Anchor Our Special Ale (2005 and later)

2006 version, best before oct 2008, sampled 2009-10-18 dark dark brown, smooth light brown head, some lacing. very spicy aroma, also somewhat soapy. smells like a bakery. flavor is very spicy but still soft and mild. spicy cristmas cake flavor, cinnamon. licorice, caramel. Quite special but not my kind of beer, i’m not much of a cake guy.

Pours like ancor stem beer. Very spicy and piney warmth oif christmas in a bottle. A favorite in december and love to open gifts with a few around.

Reviewing this is somewhat misleading, as every year the flavor varies so much, and changes considerably with age (obviously). It’s always worth a shot, sometimes beautiful, others too spicy, but hardly worth complaining about.

If trees could taste good, this would be how they taste. Very dark with prominent spices.

[Bought at UTO-beer, Borough Market, London.] A good thirstquencher for autumn-times. Not that christmas-sweet-like as the belgian ones, but more like an original ale added with spices, but a goodone is it indeed. Brown look with offw. head and notes of weak spices as cardamomme, cinnamon, some wood. Light and easy drinkable.

Vintage 2007. Dark brown colour. Thin creamy weak light brown head. Aroma is malty with fruity (raisins), spicy (coriander) and caramel notes. Flavor is malty too with fruity (dates, ripe prunes) and light licorice notes, ending in an initially fruity, then roasty finish. Light to medium bodied.

I decided that this would be my Christmas in July beer and I also wanted to see if six months had changed anything. It turned out to be like a Christmas with no presents. When I first tasted this beer I didn’t care for it. Let’s see if it is doing any better. The head was a soft, fluffy cocoa color and quickly dissipated into a pathetic ring of bubbles. The color appears black with some brown at the edges. Smell is slightly spicy and also smells like blackjack gum, fucking weird. Carbonation is prickly and the mouthfeel is thin. The flavor is more strange gum flavors that thankfully don’t leave too strong of an aftertaste. I don’t like this beer and I really can’t see how age will improve this. I guess it is all just a matter of preference but I plan on giving the rest of these away to unsuspecting friends. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 07-23-2007 14:39:47

Pours a deep, rich red, to the point of just about brown. Foamy off-white/tan head. Light at the edges. Glassy but so thick you can’t see through it. Head shrinks but doesn’t quit. In the nose: spices of cinnamon and potpurri. Soap flakes. Sweet, sugary malt; some light cherry liqueur. Really soapy. Dry leaves. The taste: serious, sweet plum/stone fruit. Dark caramel and molasses. Bitter coffee and nutmeg. Incredibly complex. Sweet brown sugar. Unlike any beer I’ve ever had. Earthy and leavy. Just a ton of flavor. Coca-Cola caramel at the end, as well as vanilla. Amazing. The feel is bready and creamy. Chewy, thick, smooth. Warms the insides. This is a beer just exploding with flavor. Evolves by the minute. Just tremendous.