Anchor Our Special Ale (2003)

Dark coffee hue with generous light brown foam displaying good lacing and stickiness. Aroma hits you explaining what is a spiced ale. A decent malt base supports huge amount of spices which seem overall well blended together, but you've got to be in the mood for sweet and spicy. It's very sprucey with notes of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, licorice. Mouthfeel is silky, light while carbonation level is rather low. Spicy bitter finish, very christmas-ish. Interesting beer that everyone should try, but once is enough as far as I'm concerned, it was in fact more pleasant after the first sip than after the last. Cheers TAR.

Ahhhhh. My first-ever 10 for aroma. Straight after the pour, there's nutmeg, cinnamon, caramel, vanilla, raisins, rum (?). Just...*droool*. After setting, I pick up more prominent notes of molasses and brown sugar and, I think, cloves. Appearance is very nice too--dark garnet in front of a light, with a small tannish head. Flavor of malts, nutmeg, vanilla, and barely some coffee, with a touch of hops at the end. Feels rich and silky. Spectacular brew from Anchor!

Dark red color with decent sized tan head. Caramel, bitter hops, and spices. Tastes were nutmeg, pepper, cloves, bubblegum and malt. Nice lacing throughout. Not their best so far, but we will rate again next year.

pours a dark porter-like brown with red hues, short white head, aroma is spicy – cinnamon and nutmeg, chocolate, some fruitiness – lemon, orange, hints of coffee and pine, more earthy than 2 previous years, woody – maybe a hint of smoke; flavor is bitter and rich, black licorice, chocolate, some coffee, hints of fruit – lemon especially though not as pronounced as in the aroma, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, dry finish, piney hops add a nice element

Cinammon cookie/ginger snap aroma, with flowers (tulips?) as well. Dark brown/red color with a light tan head that left a little bit of lacing. Spicy taste, mainly ginger. Hoppiness bitterness at the end. Clingy mouthfeel with a bitterness that lasts for a while. Pretty good.

deep brown, beige head. gingerbread and spicy cinnamon aroma with hints of clove, nutmeg and pine. sweet molassesy malt flavour with the big spiciness and a biter finish. much more balanced than last year

Dark brown. Light beige head. Spicy aroma of nutmeg, cinnamon, & clove w/ light malt & pine in the background. Full bodied. Flavour is, again, spicy (nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves) w/ some sweet maltiness & a medicinal, cough syrupy, though bitter, finish.

Clove aroma with other Christmas like spice. In flavour spices are exposed even more, body cot slightly creamy texture. Some ginger a la Kopernik from Torun. Interesting beer that would love it or hate it.