Our Special Ale 2008 (Anchor Christmas Ale) - Anchor Brewing Company

scofielj

New York

3.38/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours with a substantial creamy tan head that shows nice retention. If does eventually settle back into the dark brown beer. Really dark but with nice clarity is you peer deep into the glass. Some sticky lacing and no visible carbonation.

Aroma is deep, sweet... slightly sour.... Dark fruits.. dates. With a hint of spices.. cinnamon, nutmeg perhaps..

At first the flavor seems a bit tart.... Dark cherry, dates, molasses...Some spices near the end with a sense of the deep malts.. I had the opportunity to try this on draft. (non review) and I was not a big fan.. Now as I drink it out of the bottle,,, I'm still not a big fan but enjoy it a bit more. It does grow on you a bit... There is a coffee tone to this as well. Just a bit to acidic I think...

The acidity makes the mouth feel a bit metallic towards the end. And it ends thin.... Almost think it could stand a bit more of a hop finish..

O.K. on drinkability. Not really a big fan, but it's not terrible.

Serving type: growler

02-18-2009 15:23:00 | More by scofielj

LennyV

New York

4.33/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Yummy Yummy.

Poured into my Allagash flute. Pours like a black stout with a minimal tan head. no lacing.

Smells of some spice with alcohol.

Taste sweet, with a cherry undertone. Finishes spicy with some lingering alcohol after taste.

I was expecting a heavy full body but to my surprise it is actually light and refreshing in the the mouth. Perfectly carbonated.

This is a great beer. I am unsure of the abv but I could enjoy this brew with family and a great home made meal. Wonderful flavor packed into a lighter bodied beer. Good job Anchor!

Serving type: growler

12-06-2008 15:36:37 | More by LennyV

scottfrie

California

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Magnum into snifter. Consumed on Christmas 2011.

A: Pours a very dark ruddy brown with a very thick dark tan head that faded into a long lasting fuzzy film.
S: Scents of clove, cardamom, raisins, ‘tree’, caramel and tangerines.
T: Follows the nose with the usual OSA flavors. I get a hint of chocolate as well. Not as much pine, spruce etc as some of the other years, although it’s not as caramely and sweet either.
M: Medium body, slick chewy mouthfeel with low but bubbly carbonation.
O: Not the best of the years that I’ve had. This beer is still pretty sweet too. A decent drink, no hurry to open it if you have it.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 04:06:09 | More by scottfrie

weisserj

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Consumed Christmas night (12/25/2011). 3 year vintage.

Pours dark brown, almost black, into Chimay chalice. 2 finger off-white (beige?) head that does not last too long but instead descends into a small halo of foam. Shocking how little aromas I am able to detect but I’m getting a tiny amount of pine and maybe a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg? Again, it’s very hard to tell and perhaps I’m a bit congested from allergies but it seems extremely mild even when I put a nostril right up to the bottle. Taste is milder than I was expecting after reading all about the Anchor Christmas beers through the years (this is the 34th edition). Malts are in the front and a bit of piney aftertaste in the back. Goes down extremely smooth with no bitter or biting aftertaste. The cinnamon is present but thankfully not overdone-just right. Not boozy-tasting in the slightest but this truly is a winter warmer and can get you feeling very nice after just a few sips. I drank the first half fresh out of the fridge and let the second half mellow a bit in the glass to see if I could get more smells or flavors to stick out. A bit more aroma emerges and now it kind of reminds me of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout.

Is this a go-to ale? Well, not really since it’s now 2011 and the 2008 vintage is probably almost all consumed by now. I like it quite a bit and would definitely pick up another bottle if the opportunity arose.

I had found and purchased two bottles and even though I really like it I’m sticking to my plans to gift the second one to a friend. After all, it is the season of giving!

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 01:58:01 | More by weisserj

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

2008 vintage opened 12/17/2011

A- Super dark brown/black pour with three fingers of light tan head. Slowly the soapy mass deflates leaving a thin ring and bunches of lacing.

S- Nutmeg and ginger, cinnamon with a slight buttery presence. Black coffee and figs with slight rum soaked raisin.

T- Brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins. Slight cardboard tastes.

M- Light to medium bodied, light carbonation, sticky on the lips.

O- Not bad. Definitely Christmas in a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 02:56:17 | More by korguy123

nickd717

California

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle at The Bruery, 2008 vintage, vertical with 2001 and 2002 vintages. Review dated 2/4/2009.

Dark amber color with an off-white head. Aroma of roasted malt, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. Flavor is the same, malty with spices, not quite as mellow as the oldies but good. Medium-full body.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 20:37:47 | More by nickd717

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The 2008-2009 release has a pleasant aroma, with notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, light cloves, and pine.

