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Our Special Ale 2005 (Anchor Christmas Ale)
Anchor Brewing Company
- From:
- Anchor Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Winter Warmer
- ABV:
- 5.8%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.85 | pDev: 12.47%
- Reviews:
- 240
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Nov 18, 2021
- Added:
- Nov 04, 2005
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 8
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by HoboAGoGo:
Reviewed by HoboAGoGo from Indiana
4.15/5 rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.15/5 rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from the Anchor bottle we all know and love. As this was my first adventure outside of Steam, it's kind of strange seeing something so dark come out of that bottle. Dark brown, red around the edges where light shines through with a tan head that sticks around and laces the edges. Smells of roasted brown sugar, fig and nut with a slight saltiness. Sour grain, roasty sugar bread, mild hop bitterness with a lasting aftertaste that coats your mouth with all of those flavors, but the hop and sugar being at the forefront. I am enjoying this beer greatly, I wish I could find a six pack, but I only found it in a 12 pack holiday sampler thus far. Great beer.
Dec 11, 2005More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Pegasus from Texas
4/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Deep, dark amber brown in color, with a massive, dense, and persistent tan head, and thick, utterly glass-coating lacing.
Aroma: Deep notes of coffee, figs, dark roasted malts, bitter cocoa, dark plums, raisins, vanilla, wood, and somehow spicy alcohol.
Taste: Begins with a wave of dark malt, soon followed by wood and vanilla. As the taste progresses, warming spicy alcohol presents. Later in the taste, bitter cocoa, and dark fruits present. Christmas spices, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla are present also. Late in the taste, tea-like hop notes appear. Finishes with a long, mild herbal bitterness.
Mouth feel: Very soft and full, quite pleasant.
Drinkability/notes: A venerable example, which has more than withstood the test of time. Might we all, in old age, be infused with fire and grace.
Presentation: Packaged in the ubiquitous Anchor twelve-ounce brown glass bottle with a twist-off crown (as Anchor did for a brief time), served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.
Dec 31, 2015Aroma: Deep notes of coffee, figs, dark roasted malts, bitter cocoa, dark plums, raisins, vanilla, wood, and somehow spicy alcohol.
Taste: Begins with a wave of dark malt, soon followed by wood and vanilla. As the taste progresses, warming spicy alcohol presents. Later in the taste, bitter cocoa, and dark fruits present. Christmas spices, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla are present also. Late in the taste, tea-like hop notes appear. Finishes with a long, mild herbal bitterness.
Mouth feel: Very soft and full, quite pleasant.
Drinkability/notes: A venerable example, which has more than withstood the test of time. Might we all, in old age, be infused with fire and grace.
Presentation: Packaged in the ubiquitous Anchor twelve-ounce brown glass bottle with a twist-off crown (as Anchor did for a brief time), served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.
Reviewed by mfnmbvp from Illinois
3.95/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
12 oz. bottle, with a more than obvious vintage date, and a code on the label 5OU. I'm cracking open a little piece of history here today, in the spirit of the Christmas season. Anchor Brewing Co.'s Christmas ale, vintage 2005. This bottle is eight years old this year, making this the oldest beer I've ever drank. I have no idea what to expect.
Poured into a clear balloon snifter.
A - Pours a thick viscous ruddy caramel color; nearly opaque in the glass with some caramel coloring around the edges when held to the light. Conjures about a quarter finger of light brown foam. Forms a ring of bubbles around the glass. Produces a nice thick finger of mocha foam when given a good swirl. Looks excellent.
S - Smell is of sweet caramel malt, earthy tea leaves, toffee, molasses, brown sugar, dark fruits - raisins, black cherries, currants, figs, hint of faded herbal spice, vanilla, and some woody earth character.
T - Taste follows the nose: smooth creamy caramel, toffee, notes of chocolate / cocoa, earthy tea leaves, wood, twigs, some vanilla, some vinous grape / cherry / berry notes, and some raisin / fig presence.
M - Feel is smooth and creamy, but still retains a bit of crisp carbonation to it, even after all this time. Light-bodied, and slightly watery. Some dark chocolatey roast notes lingering on the palate.
Overall, I'd say this was an excellent winter warmer that has thoroughly stood the test of time well. Definitely excites me to try out the other vintages to see what they hold. Definitely worth seeking out.
Anchor Brewing Our Special Ale 2005 ---4/5.
Dec 24, 2013Poured into a clear balloon snifter.
A - Pours a thick viscous ruddy caramel color; nearly opaque in the glass with some caramel coloring around the edges when held to the light. Conjures about a quarter finger of light brown foam. Forms a ring of bubbles around the glass. Produces a nice thick finger of mocha foam when given a good swirl. Looks excellent.
S - Smell is of sweet caramel malt, earthy tea leaves, toffee, molasses, brown sugar, dark fruits - raisins, black cherries, currants, figs, hint of faded herbal spice, vanilla, and some woody earth character.
T - Taste follows the nose: smooth creamy caramel, toffee, notes of chocolate / cocoa, earthy tea leaves, wood, twigs, some vanilla, some vinous grape / cherry / berry notes, and some raisin / fig presence.
M - Feel is smooth and creamy, but still retains a bit of crisp carbonation to it, even after all this time. Light-bodied, and slightly watery. Some dark chocolatey roast notes lingering on the palate.
Overall, I'd say this was an excellent winter warmer that has thoroughly stood the test of time well. Definitely excites me to try out the other vintages to see what they hold. Definitely worth seeking out.
Anchor Brewing Our Special Ale 2005 ---4/5.
Our Special Ale 2005 (Anchor Christmas Ale) from Anchor Brewing Company
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
279 ratings
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