jeff789 (377), Pennsylvania, USA
| 3.3 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 6/10 | 3/5 | 13/20 | Dec 19, 2008 Pours a deep deep ruby with a thick tan head and leaves a slight bit of lacing... Smells of sweet fruits with a woody undertone... Tastes of Spruce/Pine, earthy hops, a slight bit sweet... Finishes a bit dry with a lingering spruce taste, medium bodied... Overall i found the 08-09 offering a bit thinner and less appealling than in years past... I remember a certain fullness to the body that was missing, either a bit of roastiness or creaminess would have completed this years IMO.... BelgiskOlklub (401), Viby J, Denmark
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 | Dec 19, 2008 Draft at Cockney Pub. Nice brown hazy body and lasting white creamy head. Has the taste of "christmas" like cardamom and cinnamon. Creamy texture. ARMed (485), Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania, USA
| 4.4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 9/10 | 5/5 | 18/20 | Dec 18, 2008 Thanks Joeyplush for this great birthday gift. It is an outstanding brew with a ton of flavor and a lot of character. Great spicey flavor of winter porter with the aroma of a pine forest. I wanted a second one! kiefdog (1585), Tampa, Florida, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 | Dec 18, 2008 Bottle courtesy of Ibrew2or3. Pours a dark brown to black color with thin tan head. Aroma is malty with notes of phenol, molasses, caramel, spice, rye. Flavor is malty and sweet with notes of peanut, wood, molasses, rye, nutmeg and other spices. Generally medium body with sweet and malty finish. Sampled in a vertical tasting of Anchor Our Special Ales 2002-2006. The 2006 vintage had more burnt candy sugar notes and was slightly sweeter than the 2005. bradlyc77 (226), Sebastopol, California, USA
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 | Dec 18, 2008 Updated: Jan 14, 20092008 bottle. Pours syrupy with nice tan head. Good carbonation level. Starts with hints of allspice, nutmeg and figs. Finishes with a little bit of chocolate and roastiness. Nice balance of hops bitterness with the spice. Well done. MOboy (446), Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| 3.3 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 3/5 | 6/10 | 3/5 | 14/20 | Dec 17, 2008 Dark brown with a big, biscuity foam. Aroma of gingerbread, chocolate and nutmeg. Tastes of gingerbread and anise. A very well balanced ale that just screams "HOLIDAYS!". Always a welcome winter treat. markwise (1175), 15 Minutes from Kuhnhenn in, Florida, USA
| 4.1 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 | Dec 17, 2008 Thanks IBrew2or3 for the share. Pours deep cola brown with an off white head. Aroma is spice, slight earthy sweetness, licorice, and a lot of malt. Flavor is same with brilliant sweetness, spice, and lingering earthy malt. Smooth and complex. MrRain (426), O’Fallon, Illinois, USA
| 2.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 5/5 | 4/10 | 2/5 | 8/20 | Dec 17, 2008 12oz bottle poured into an English pint, starting temperature is 39 degrees F. AOSA 2008 pours dark burgundy with a medium-sized off-white head. This is a pretty beer. The aroma consists of mild hops, spicy nutmeg, a hint of mint. The flavor is very spicy. The flavors tend to sit on the beer rather than blend with the beer. The flavors include nutmeg and pepper with a thin caramel base. The beer could be a bit thicker to help absorb the spices. The finish is spicy and leaves the feeling of raw ingredients in your mouth.
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