our Special Ale (2002)

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

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tumbler

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51 oz Magnum bottle! Very dark brown/black with reddish highlights, and a huge orange/dark tan head. Aroma is of some spices but not overly done- enough to let some hops come through in the smell. Taste is very complex and spicy with some hops and good caramel malt flavors. Tastes better when it gets wwarm- the spices and hops come out. Very easy to drink- smooth and sweet. A very unique beer- could use even more hops however.

Wonderful chocolate ginger and spicey nose. Black with a big frothy head. It tastes like Gingerbread with initial tones of hops that leads to a dry nice bitter finish. Great and with the 2000 my favorite vintage of Anchor special Ale.

Dark, nearly black color. Rich, full, cocoa/tan head. Aroma:sizzles with flavor! Espresso, chocolate, a little anise, tons of cinnamon and nutmeg, others I can't quite get my nose into. Sweet and velvety. A charge in the mouth on first taste, great carbonation, easy texture, glorious flavors: this is utterly sublime! I truly feel Anchor's Our Special Ale the finest winter ale ever crafted. Screw Santa! This is the ultimate reward for the beer lover who's been good all year 'round. I'm also getting a little piney/juniper or other arboreal flavors in here. Did they start adding Christmas Trees to the boil? Works great with all the other flavors in there, but nutmeg-haters should stay away.

UPDATED: JUN 5, 2003 Juniper and nutmeg like aroma, a lot of spices. Very winter-type brew, some coffee in there too. Dark blackish/brown with brown head. Thick feeling. Spices come through with a bit of bitterness and dark malts. I think I like this so much because it reminds me of my homebrew.

REALLY dark color (almost black) with some red twinges in the light. Nice tan head with really nice lacing. Aroma is more black licorice than anything else to go along with pine and all sorts of spices (mostly allspice?). I’m getting high just sniffing this stuff (reminds me of 5th grade). First sip is rich tobacco juice, cinnamon and as it warms a bit, vanilla. Sweet chocolate and mollasses. I swear if I keep drinking, I couldn’t possibly come up with the whole spice rack that Anchor throws into this nectar. Another year, another great beer. Thank you Anchor Brewing.

Wow!! There is a ton of good things happening in a glass of Anchor Christmas Ale. The flavor in multi-layered. Beginning with a hop bitterness, followed by a malt sweetness, then burnt coffee and finally a dash of alcohol. This is a delicious brew.

I love this beer. The best by Anchor I had so far. Coffee and hopperfume aroma. Very dark brown color, brown creamy head, very good lace. Spices and light coffee flavors. Finishes light roasted, bitter with a long lasting coffee flavor. Well balanced use of hops, spices and dark malts.

Darkest garnet; kahki head with great lace; a nose that swirls with drak fruit and other un-name-ables. Warming. This tastes "black". Lots if ginger this year. they really held back on the pine thankfully.

Very interesting beer. The aroma is terrific - like a Christmas candle - very unique and refreshing. Strong malt and hop backbone to complement the holiday spices. Very interesting, and tasty.

2002 tried in April, 2004. Flavors appear to have mellowed quite substantially and the beer is left with a ton of fruit flavors. Nose is of peaches and bananas, flavor of licorice, bananas, peaches, raisins and mild chocolate. This was really a treat. Finish is long and rich, but not overwhelming.