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Anchor Our Special Ale (2005 and later)

Anchor Our Special Ale (2005 and later) - Spice/Herb/Vegetable

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 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 
10243.56/5.03.56/5.0Winter5.5%95Lager glass, Tumbler
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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.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 kmeves (1080), Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/55/103/512/20
Oct 20, 2008  
Pours a clear deep amber brown with a creamy tan head. Aroma is moderately sweet, nutmeg, juniper berries, chocolate and dark fruit. Flavor is nutmeg, cherry, grape, juniper and molasses. Medium bodied, stickyish texture. Very dry finish. This one just has too many contrasting flavors to be enjoyable.


 probstk (1011), Nepean, Ontario, Canada
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/56/103/512/20
Oct 18, 2008  
12 fl oz. bottle via Lubiere, served at cellar temperature in a tulip glass. 2007 Ed., bottle #701.

App.: Very dark ruby with a moderate tan foam. Aroma: Strong ginger and burnt raisins, very dark fruit cake, strong rum smell, other warm spices, some vanilla. Palate: Medium-ish body, fairly soft carbonation. Flav.: Tangy fruits and minty herbals, some of the light warm spices, still some rum, a touch of vanilla, again notes that remind me of an over-cooked fruit cake – burnt raisins, dark crust, etc.; a bit sweet and a little bitter with some dark malts and a touch of the mint-herbal to finish.

Pretty good stuff, but somehow it feels like it needs more body and alcohol.


 PilsnerPeter (2598), Flushing, New York, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/104/515/20
Oct 16, 2008  
Bottle 2005: Pours a very deep brown with a ruby hue in the light and a dense tan head. The aroma has a bunch of ginger, as do all the other years. There’s also some dark cocoa, nice toasted malt hints, and a touch of nutmeg and spruce. Fluffy palate. Has a strong toasted ginger presence in the flavor- followed by dark chocolate, a bit of a salty middle, a touch of spruce comes through late with a nice roasted (mildly coffee-ish) note into the finish, with some tobacco character as well. Again, a well done OSA spice beer.


 nqualls (1429), Nashville, Tennessee, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/104/514/20
Oct 1, 2008  
Bottle. Poured a dark red with a three finger tan head. Aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Flavor was caramel and spices. Good beer.


 lithy (1600), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/56/103/513/20
Sep 30, 2008    Updated: May 14, 2009
2007 Vintage. Deep ruby ale looks black except in the light. Thick frothy tan head that has nice retention lingers forever leaving a sticky coating of lace on the glass. Clove aromas, cinnamon, nutmeg reminds of eggnog. Nutty caramel and more of the previous spices. Excellent malt and spices. 2008 vintage. Pours a dark brown with red intertwined throughout and a tight lasting beige head. Aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, molasses, figs and other fruits, other assorted aggressive spices, with a malty sweet base. Taste hits first with a load of spices, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, with fruits and sweet malts that lend a strange metallic twinge to the finish. A bit nutty or vegetal. 2007 seemed better. Original rating: 7:4:7:4:14


 StFun (535), Indiana, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/103/517/20
Sep 13, 2008  
Thanks to Sparky for sending this one my way. I’m not a big fan of spicey beers, but this one is done very well. Pours a deep purple-brown, with a thin head. Aroma is gingerbread and spice. Flavor is the same, with some nuts, carmel, and bitter chocolate. Nice notes of some dark fruit as well. A very sippable beer, I enjoyed this one a lot.


 Bullit (1300), Glasgow, Scotland
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/514/20
Aug 24, 2008  
Dark brown colour, tan head. Aroma is of caramel, roasted malts and spices. Flavour has roasted malts and cloves. Nice one.


 GMCC2181 (846), Bear, Delaware, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/103/58/103/516/20
Aug 21, 2008  
Bottle from Ibrew2or3. It says 2005 on it. Black with a small tan head. Funky aroma, not sure exactly what that is... Taste is funky as well . Black cheeries, spicy, malty cocoa, spicy. Weird but in a good way. Texture is medium and easy to drink. Overall a good beer to try. Thanks Dave!



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