Anchor Our Special Ale (2003)

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

An interesting brew like none other. Pours a deep deep amber/brown, with an off-white head and nice lacing. Spicy aroma of flowers and spices. Flavors of the same. Hoppy and spicy, in perfect balance.

Dark mahogany body with a thin tan head. Lacing.
Very spicy aroma! Cinnamon, ginger, some flowery hops and a little pepper in the aroma.
Almost like a gingerbread cookie dipped into hop extract. Ginger, cinnamon and bitter chocolate dominate with a nice malty middle and a spicy hop bite. Long spiced finish.
Full-bodied and bubbly on the tongue.

Having tried this AOSA, I wish I had tried previous years's. Beautiful dark red color and ample dark head. Herbal, spiced aroma...spent the first ten minutes just enjoying the smell before first sip...allspice and coriander, evergreen. The light maltiness allows the spice to linger; slight earthiness reinforces the seasonality. Bought a couple magnums to sock away.

ginger, all spice aroma, some red wine, chocolate. black with and average tan head that disapears. moderately hoppy, chocolate, mild roast, spice lasting way late.

Rich, full, heady and spicy aroma, some dark brown sugar, nutmeg, allspice, flowery hop, pine, faint chocolate cake-like maltiness, dark berry fruits and behind it all a loamy earthiness. Dark garnet color, with a creamy, lasting tan head. Malty and bittersweet to start, further developing some dark fruity tanginess, and towards the drying finish notes of spice, cookieish malts, leafy hop and earth. Moderate amount of bitterness this year, wonderfully supportive body and smooth mouthfeel. This year's search for this beer has proven significantly more difficult than in years past; either the demand has increased in my area or the supply has diminished...

Big broad spicy nose, huge head, dark chocolate colored body. Chewy malt body with some light nutmeg at the end. Complex blend of spices, but not as spicy as previous years, I'd have to say. Perhaps this will change with ageing. We'll see. Nonetheless an excellent beer.

poured so beautifully you'd think this beer had rehersed with my glass a dozen times. it looks like a liquid cake of devil's food chocolate and potting soil-- irridescent only at the edge with a blush of mars red. the head is a harem sofa of camel and chamois. while i'm not a big fan of holiday spiced beers, this one calms my disdain considerably, floating garlands of orange blossoms, ginger, caramel, various manly spicy colognes and alcohol tones atop a viscous porter-like basin of peated dunkel malts. the secret ingredient is --let me guess-- sitka spruce oil? yet, it's not overwhelming, it whelms just right. brisk carb, happy confluence of malts and bitters, like a tangerine-peel porter. puts the ho ho in my holiday season.

A deep burgundy elixir with a frothy, light brown head and light lace to remember it by. This aroma is telling of cooked spices, like a mince pie. Light nutmeg and cardonman combining with molasses get my mouth watering. Sharp flavor bursting with fruit, riding merrily atop a floating chassis of rich, roasty malt and just enough piny hops to give style to a fine ride. Full mouthfeel, tingly carbonation and lingering, herbal finish. Great year for Anchor Christmas ale.