These flavors continue into the beer, though nutmeg and pine dominate the palate, along with a sugary current reminiscent of the candied fruits that often accompany Christmas stockings: specifically banana and mango. Hops are kept to a modest level, mostly providing a stabilizing effect to keep the sugars from becoming overwhelming.

Overall, quite a delicious beer; especially considering I'm not overly fond of beers that have added "natural flavors" and "spices," as per the label.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 16:12:24 | More by jondeelee

UCLABrewN84

California

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

2008 vintage which makes this approximately 2.5 years old at this time.

Pours a semi-clear crimson red color with a 2 inch light beige head that settles to a small cap. There is a complex lattice work of lacing on the glass on the drink down. The smell on this beer is very complex. Overall, it smells like an arts and crafts store around Christmas time. There is an earthy smell, with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice. Very much like mulling spices used to make apple cider. Absolutely fantastic. Unfortunately the taste is not as great as the smell. The same tastes as present as what I get from the aroma but in a watered down way. Almost as if a bag of mulling spices was left to steep in a generic ale. Carbonation levels are somewhat low which could be a factor due to the age of this beer. The mouthfeel is slightly flat and watery but it's not too far gone to be unenjoyable. Overall, this is a good beer still with perhaps slight signs of aging. I really liked the 2009 version of this beer and I know that each year the recipe changes. I bet the 2008 version fresh was pretty awesome. I have one more of these in my cellar so I am curious as to how further aging will affect this beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 03:11:37 | More by UCLABrewN84

dragonWhale

New York

2.73/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

a little foam over from this cute little bottle. rich dark amber with a khaki head, sexy lace.

smells of thick sweetness, like a batch of my buddy's homebrew that i wanna really like but have to tell him its got promise but its way too sweet.
it's decent, but hardly very drinkable. were this a bomber, half would've likely gone to waste just so we could get on to drink something better. thick dextrinous malt, spruce and pine, not much else spice. too much sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 05:51:07 | More by dragonWhale

gford217

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2008 bottle.

Pours reddish brown out of the bottle and settles in an opaque mahogany that only has ruby hints around the edges. There is a healthy beige head that recedes to a hefty cap with good lacing.

Aroma is sweet and malty but with lots of subtle spices mixed in, including cinnamon and nutmeg. There is also an interesting juniper berry and evergreen character. Almost a minty type aroma.

The taste has an initial juniper kick alongside the sweet caramel malts. The spices become much more evident in the finish where I'm left with a cinnamon and herbal zing on the palate.

The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth with lots of spices popping on the tongue.

This a really well crafted and very drinkable winter warmer. After 2 years, the spices have settled down a bit and let the sweetness of the malts come out.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 02:32:22 | More by gford217

BB1313

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a standard pint glass. I was fan of this one in '08, so I ended up saving a bottle to have for the future. Pours a deep burgundy, slight haze, w/ white fluffy head and decent lacing. Very good looking beer. This one has some woodsy aromas going on w/ some berries; bittersweet. Very interesting and unique flavors going on here. Mouthfeel is nice, but pretty slick. Drinkability isn't bad, but the flavors will take it's toll on you. Low abv helps for good drinkability though.

Very interesting and unique beer, glad I saved one. If you ever come across this vintage, enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2011 21:50:00 | More by BB1313

deapokid

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Liquid is a dark amber topped with a thick finger of brown foam and dense and substantial lacing. Carbonation is also very prevalent, making this model stand out much more than previous years. Visually stunning.

Scents of cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerbread, cayenne pepper and grandma's fruit cake are all on hand, as is a blunt dryness brought on by the sugar and yeast.

Flavor profile packs in a ton of plum, which is followed by subtle maple notes and a dry conclusion. Spicing seems to be the usual; think nutmeg, cinnamon and pine needles. Beer is smooth, but not rich, allowing some nice roasted aspects to linger on the tongue.

This model has a bigger aroma and flavor profile than the previous year and that's certainly reflected in the amount of time it took to drink the 12oz bottle (you could count the minutes on one hand). Another great version of America's best Christmas ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 01:03:50 | More by deapokid

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Deep walnut colored brown, nearly opaque. Light leathery brown dense two-finger head.

S: Syrup & cookie dough. Cinnamon on the tail-end.

T: Sweet molasses. Mild sour, vinegar-like cloy. A big bunch of clove towards the end and finishes with a delicious linger of french roast coffee. The vinegar aspect almost made it out to be spoiled at first, but after a few more tastes definitely added more complexity to the body.

