Our Special Ale 2003 (Anchor Christmas Ale) - Anchor Brewing Company

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Glad to find this beer. Much darker in color than I remembered. Pours out a dark brown with hints of red. The head is small but off white and doesn't really last. The smell is malty, sweet and much like a cookie. A bit bready.

Taste is very mellow. Taste is sweet and then goes moves towards the spices. Clove and cinnamon are what come through for me. But in a very light way. The "spruce" flavor is even more light than the spices.

I must say that I don't feel as impressed as I was last night. I won't give up on this one as it is still very good. I would love to know what yeast Anchor uses as I get a lot of the same flavors in their beers. The labels and tradition of this beer are impressive.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2003 01:42:34 | More by CharlesRiver

spycow

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

03-11-2013 06:11:18 | More by spycow

matjack85

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%

02-12-2013 01:17:57 | More by matjack85

t0rin0

California

3.25/5  rDev -20.1%

08-18-2012 14:25:37 | More by t0rin0

rydev24

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%

04-09-2012 23:23:54 | More by rydev24

jfcaa193

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -1.7%

02-19-2012 01:27:02 | More by jfcaa193

imperialking

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -14%

01-08-2012 21:52:12 | More by imperialking

jophish17

Georgia

3/5  rDev -26.3%

12-24-2011 12:20:27 | More by jophish17

brandoman63

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%

11-22-2011 21:45:43 | More by brandoman63

rab53

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -14%

11-20-2011 03:04:04 | More by rab53

ROGUE16

Delaware

4/5  rDev -1.7%

11-17-2011 19:50:02 | More by ROGUE16

nickd717

California

4.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle, reviewed 11/30/2010.

Pours a clear dark brown color with reddish hues and a one finger khaki head that fades to nice swirls.

The aroma is sweet honey, caramel, winter spices, roast, and slight oxidative notes from the 7 years of age.

The flavor is great. A little sherry-like from the age, but this works pretty well. Sweet honey and caramel malt, pumpernickel bread, toast, nutmeg, allspice, and slight anise.

Medium bodied with soft carbonation, maybe just a tiny bit watery.

This is another good vintage of this beer. I’m really not sure there is a bad one.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 20:39:00 | More by nickd717

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

The Fifth Day of Beermas... It pours a murky black-brown topped by a minor wisp of dirty ecru foam. The nose comprises rye bread, chocolate, cedar, sourdough, light anise, tobacco, nutmeg, ginger, and brown sugar. The taste is heavy on the cocoa and nutmeg, with ginger, black pepper, walnuts, brown sugar, and figs thrown in as well. The body is a stoic medium, with a light carbonation and a chunky, oily feel. Overall, another step in the right direction, but the years put on these things have not been too kind to them at all.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 06:16:55 | More by TMoney2591

NorCalYeti

California

3.43/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

taste- licorice, woody

color- deep chestnut

clarity- clear

smell- roasted malt, black licorice

body- medium-full, fairly firm

appearance- dark, clean, carbonation present

overall impression- solid beer for five years old

notes- smoother and sweeter than the 2002. soft bittering hops. 29th release of this beer. this review is for a 2003 vintage tasted in 2008

glassware: pint

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2009 22:18:00 | More by NorCalYeti

Floydster

California

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle purchased from the Stuffed Sandwich in San Gabriel for around six dollars, consumed 12/27/08 alongside the 2002 vintage, reviewed from notes, both were poured into small snifters, color is a very dark brown, big 1 1/2 inch creamy tan head that stays around for close to ten minutes, light lacing, aroma is dark chocolate, spruce, vanilla, cinnamon, caramel, licorice, and peppermint, taste had lots of spices, what you would expect from a Christmas brews, there was a fair share of bready malt and cereal in the middle, finish is full of sweet roasted malts and a holiday cake, warms up nicely with more sugary malts and spice coming to the surface, dry, spicy, sweet, and perfumey mouthfeel, medium body on the thicker side, moderate level of carbonation, could have drank a lot of this, goes down incredibly easy for its thickness and spicy presence, very smooth, nice warming feel that is perfect for winter, this is one of my favorite vintages yet, had a great black licorice and tobacco presence, I am going to grab some more of these to age even longer, looking forward to my next experience with it, recommended

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2009 04:25:08 | More by Floydster

armock

New York

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured a mahogany color with a brown head that leaves lacing

S - Is of roasted malt with some spice scents

T - Follows the nose the roasted malt has some sweetness to it with some spice character

M - This beer has a nice smooth body with low carbonation to it

D - The past five years have been good to this bottle aging it nicely too bad there was only one 2003 cold have drank a lot more of it

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2009 15:21:33 | More by armock

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Magnum (50.7oz) bottle received recently as a gift.

