Anchor Our Special Ale (2002)

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

Ages fairly well. Dark mollases color. Sweet date, cherry pie aroma. Very full bodied with the sweet fruit flavor. Spices blend well together. Nice sharp bitterness at the end. All around great, enjoyed in the summer as well in winter.

2002 tried in April, 2004. Flavors appear to have mellowed quite substantially and the beer is left with a ton of fruit flavors. Nose is of peaches and bananas, flavor of licorice, bananas, peaches, raisins and mild chocolate. This was really a treat. Finish is long and rich, but not overwhelming.

Dark, nearly black color. Rich, full, cocoa/tan head. Aroma:sizzles with flavor! Espresso, chocolate, a little anise, tons of cinnamon and nutmeg, others I can't quite get my nose into. Sweet and velvety. A charge in the mouth on first taste, great carbonation, easy texture, glorious flavors: this is utterly sublime! I truly feel Anchor's Our Special Ale the finest winter ale ever crafted. Screw Santa! This is the ultimate reward for the beer lover who's been good all year 'round. I'm also getting a little piney/juniper or other arboreal flavors in here. Did they start adding Christmas Trees to the boil? Works great with all the other flavors in there, but nutmeg-haters should stay away.

Dark Brown, almost black color with a good sized cream head. Nose is fine and quite spicy, good hints of wheat coupled with clove and ginger. The intitial flavor is crisp, rather yet ends smooth. Robust mouthfeel, but ends thin enough to not be overwhelming.

Dark brown with ruby-red highlights and a creamy, tan head -- similar to most years. Sweet and roasty nose. Smooth, creamy, warm and cozy. Intensely spiced, with a myriad of flavors and aromas, such as raisin, prune, black licorice, cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg, and pine, as well as some citrusy notes. Just about the entire spice cabinet, which is typical. Malts are a little nutty, roasty, toasty and sweet (sugar in the raw-ish). A little bitterness complements the spices well. Very balanced and pleasant to drink. IMO, this beer is a great candidate for aging. I'm having a 2001 right now also, and its spices are much more tame ... and the malts are more complex.

Bottled: Burgundy coloured. Brownish dense head. Fruits, some roastyness, lots of malts, herbs and spices in the aroma. Flavour dosn't live up to aroma. Raisins, some coffeenotes, spices. Its very smooth, but also a bit watery. Has a pleasant bitterness in the end.

Very dark, reddish color. Roasted-malty, spicy aroma. Cinnamon, clove, plums, rye pudding, (maple?) syrup. Dry, syrupy palate, very porter-like brew. Lots of spices, but they are not very well blended together. Not bad, anyway.

Wow, nice brown sugar, spice, licorice, and a little pine in the flavor. Very smooth and velvety. Slightly better than the '03.