Anchor Our Special Ale (2003)

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

Very dark with a ample tan head. A lot going on here, with heavy fruits, good dose of malt, brown sugar, chocolate and of course an array of spices. The bitter finish holds it together and makes this one of the better holiday ales you can find.

Deep brown colour. Very nice nose with lots of spices (is it pines?) and dark fruits (raisins, plums). Initial flavour is malty and sweet (chocolate), followed by some spicyness and a long lightly acidic, somewhat dry bitter finish. Impressive complexity for just 5.5% ABV!

Shared a 1.5L bottle with some friends. Pours a dark brown with a medium tan head. The nose seems dominated by spice, particularly nutmeg but there is also a piney hint to it. The taste is sweeter with some brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, along with a little hint of wood and some cocoa. Not over the top spice. Very drinkable. Smooth finish with little remaining. Great beer!

Super dark brown in colour (85% opaque) with a medium-sized dense tan head. Aroma of spruce, pine, honey, vanilla, molasses and a strong roasted malt essence. Medium-bodied; Sweet brown sugar taste with honey and vanilla definately present with some slight oakiness noticeable. Some herbe and spruce quality in the taste also. Aftertaste somewhat bittered from coffee and roasted malt, but left complex from the herbes and spices. Overall, a nice beer-a bit better than the 2002. This is going to be interesting to see how this ages! I got this twelve ounce bottle from Haddon90, which he purchased at Whole Foods in Vienna, Virginia and sampled it on 23-December-2003. Thanks again Phil!

Aroma of sweet gingerbread dough. The flavor is of gingerbread, coffee, and a little chocolate. The palate and body are a bit watery which does not match up with the bold flavors. As always this is the quintessential christmas beer, but beef up the body next year.

Poured a dark brown. Small tan head that faded quickly. Cinnamon and nutmeg taste with some spruce flavor. A good christmas brew.

Minimal head with some lacing. Really dark brown, almost black, color. Definitely one of my favorite colors :). I started pouring it and the aroma hit me pretty hard. The aroma was a little too strong for my taste, but it's definitely interesting.

Bottled. Almost black with a brown head. A fresh hoparoma with notes of chocolate. A dry bitterness and flavour from chocolate and raisins. It tastes christmas.