Anchor Our Special Ale (2003)

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

bottle thanks to bman113vr. deep brown pour with a ring of cream froth. nice aroma of spices and malts. quite nice on the palate with some slight oxidation but still holding up quite well. good spicy finish.

12 oz bottle supplied by Colin. Pour is ruby brown mostly clear with a 1/2 inch tan head. Aroma of juniper, clove and big, big spiciness. Assertive but soft at the same time. Taste as spruce, cinnamon, spice, vanilla - incredibly melded really soft. Palate is thick, spiced, lingering with cloves. This really is a great aged beer.

12-oz., courtesy the exceptional generosity of Nugget. Thanks, man! Pours a dense-looking, opaque dark brown with a hale and hearty creamy tan head up top. Luscious head like that after 5 years? Well done, Anchor. These guys never let you forget what a fine job they always do. The nose on this is intensely spicy, dark and sprucey, very christmassy; the perfect combination between christmas trees and spicy christmas sweets. Almost perfumey, but in an inviting way. Creamy medium body, still showing a pleasant carb to it. Notes of wood, dark and sweet spices for sure, brown bread, and caramel on the mid-palate. Mild finish. Awesome, awesome beer.

Tap at Falling Rock. Not as dusty or as thick as the Jubelale 2005 I recently had, but much the same flavor profile. Dark fruit, syrup, toffee, and a rather sharp astringency at the end to balance things abruptly.

2003, consumed during our 2002 to 2006 vertical Dec. 2008. Pours dark hazy brown with mocha head and a bit of cobweb lacing. The aroma has that aged molasses, spices, toffee and hints of chocolate that seems smooth and blended. The taste is very smooth and silky with chocolate, molasses, some malt roast and smooth blunted spices. I get a consistent background of rich dark fruitiness. This as aged wonderfully.

courtesy of our man Dave. Pours dark brown with tan head. Aroma of clove, cinnamon and other Christmas spices. Taste, spices and molasses with light chocolate malts. Some orange peel and caramel come top the whole exquisite taste. Sad to see this rare bottle gone, but it sure did age well.

Bottle courtesy of Ibrew2or3. Pours a dark brown caramel color with a thin white head. Aroma is malty and sweet with notes of caramel, honey, spice, pine, hints of toffee and cinnamon. Flavor is also malty and sweet with dark sugar, sweet plum, raisin and prune notes with a slight hint of fresh orange. Interesting. Some cinnamon and clove spiciness as well. Generally medium body with a sweet and malty finish. This bottle has also aged well.

Thanks IBrew2or3 for the share. Pours a cola brown with an off white head. Aroma is cinnamon, spice, plum, nutmeg, cloves, and all kinds of flavors that you need to experience. Flavor is similar with Christmas flavor- malty, warm, and spicy. Very good.