M: Medium to full body with a mellow smooth carbonation.

D: Got several of these in the cellar. Gonna have to crack another one around this time next year and revisit my review.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2010 03:06:39 | More by Jimmys

hooliganlife

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

vintage 2008 (obviously)

pours dark brown, almost black. hint of light breaks through here and there. light creamy head, nice light retention.

sweet candied fruit, spicy, light red licorice.

really starts out with the juicy dark fruit, cherry, candy and spice and then turns quite dry with a light roasted finish.

sweet and juicy, ends dry. mild carbonation

quite good. i do not remember this fresh, it's been 2 years. this has hung on well, flavors are still quite bold.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 02:15:57 | More by hooliganlife

claspada

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The aromas is first and foremost dark caramel malts, not ropasted but brown sugary dark caramel matls. There are still some notes of clove, all spice and maybe ginger.

The taste is superb. You get a mouthfull of raisins and dark fruit with a subtle mix of cloves and cinnamon. Some vanilla been and subtle alcohol heat comes out as it warms. A slight bitterness and very dry finish.

Overall I was skeptical of this beer because it is only 5.5% ABV and I dont trust low ABV beers to age but I loved this beer when it came out and love it now, but for different reasons. Definitely one of the best if not the best Winter Warmers on the market.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2010 22:12:55 | More by claspada

bobhits

Kentucky

2.8/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Dark cherry amber body, almost opaque in the glass. An ok darker almost milk chocolate head that sticks, leaves lacing and is as creamy as it can be.

Fruity amber aroma. Cherries, dates, caramel, and some hits of Christmas spices.

I've been told these beers can age 20+ years. This one is making me suspect of that. There's some hops, spices, and it is mostly malt but nothing is jumping out at me what so ever. A bit of cherry and some maybe raisins. There's certainly a spice characteristic here as well. Add in an almost vanilla creamy flavor which seems out of place. That said I almost feel like I'm drinking a beer fresh after brushing my teeth.

This beer creates the illusion of a medium body with a nice creamy carbonation but it is definitely thin bodied. That all works well with this style I feel.

Very drinkable and very sippable. I love how Anchor has crafted this beer. It just works and there's nothing left to say.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2010 09:41:59 | More by bobhits

Brewfanatic55

New Hampshire

4.47/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Decided to pick up this vintage at the Barley Pub in Dover, New Hampshire. Not going to lie; split it amongst two other fellow pub-goers. It was like a wine tasting, only I enjoyed it.

A: Appearance was quite dark, with a great looking smoky-tan head. Decent amount of lacing is left behind.

S: As the bottle clearly states, "Pinus Jeffreyi" the scent is a hint of pine. Jefferey Pine apparently (I'm no arborist). Immediately you can't help but smell fruit, ginger & other various seasonal spices.

T: Slightly sour, right off the bat. Molasses (almost like a cookie), spice, hint of pine. All in all, a great smooth holiday brew. Not overly hoppy, nor too malty whatsoever. The fact that this bottle was approaching 3 years old I think the aging aspect heavily influenced the smoothness. One of the others joining the tasting of this beer pointed out the taste of raisins which I then picked up.

D: This beer was all in all a terrific holiday beverage. The fact that it has a slight spiciness to it, along with that pine and caramel-esque flavor only makes me wish I had second one at hand.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2010 22:46:11 | More by Brewfanatic55

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Purchased at the UTOBEER stall in the Borough Market, London; BB 09/2010, served cool in a straight pint glass.

A: very dark brown in colour, coming with an ever-growing light tan frothy head fed by constant streams of lively carbonation (bottle-conditioned, this one?).
S: the aroma consists of strong notes of (lots of) fat black or brown prunes, broken black sugar blocs, toasted fruits, mixed spices (ginger candy, licorice and nutmeg for sure), milder hints of dark malts... a touch more sour than desirable, but I suspect it's what was meant to be? The overall balance falls on the dried stone-fruit & soothingly spicy side, not as assertively hoppy as the other vintages I've tried. However, as the froth ebbs away, the sweetness somehow overpowers the other elements and comes one-dimensionally dominating.
T: a light-bodied swallow of sour-sweet brown prunes (semi-smoked) and dark malts leads towards a clean palate of sour black prunes, mild spices, then finishing rather quietly and light-flavoured in the end, leaving but a touch of herbal bitterness. The spices do not lend a huge influence on the overall taste & balance, and the malts & hops taste somewhat much weaker than the previous vintages.
M&D: the mouthfeel is generally light, softly-carbonated, but not very smooth, due to the unbalanced flavour profile and light body, I think. Well, this vintage is tasted very close to its suggested expiry date, so maybe this fact might explain why it is not as good as its forbearers?

