Anchor Our Special Ale (2003)

Bottle: Pours a deep opaque brown. Strong spiced flavor, definate cinnamon, nutmeg and spruce with some anise and molassis perhaps. I'll bet there is a major spice that I am missing. As it warms the nutmeg and cinnamon become more apparant. It is hard for me to give an overall impression because there is so much going on, too much perhaps. I gripeabout "underdone" specialty beers all the time so I have to give Anchor credit for having the balls to give you something substantial to dislike instead of playing it safe like S.A's Old Fizzwig and Buffalo Bills Pumpkin piss-water swill. I liked last years version better but this is good and worthy of respect.

Perfect dark brown pour with a creamy, 2 fingered tan head. Aroma is spicy, pepper, cinnamon.. flavor has cinnamon, nutmeg cloves with some bitterness at the finish.

Burgundy-ish color, impressive beige head and lacing - aroma of cloves, nutmeg, pine - flavor starts with the nutmeg, perhaps some ginger, corriander and orange peel - then some toasty, bready flavors that make way from some hops, pine, and a creamy, almost chocolatey finish - quite a complex offering, and certainly a perfect beer for Christmas.

Huge spicey, nutmeg and pine aroma. Nice dark mahogany color. Flavor is pine, nutmeg, and cloves with some mild bitterness in the finish. This is the 1st one of these that I have had since about 1999. Great christmas beer but I usually only want 1 or 2 of these at a time.

Dark mahogany. Beige head. This beer has an intensely spicy nose and taste, with clove, nutmeg and ginger predominating. Dark fruit flavors are there as well and chocolate lurks in the background. Clean mouthfeel and a crisp finish. This is a wonderful holiday beer…….would go great with spicy Christmas cookies.

Has a dark brown color with a good bit of carbonation and a spice/caramel/clove smell. Taste is pretty much the same with a good roasted bitterness to finish. Overall a great beer that has many good flavor combinations. I will have to try it again to be able to get all the tastes.

Reddish brown appearance, decent mocha foam head formation. Slightly medicinal aroma, roasty with nutmeg and cloves. Sweet initial clove/buble gum palate, dries to ginger and cinammon in the second hald with a fairly citric bitter bite in the finish (compared to last years which I remember being more coffeeish). I find this much more drinkable than the last.

Awesome artwork on the bottle greets the eye. Spicy on the nose. Hints of pine and nutmeg dance nicely together upon first sip. Aftertaste is, accordingly, very "Christmasy." A totally quality and appropriate beer for the Holidays!