Anchor Our Special Ale (2005 and later)

	Percentile
	91
	overall

Brewed by Anchor Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
San Francisco, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
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Ratings	Average	Score	Seasonal	ABV	Style Pctl	Serve in
1036	3.56/5.0	3.56/5.0	Winter	5.5%	94.9	Lager glass, Tumbler

Commercial Description:
This is our special ale from the brewers at Anchor. It is sold only from early November to mid-January. The Ale’s recipe is different every year, but the intent with which we offer it remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life. Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons appears born anew. <br /><br /> Editor’s Note: due to the significant similarity in style and strength from year to year (despite potential differences in the exact spice blend), this beer is no longer separated by vintage.

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Linnet (112), Umeå, Sweden

3.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.5	8/10	4/5	7/10	3/5	13/20

Feb 6, 2009

Deep opaque colour, small creamy beige head, lots of lacing. Spicy and fruity aroma, sweet and roasted too, yeasty. Flavour is metallic, dry bitter and roasted. Notes of dark fruit and coffee and there is some funky acidity to it’s taste. Mouthfeel is average with small bubbles. the beer is very drinkable without being extraordinary in any way. Actually it is pretty bad for being anchor, my expectations were higher than this. Serving type: bottle

BeerGestapo (738), Windsor, Pennsylvania, USA

3.6	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.6	7/10	3/5	7/10	4/5	15/20

Feb 6, 2009

Brewed in the USA...... Vintage 2006 !! Pours a dark brown color with a super thin white head. Aroma of sweet malts, spices, flowers and a slight hint of cinnamon. Taste is of nutmeg, spices, earth and malts. The mouthfeel is thin but kind of sticky with a slight dryness at the finish. This was very drinkable !!

nickd717 (1330), Palo Alto, California, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	8/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	14/20

Feb 4, 2009

Bottle at The Bruery, 2008 vintage. vertical with 2001 and 2002 vintages. Dark amber color with an off-white head. Aroma of roasted malt, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. Flavor is the same, malty with spices, not quite as mellow as the oldies but good. Medium-full body.

altonbrownd (1888), Amsterdam, Netherlands

3.6	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.6	7/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	14/20

Feb 4, 2009

2007 bottle from Bier Koning. Dark brown body with rocky tan head. Really nice roasted malty nose, spicy too. Nice taste of malts, chocolate and some vanilla. Tangy finish. Nice composition.

hayduke (1629), Eureka, California, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	8/10	4/5	7/10	3/5	15/20

Feb 2, 2009

From a big magnum bottle with a gold foil wrapper on the top, this poured a rich mahogany color with a big foamy tan head and rich lacing. Nose of caramel malts with cloves, pine, flowers, citrus, and cinnamon. Good clean mouthfeel. Flavor is very complex and spicy, and the finish is dry and slightly bitter. A very good beer for its type.

jkwalking05 (1483), Arlington, Texas, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	8/10	3/5	8/10	3/5	15/20

Jan 31, 2009

Dark brown with ruby highlights and a decent sized tan head. Atroma is of pine, toffee, toast, and spicy hops. Flavor is of pine, spices, caramel and malt.

T2Tool (352), Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA

3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3	6/10	3/5	6/10	3/5	12/20

Jan 31, 2009

2008 version had back in December. Poured from a 12-oz bottle into a pint glass a dark amber color. Aroma was sweet and spicy. Taste of cinnimon and nutmeg along with what seemed like citrus.

webbcreative (111), , Oklahoma, USA

2.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
2.8	4/10	4/5	5/10	2/5	13/20

Jan 30, 2009

2008. Dark Mahogany color. 2 finger light brown head. smells pretty good, Taste...meh...getting a lot of spices. but not much else, malt and hops seem to cancel each other out. This is a good beer, just not that memorable for me. thin mouthfeel and low to no carbonation.

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