Poured into a imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" dark brown head over the super cloudy/nearly opaque reddish brown brew. Head holds steady at half height, with plenty of slow-falling lace. Aroma is roasty grain with ample sour character. Taste is an interesting ride. Sweet nutty malt upfront, sour fruitiness in the middle, and closes with a grainy cardboard character that lingers. Mouthfeel is soft and smooth, the sour flowing along not cutting, and drinkability good, better than most winter/spiced brews. Cardboard character is but a small price to pay for all the other greatness happening here.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2008 22:06:17 | More by ppoitras

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I tried 5 vintages on tap at the Stuffed Sandwich ('00, '01, '02, '03 & '04). The '01 was my favorite with the '00 a close 2nd. Nice subtle, malty, caramel aromas and tastes. Molasses. Light spices. I'm glad I had the chance to compare the 4 vintages on tap.

NOTE: did a tasting on 1/15/05 that included years '87, '90, '94, '97, '98, '00, '01, '02, & '03. The '02, '01 & '94 stood out as the best of the bunch. The '94 had a nice whiskey taste to it that the others did not. I thought the older vintages held up well over the years.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2008 18:28:37 | More by hopdog

stumac

Texas

5/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

drank August '08

this beer was served in a magnum size bottle. it poured up a dark brown color with a huge dark tan head. the nose was spices, nutmeg, roasted malts. the taste was very smoothe! smoothe malts, slight fruit, nutty finish on the back of the tongue. finishes very dry, melow carbo. preserved perfectly!

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2008 16:06:08 | More by stumac

far333

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Chestnut brown with ruby highlights. A small and fizzy head rises minimally up and sizzles quickly away like soda bubbles.

Rich and potent aroma of sappy spruce needles, some cinnamon and figgy malt.

Flavor of pine and prune, figgy and semi-sweet. Morphs to cocoa and some smoke, accented with bitter cherry and a fine hop finish. Tangy flavor lingers in the cheeks.

Thin mouthfeel, a bit watery with low carbonation, but a tingly finish manages to emerge at the end.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2008 00:02:30 | More by far333

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I tasted this beer recently as part of a vertical tasting of the 2003-2007 supplied by Ding, so thanks to him for this great opportunity. I had already reviewed the 2004-2007 before the tasting, and had them aged as well. I think my favorite was the 2004- it seemed to have held up well on both occassions and was still bursting with flavor. The 2003 I thought to be a little oxidized, but just a tad and it didn't make the beer not worth imbibing. This one both smelled and tasted a good deal like gingerbread cookies, with all of their breadiness, molasses, and winter spices. There was particularly a lot of molasses in the nose, and a bit of raisiny oxidation on the finish. Each of the beers was darker the further back you went, and the 2003 was a dark mahogoney. Still quite creamy in the mouth, maybe a bit more syrupy than originally, and for me, the unfortunate part was that they had virtually lost that beautiful spruce flavor I so love in some of the OSAs. Nevertheless, I still thought this quite enjoyable, if not what it once was.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2008 22:41:04 | More by Georgiabeer

rmcnealy

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Anchor Brewing - "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" - 2003

Doing a sample tonight of various years of this Anchor Xmas favorite. This is the third different tried tonight. Previously tried '07 and '98. This is somewhat in the middle.

Poured dark brown, non-translucent. Tan head faded quickly but left a nice outlying ring, just like the other two years. Smell of age. Just as much as the '98. Initial smell of dark berries, sweet caramel, roasted nuts. Tastes confirm this. Aged smell dissapears in taste. They are decent. The best I've tried yet is the newest, freshest '07. Perhaps these beers don't age very well.

Rob
Chicago

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2007 07:32:32 | More by rmcnealy

chadspivey

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A:Darkest of dark body, and the head is a one finger dark tan that actually leaves a good lacing.

S: coffee, raisins, chocolate,

T: Same as smell, but to be honest, the flavor is not full, it almost seems watered down.

M: I expected the body to be fuller based on my lastest Anchor Christmas experiences, maybe the years just weren't good to this one. Perhaps it's just a lighter recipie.

D: I could put a few back with ease...

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2007 21:46:53 | More by chadspivey

emerge077

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into an Oerbier tulip at 50º.
Color was a burnt caramel tone, and it generated a sizzling head of foam as it filled the glass. Bits of spotty lace clung around the edges. Eventually the bubbles formed a thin ring around the edge of it's surface. Stubborn sediment is left in the bottle.

Aroma of spiced cake, overripe orange, and some muted earthy spice. Warming up to room temperature seems to bring slightly more intensity.

Flavors are mellowed, but there is still a good deal of underlying complexity. First there's a little rum cake, nutmeg, chicory, and vague orange zest bitterness. Dry and earthy, with a rootlike spice in the finish. Smooth as butter mouthfeel, almost too easy to have a large gulp of. I'm liking this, and will seek out a few other vintages to compare. Sounds like fun! Happy holidays.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2007 00:12:09 | More by emerge077

eberkman

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark reddish-brown with a small light-tan head -- looks almost like a Dr. Pepper.

Along the pop theme, dark cherries dominate the nose, paired with gingerbread spices and an alcoholic astringency. The taste also features the ripe dark berry theme, spices and an almost sherry-like finish that almost morphs into a weird Worcestershire sauce kind of thing.

Good full-bodied brew without being overly heavy. A nice warmer -- pairs well with dark meat from a roasted chicken. A little overbearing on the sweet spiciness to have several.

I probably tried this at the tail end of its shelf life, but it was still quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2007 01:56:23 | More by eberkman