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Home > Brewers > California > Anchor Brewing Company >

Anchor Our Special Ale (2005 and later)

Anchor Our Special Ale (2005 and later)

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 Percentile 
88
overall
A Spice/Herb/Vegetable brewed by
Anchor Brewing Company

San Francisco, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in  Advanced 
8183.57/5.03.56/5.0Winter5.5%94.4 Lager glass, Tumbler P  Stats

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.

Most RecentTop RatersHighest Ratings Who's Rated This?
 beaconstreet (810), Washington DC, USA
2.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/104/54/102/56/20

Dec 12, 2005  
Raisins, sir, raisins! And a syrupy yeasty taste. Unimpressed for their special ale. SAIS happy hour, Johns Hopkins University in Washington. Bartended.

 Bullit (533), Zeist, Netherlands
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 (366), 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!


 spikester (413), Salem, Oregon, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/104/515/20
Jul 31, 2008  
2007 version. Pours very dark brown, modest tan head, minimal lacings. Good dark roast malt aroma, some soy sauce. Taste is dark, rich coffee, chocolate, bitter hops. Nice Holiday brew.


 esjaygee (733), Oak Creek, Wisconsin, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/513/20
Jul 16, 2008  
Mahogany with a large tan slowly fading head. Aroma of nutmeg, cinnamon, sweet malts, floral hops and other assorted spices. Taste is somewhat nutty and sweet with a spicy finish of nutmeg. Seems a little thin to me, except the finish which seems a little overloaded with spice.


 Ljunkan (121), Karlstad, Sweden
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/514/20
Jul 16, 2008  
Need to update this one. Sold as Anchor Christmas Ale here in Sweden, I was surprised when a friend found 4-5 bottles back in April. This beer has an absolutely wonderful aroma; a quite strong one for only 5,5% ABV. Wonderful malt, spices, pine needle... almost imperial stoutish smell. Flavour is really good, even though it maybe smells better than it tastes. Wonderful taste of Christmas-spices, particulary ginger, and some pine needle. Need too buy this again next Christmas...




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