Anchor Our Special Ale (2004)

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

Next year I will forego getting an xmas tree and just put a small string of white lights around a six-pack of this excellent holiday offering-- which is becoming quite the holiday tradition for me! (Its better than caroling!) This strong, Pine-laced, porter-ish ale deserves to be served with a stilton cheeseburger with some thick steak fries. It is robust and beefy. Not too fruity, but a definite presence of nutmeg and allspice. Happy Holidays!

Paid $9.99 for a 6-pack. Looking forward to this year’s, as last year’s was so incredible! Appearance: deep brown with ruby hilights, huge, frothy, fluffy head. Smells: pine sticks out first... next is chocolate and raisens. Flavor is piney, chocolatey, raiseny, roasted nuts, deep orange, ginger, and more... VERY complex. Finish is smooth and completely satisfying. There’s not much better than this.

This beer offers a wonderful aroma full of peppa, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, all-spice, and molasses. This beer fills the glass with a dark dark brown solution that resides under a thick walnut colored head. This thick and heavy beer presents itself smoothly to the mouth. The palate is enticed with the initial flavor of nutmeg, then ginger creeps in followed by all-spice. All these flavors come together to leaving a wonderful mixture of taste resonating on the palate and in the throat for a good long time.

Bottle of 2004 vintage, provided by Capflu (thanks for the trade!)

What a distinctive beer - where to begin? Pours a beautiful near-black amber with a lovely deep brown head wich great retention and lovely lacing. Aroma is unbelievable. Wow - reminds me of Pannepot. Rich and sweet, notes of graham cracker, toasted oatmeal cookie... sweet and pungent. Taste is very complex - fig, chocolate malt, slightly dry finish, definitely some bittering hops, light astringency. The fig really shines through, I find, and it’s a bit watery. Wonderful creamy but slightly thin body with good carbonation. What an interesting beer, I wish we could get it year-round. And what a great opportunity, to enjoy the 2004 vintage nearly 8 years later. Thanks again to Capflu!

ah yes, the 2004. , in 2004 it was great (as always), 3 years later i had this one again and it was more than great. i was wondering if the cap seal would hold after this long. needless to say, it did. it had a beautiful head and all the spiciness to back it up. the best part was how the flavors came out more after being cellared for 3 years. yum yum.

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.

Excellent holiday beer! Lots of spice and malt give it a smooth, creamy taste without going overboard. Almost desert like in it’s decadence!

My first experience with this beer. Wonderful. Christmas in a bottle. Spicy, full of roasty flavors, hint of cinnamon and other things i can’t quite put my finger on. Great and good.