Anchor Our Special Ale (2004)

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

Bottle. The colour is very, very dark ruby red (almost black). The liquid is clear. The large foam is beige; it dissolves slowly into a finger thick layer.

The smell is quite strong with lots of bitter hops (mostly Challenger), coffee, citrus peels, spices and burned malt.

The carbonation is quite strong but very pleasant.

The taste is burned and bitter with flavours of black coffee, apricot jam, bitter almonds, some sweetness, dry hops, and a rather powerful body. The long lasting aftertaste is bitter with notes of citrus fruits and coffee drops.

I always eagerly await this Anchor release. Most years buying a case to enjoy throughout the coming year. I am still slowly going through my batch of year 2000. Tonight I arrive at the Sharp Edge in Pittsburgh to find that the 2004 is on tap. The little happy dance ensues. The beer poured a dark brown color with just a hint of ruby when held to the light. A small tan head graced the surface. The aroma was sweet, minty and almost pine like. The flavor was also sweet, minty and piney. Sweet pine lingers on the finish. There are certainly far better beer out there than this one - but for some reason the holidays do not seem complete for me without having this beer around. Maybe it is nostalgia for me as I have made it a holiday tradition since 1998 but for whatever reason it makes me happy.

This beer is in the cateory of "tastes just like Christmas". Mellow, matured berry taste, not too hopsy or heavy like other winter beers. That’s excellent. Reminds me of a Whether’s Original... butterscotch, but creamy. Mahogany look to it, touches of tan on head of beer. This beer was so good I drank water with my dinner just so that I could savor the magnitude of it after the meal. Oh yeah. Great impressive second beer I’ve had from this brewery. Keep the brewery open in San Francisco!

Always one of the more attractive beers, it seems darker or more opaque this year, its deep garnet color muddled with a heavy brown appearance and moderate beige head. Aroma seems far richer and spicier than last year’s edition in particular, chock full of ginger as a primary spice, nutmeg is secondary, I almost think I detect allspice or even thyme. Flavor is very well integrated, a warming rounded chocolate malt front is embraced by the earthy gingery and junipery sides leading to a smooth full finish. Palate is almost soft, but the carbonation here is a little high, giving it some bite that detracts from the overall mouthfeel. I may have preferred last year "less spicy" version, or aged bottles that show a restrained spiciness, but I think I’m starting to appreciate spiced beers for what they are and this is just fine. As I get into this glass a little further, I think I’m even getting a lingering dustiness in the finish that reminds of cinnamon powder, but without cinnamon’s spicy edge.

(bottle) not my cup of tea at all. I should really avoid spice beers because I just don’t enjoy them. This was the 30th anniversary, so I wanted to try it. But since the problem is mine not Anchor’s, I didn’t want to under-rate the beer.

Black color with a thin head. Lots of nutmeg and cloves in the aroma. Ginger-bready taste. I found it much more mild than I was expecting. There was also a bit of an odd hops presence at first, but after it aired for a few minutes, that went away.

WOW. IT SMELLS JUST LIKE GINGERBREAD! What an incredible aroma for a holiday beer. Opaque dark brown with ruby tones and dense tan/brown head that recedes slowly with some lacing. Gingerbread continues in the flavour with finishing pine-like bitterness. Thick, luxurious mouthfeel could use just a touch more carbonation. Bottle.

Dark Red Coloring With Big Thick Sandy Head. Cherry and Christmas Spices. Aggressive Spices on the Tongue. Hops and Warming... Make for a Crisp Bite on the Throat and Tongue...Bitter and Dry. Cinnamon Toast. Hoppy Bitterness Goes Away After Letting it Breathe, Making for a Smoother Tasting. Cold Use Some Again..