Anchor Our Special Ale (2001 and earlier)

Formerly brewed at Anchor Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
San Francisco, California USA

Im surprised this rates in the 90’s, not sure what the sweet, candy like flavor this has, more than just "Cinnamon, nutmeg" and your normal winter spices, maybe they tried something different and enough people liked it to keep making it. Not bad at first, but the more I drank it, the more I decided not to pay $12 for it again. Xmas beers are my favorite, and there are several I like, this one is not one im willing to get again.

I wanted a good tasting Christmas Ale and I was willing to spend $12.00 for a six pack. This beer is horrible! Spicy in a bad way. This isn’t just my take on the beer. My son and some of his friends were like, " this beer stinks and is next to undrinkable". The dollar amount you spend on a beer isn’t always a guarantee of quality. Don’t waste your money like me.

Bottle ’98. Poured a red/brown. Nose was sherry, cardboard, bready malts. Flavor was bland, oxidized, some spices, doughy. Didn’t hold up too well. Smelled a hell of a lot better than it tasted.

12, 1999. thanks, suzy! pours a clear dark mahogany with bright bronze in the corners. no head or lace. beautiful big spice and dark wood nose. creamy medium body. a little bit of carb still showing. gorgeous blend of dark earthy spice, roast, hardwood, and caramel stickiness. luscious rounded flavors. long spicy finish.

This really had no strong aroma to it but it pour dark with a nice medium head after a sip it was very light for the dark appearance. I tasted some light hints of coffee. very nice beer.

Almost nothing on the nose. On draft, a dark cola brown, at the Dutch Goose in Menlo Park. Had this one from a bottle a couple of weeks bal, but didn’t rate it then. A nice vegetal, spicy taste. I get a bit of curry in the taste, funny enough. It’s interesting, and really nothing to complain about.

A must for the season. Some years the spice bill is just too dense, some the nutmeg too off the hook, but if you’re gonna drink it today, who knows what’s in store. I wish I were you.

The 2001, 8 years later. Pours a dark slightly cloudly brownish-red, well carbonated with great lacing. A 1/6" long-lasting head. Smells banana-ey and spicy with evergreen notes and mint, moderately roasted. And for whatever reason, clocking in at only 5.5% abv, there is a mild presense of alcohol on the nose. Considering how many different attributes are present on the nose, this should be easily hidden. Everything is very rounded-off and subtle though. Tastes "dark green," reminds me of Christmas trees, evergreen, and spinach (just saying), but very good. Spiciness is very noticeable ... curry, slight cloves. Very "earthy" in roastiness, dry and not sweet. Well-aged. My impression at first was "gee, maybe this has been in the bottle for TOO long and may have expired its deliciousness point." But after letting sit for a while and aerate, this 2001 Anchor Holiday Ale has really proven itself. Dig it.