Anchor Our Special Ale (2005 and later)

Brewed by Anchor Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
San Francisco, California USA

Bottle from Wesside as a gift for my birthday/Xmas. I had this brew before I dressed up as Santa... Anyway, this 2008 Special Ale was full of malty goodness and had a light bit of Xmas spice to it. I was worried it would be like the Liberty, which I was not a fan. This, however, was an excellent drink and very smooth in the cold.

The 2008 vintage from a 1.5L bottle purchased locally. Aroma is slightly roasty with a little hop citrus in there. Color is a dark brown like black coffee. Flavor has coffee and dark chocolate notes with some lemony hop flavor. I do not perceive any spices in there, maybe some spruce. It is a porter at the base and very well done. Malty but a dry finish without being too heavy. I would like to try this again in a year or two if I can get some more before they are gone.

Dark brown. Long creamy head. Aroma of cola, spruce, caramel. Flavor is the same with roasted malt. Crisp, dry finiah.

On tap at Fathers Office. One finger head above a dark brown, almost opaque body, good retention and excellent lacing. Malty aromas with spruce tipsand other spices. Rich malty flavor, with brown sugar, caramel, subtle berries and generous bitterness toward the end.

A tasty spiced ale, absolutely perfect at my local pub on Christmas Eve. Deep brown with a thin tan head. A nice aroma, clove and allspice, with a hint of cream. Flavor is spice, brown sugar, and roasty malts with nice carbonation that tingles just a bit. Finishes clean, and refreshing. Not something to drink everyday, but a great seasonal

Pours a clear deep brown, with a thin creamy light tan head on top. Nose is spicy, some brown sugar, with a bit of very light roastiness in there also. Hard to get a handle on. Taste starts off with very clean, light brown sugar and a hint of roasty malt. Dry, light, and clean. Spiciness emerges about 3/4 of the way through - at different points, you get evergreen needles, nutmeg, clove. Maybe a bit of cinnamon. Finish is long, dry, and somehow fluffy and light, with a bit of lingering roastiness that comes out more in the finish than in the actual flavor. Mouthfeel is spot on, light and fluffy. Really a superb beer.

I liked this better when it changed more dramatically with vintages, although I think it is generally a better beer now. Some of the early ones pushed the boundaries a bit, but were too thick to really drink. This pours a nice ruby-brown, tan head. Lots of spruce in the nose. Spruce and spice flavors up front, a bit of bitterness in the finish. An interesting beer but the flavors in the end get a bit muddy; a one-a-year beer for me.

Bottle from De Bierkoning, 2007 vintage. Deep dark brown to black colour, rich beige head. Aroma of spices, liquorice, roasted malts and some dark fruits. Flavour is very porter-like, but with a good body, some spice and liquorice. Very good considering its ABV.