Anchor Our Special Ale (2005 and later)

I think this has mellowed nicely since I first tried it late last year. Dark brown pour and bubbly and persistent tan head. Aromas of anise, chicory, caramel, vanilla, and juniper. Mostly the same flavors, with added cola taste. Refreshingly light on the palate. It’s spicy, but not in a bad way, I think. Worth revisiting with some age.

Red to dark brown in color with a nice tan colored head. Smell is of a fresh spruce tree, it smells like Christmas. Flavor has slight hints of pine with a delicate malty sweetness that balances out the spices and hops nicely.

This beer helped me win a best of seven pool match, which turned into a best of ten, for which I then lost. Good beer though. Unique tasting herbs, just right for holiday times.

Darkish. Aroma is very chocolatey. Taste is spicy. There is marsipan, vanilla, all kinds of floral perfumy notes and that taste the air has at your local butcher. Exciting but maybe a little too much going on for its own good.

120z pour looked awesome, tasted horrible. To many spices that didn’t work for me. previous years have much better. This 2007 version has too much going on and much of it is conflict.

I HAVE HAD THEIR CHRISTMAS BEER EVERY YEAR SINCE 2002. 2007 HAD A COMPLEX FLAVOR BUT I THINK THERE WAS TO MANY SPICES IN IT THIS YEAR. I ENJOYED 2006 ’S VERSION THE MOST.

The pour is deep brown with 2 & 1/2 finger tan head, leaving nice lacing. The nose is complex with scents of cinnamon, licorice mint and pine. The flavor is also very complex with pine, vanilla, anise and possibly ginger, with other wood resins . Quite a unique brew.

Pours a dark brown, you can see a ruby color when it is held up to the light. Had a large tan head. Interesting aroma, seems to have a ton of different spices....cinnamon, ginger, maybe some raisins, a little coffee? The flavor is equally as unique. Cinnamon and ginger stick out the most, seems to have some toffee also. Interesting Christmas beer.