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Our Special Ale 2012 (Anchor Christmas Ale)
Anchor Brewing Company
- From:
- Anchor Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Winter Warmer
- ABV:
- 5.5%
- Score:
- 83
- Avg:
- 3.65 | pDev: 14.25%
- Reviews:
- 198
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jul 01, 2019
- Added:
- Oct 22, 2012
- Wants:
- 18
- Gots:
- 73
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Chas58:
Reviewed by Chas58 from Connecticut
3.55/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
3.55/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Poured from my Growler filled at Joe Canal's Iselin into my Firestone Walker Nonic Pint Glass
Appearance: Dark mahogany with a moderate but tight inch high head with a brownish tint. The head leaves a nice persistent lacing and persists.
Smell: An initial pleasant but subdued aroma of spices, but with nothing overwhelming. A slight hint of malt and a subtle sweetness. A very well balanced beer likely awaits.
Taste: This is not an in your face spiced beer but a well balanced and well crafted beer. The beer has a nice balance of "winter" spices, but none are prominent in any way. There is a very complex mix of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, but so well mixed as to make them very hard to single out.
Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean feel with a limited amount of residual stickiness
Drinkability: This is so wonderfully drinkable, and bucking the trend of high alcohol winter beers. This is truly session able, and with the really nice balance you will certainly think about another. This is not as "spice" or "hopped" as in past years, but it is something I will seek out again.
Dec 02, 2012Appearance: Dark mahogany with a moderate but tight inch high head with a brownish tint. The head leaves a nice persistent lacing and persists.
Smell: An initial pleasant but subdued aroma of spices, but with nothing overwhelming. A slight hint of malt and a subtle sweetness. A very well balanced beer likely awaits.
Taste: This is not an in your face spiced beer but a well balanced and well crafted beer. The beer has a nice balance of "winter" spices, but none are prominent in any way. There is a very complex mix of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, but so well mixed as to make them very hard to single out.
Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean feel with a limited amount of residual stickiness
Drinkability: This is so wonderfully drinkable, and bucking the trend of high alcohol winter beers. This is truly session able, and with the really nice balance you will certainly think about another. This is not as "spice" or "hopped" as in past years, but it is something I will seek out again.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
3.34/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.34/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
From old, undated notes. Poured from the bottle.
Black liquid; purple when held to the light.
Nice khaki head which dissipates but doesn't disappear; heavy lacing.
Strong licorice and wax nose; certainly unique.
Medium mouthfeel.
Wax. This beer tastes like wax. Strange, & not wholly unpleasant, but very odd. One of the most unique beers I've ever tasted but not one of the best.
Jul 01, 2019Black liquid; purple when held to the light.
Nice khaki head which dissipates but doesn't disappear; heavy lacing.
Strong licorice and wax nose; certainly unique.
Medium mouthfeel.
Wax. This beer tastes like wax. Strange, & not wholly unpleasant, but very odd. One of the most unique beers I've ever tasted but not one of the best.
Rated by OompaMentor from Georgia
3.5/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
11/24/2015 - Brewniversity
Jan 05, 2018Reviewed by q33jeff from New Jersey
3.49/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.49/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
**
12/02/2012
AROMA: Toffee, Fruitcake
LOOK: Brownish Black
TASTE: Cloves. A lot of other flavors I like that I cannot identify.
FEEL: Thick for an Ale
Boom Shanka.
**
Jul 24, 201612/02/2012
AROMA: Toffee, Fruitcake
LOOK: Brownish Black
TASTE: Cloves. A lot of other flavors I like that I cannot identify.
FEEL: Thick for an Ale
Boom Shanka.
**
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois
3.81/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.81/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had again 2012 (good, but undistinguished) in a 2016 side-by-side comparison with 2016 vintage (great, particularly in its softness.)
My 2012 rating compensates upwards using my theory: Special Ale starts deteriorating after 2 or 3 years. (My sub-theory is there is not enough malt backbone and alcohol to preserve it for several years.)
Anyhow, 2012 was a better ale than it is now.
But, 2016 probably will be even better in a year.
May 14, 2016My 2012 rating compensates upwards using my theory: Special Ale starts deteriorating after 2 or 3 years. (My sub-theory is there is not enough malt backbone and alcohol to preserve it for several years.)
Anyhow, 2012 was a better ale than it is now.
But, 2016 probably will be even better in a year.
Reviewed by drpimento from Wisconsin
4.03/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A spice beer that is just a tad understated. They also have the carbonation a touch brisk which enhances the bitter and gives the spice an odd aspect. The spices are still definitely there, but the brisk carbonation, bitterness, and slight dryness of beer are qualities not usually associated with spice beers. Still not bad.
Feb 17, 2016
Our Special Ale 2012 (Anchor Christmas Ale) from Anchor Brewing Company
Beer rating:
83 out of
100 with
727 ratings
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