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2010 20:09:31 | More by wl0307

armock

New York

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured a very dark brown color with a tan head that fades quickly but still leaves lacing behind

S - This stuff smells like Christmas nutmeg cinnamon and pine

T - Things take an interesting turn here lots of dark fruit flavors upfront with the Christmas spices being pushed to the finish

M - This beer has a medium body with medium carbonation to it

D - This is an excellent beer even almost two years after buying it tastes great its summertime but this stuff makes it feel like Christmas

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 22:14:02 | More by armock

claybeer

Oklahoma

4.05/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A deep dark red muddled in some bourbon brown. This two year old beer still pours with a nice caramel head. It is full of cedar, pine, and has a floral, popery like nose. I can already tell this beer was worth the two year wait. The body is too light to make me think it will last much longer but I have another bottle that I will set aside for next year. It may be light but it has so much flavor! Pine and cedar again and I get some juniper too. I even pick up a little cinnamon and pumpkin spice on the finish. It has a good lingering finish but not too long. It leaves a dry floral taste on the tongue. Truly spectacular!!

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2010 18:56:43 | More by claybeer

whiskeysoda

California

4.3/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured a deep brown/amber with a thick, fine off-white foam. NOSE was very strong and perfumed; reminiscent of wet oak, pine varnish and burnt caramel...imagine a new-oak barrel-aged Coca Cola. Yea. Do it.

MOUTHFEEL was exceedingly light and crisp despite the intense flavor profile of juniper, pine, dates, nutmeg and burnt sugar on the finish.

Definitely refreshing despite the dark, toasty and spicy flavor profile. The closest thing to drinking a Coke I've ever encountered in a beer. Very interesting.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2010 06:46:47 | More by whiskeysoda

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Transcribed from undated notes.

Presented to me with two fingers of rocky deep-tan/light-brown head with good retention. Color was a deep, dark cola-brown with ruby highlights. Nose had an anise-like spiciness accompanied by scents of nutmeg and pine. Mouthfeel was on the thin side, but the flavor was a riot of spices - nutmeg, cinnamon, pine and clove along with dried fruit - plum and raisin as well as chocolate! Finish began powdery dry with the spices and lingered with a sweet fruitiness. Overall, it was really good, but the previous year's was more full-bodied.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2010 22:13:46 | More by woodychandler

jikvig

Norway

4.45/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On the nose, I digg the raisins, coffe, chocolate flavours that show up!
Also getting "gløgg" which is a Scandinavian thing, almost like a gluhwein (google it)

It´s kinda shy in taste at the begging, before it builds up. Soft bitternes, a lovely rich malt flavour. Really smooth in the mouth. Getting some roasted malt aswell in on the end palate.

This is for me, christmas in a bottle! Never tried this beer, but doing so in the middle of july makes me look forward to snow and december!
The nose is fantastic, and taste is really good! I just wish the beer was more foamy in taste, but it holds really good for a 2 year old beer! I want to get my hands on an 09 as soon as possible!

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2010 19:44:15 | More by jikvig

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a snifter at ChurchKey.

Having had a magnum of the '09 (a fuckin' magnum!), I was jazzed to see this on-tap as part of CK's Anchor-centric festivities. It pours an opaque, very dark black-brown with a finger or so of ecru foam. The smell is of pine needles, spruce tips, molasses, brown sugar, and even some mint. Apparently the guys over at Anchor ventured into the Canadian wilderness and bottled the essence of a camping experience there. The taste is very similar, though with less pine and the addition of some nuttiness, namely cashew and walnut. Odd, but not objectionable. It's got a medium body with pretty light carbonation. As winter warmers go, this guy is kinda weak, but is still fairly tasty, just slightly better than the '09. Worth a shot, but I'd never shell out for a magnum of the stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2010 06:27:14 | More by TMoney2591

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.45/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle pours a dark brown, nearly black color with very little highlighting around the edges. Thick, 2-finger layer of foam is both long lasting and lace plentiful. Good looking brew.

Nose is of spruce tips and 7-up. Some molasses, maple syrup and pine sap mix in there as well. Interesting and unique smelling beer. Smells like a weird non-alcoholic cola-malt beverage.

Taste has not improved very much since I first tried it a year and a half ago. The molasses and spruce tips are waaay to much and do not allow much room for any of the other flavors to show through. Raisins and many other dark fruits are somewhat evident. Tastes like redwood tree bark! Carbonation is decent and I believe it will hold up for years to come. Better as it warms, but I dig the 2009 version much better.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2010 02:18:57 | More by twiggamortis420