Our Special Ale 2012 (Anchor Christmas Ale) - Anchor Brewing Company

metter98

New York

3.95/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is very dark red in color and is close to appearing black when viewed from afar. It poured with a finger and a half high beige head that died down but left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Aromas of ginger snap cookies and nutmeg are present in the nose.
T: For the most part, the taste resembles the smell and is dominated by Christmas spices and some very subtle hints of sweetness.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is dominated by flavors of spices, but I really enjoyed the combination of flavors and could sip this beer all night long.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 04:57:01 | More by metter98

Lucoli

New York

4.25/5  rDev +16.8%

05-21-2013 01:22:33 | More by Lucoli

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +9.9%

05-20-2013 05:01:22 | More by Kmat10

buckyp

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +3%

05-20-2013 01:46:18 | More by buckyp

Mullinger1980

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +3%

05-11-2013 10:51:28 | More by Mullinger1980

Sunnanek

Sweden

4.13/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours the darkest, warmest amber I've ever seen. The compact thick head is beige and I could put a quarter dollar on it and it wouldm't sink - it looks fantastic. Slow dissipation leaves decent lacings.

S: Roasted sweet malt, very bready. This is very X-masy; cinnamon, cardamum, nutmeg some chocolate, some dark dried fruits as well as rich raspberries.

T: Nice; sour cherries up front along with loads of spices; cardamum and cinnamon. Licorice, chocolate and dark dried fruits along side with rich raspberries. Surprisingly enough, not that sweet.

M: Atftertaste is long and sour as well as bitter. Body is medium while carbonation is low, rather smooth though.

O: Nice Christmasy Winter Warmer; with lots of spices of the season along with nice maltyness.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 18:00:44 | More by Sunnanek

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -17.6%

05-10-2013 14:27:01 | More by twenty5

Xzfgiimtsath

Texas

4/5  rDev +9.9%

05-10-2013 12:54:13 | More by Xzfgiimtsath

ADTaber

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%

05-09-2013 00:17:42 | More by ADTaber

dalepryor

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev -10.7%

05-07-2013 21:25:55 | More by dalepryor

beerme411

California

3/5  rDev -17.6%

05-07-2013 10:05:13 | More by beerme411

atomicbeer

New Mexico

2.93/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark brown, a shade darker than cola, with a tan cap that fades rather quickly. Many aromas: christmas pudding (dates, figs, raisins, clove, allspice, cinnamon, mace), licorice, black bread, and hints of pine hops. Taste and mouth are surprisingly thin and cardboardy. Dominant flavor is cocoa powder with bits of watery christmas pudding flavors (with mace leading) trying to poke through. Some molasses and pine/citrus skin on subsequent sips. The mouth is somewhat drying and a bit flat - not much carbonation. Interesting aromas and flavors but the mouth takes away the enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 23:48:25 | More by atomicbeer

cbsoftware

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +16.8%

05-02-2013 15:12:41 | More by cbsoftware

mcewesr

Pennsylvania

2/5  rDev -45.1%

04-30-2013 18:00:13 | More by mcewesr

hopley

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -17.6%

04-14-2013 14:36:53 | More by hopley

gillagorilla

Maryland

3.39/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle into a pint glass

A: Deep red if held up to the light. It has a strong head on the pour that diminishes quite rapidly.

S: Sweet, malty roast with a cherry rye.

T: Kind of like an old ale that seems like a cheap, old stale wine.

M: Crisply smooth with a few bubbles.

O: Not a fan. I couldn't finish it, but it might just not be my style.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 13:51:45 | More by gillagorilla

korene84

California

2/5  rDev -45.1%

04-04-2013 18:25:24 | More by korene84

Razorback09

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev +9.9%

03-29-2013 21:00:25 | More by Razorback09

Vigilante

Nevada

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%

03-29-2013 05:24:51 | More by Vigilante

dheacck11

Connecticut

3.61/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a red muddy brown with dense mocha head, 1/2 finger, fading quickly.

Nose is pungent. Lots of bready, earthy, dense dark fruit. Sour cherry.

Taste is equally powerful. Lots of dark fruit: raisin, plum, cherry. Some subtle hint of spice at the end, but minimal. Mild roasty malt with some earthy components.

Feel is big and thick and full, but a little too sharp in the finish. Leaves a lingering acidity in your mouth.

A really unique beer. Happy I tried it, but will not get again. Just feels like the flavors are way to overdone and don't really marry into a balanced beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 22:18:14 | More by dheacck11

jondeelee

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Our Special Ale 2012 opens to a spicy, fruity, sweet nose that is instantly reminiscent of fruitcake and mulled wine. Nutmeg, clove, allspice, candied ginger, and pepper are immediately noticeable, as well as slight hints of coriander. The fruits are, on the one hand, dark and complex, with dates, green maraschino cherries, and figs, and on the other, bring nice orange peel, lemon zest, and pink grapefruit overtones. All of these rest atop thick brown breads, vanilla, molasses, wildflower honey, and a lovely Christmas layer of fresh pine needles. Add to this a slightly alcoholic touch, as of mulled wine or white port, and the result is a tantalizing aroma that would make for a world-class candle scent, and in a beer, is exactly the sort of aroma one would want while opening presents. The aromas do seem to be somewhat lighter than those in previous years’ editions, but here that’s a good thing, since at least one of the previous bottles smelled so strongly of pine needles as to be overwhelming.

On the tongue, the beer begins with a spicy kick, the cloves, nutmeg, candied ginger, allspice, and pepper instantly blasting away at the tastebuds, joined by molasses and thick brown breads, as well as deeply roasted pecans and pine needles. The fruits come in a somewhat distant second, the green maraschino cherries and dates primarily, with touches of raisin next, and the orange and lemon zest second. The effect is less fruitcake here than spicecake, and the spices do unfortunately rather overwhelm everything else, and are even more potent in subsequent mouthfuls. The aftertaste is similarly dominated by spice, with remnants of brown breads, molasses, and lemon zest, and lingers on the tongue for a very long time. Mouthfeel is medium, and carbonation is medium to medium-high, fizzing on the tongue and burning the soft tissues.

Overall, this is good Christmas beer, it’s just unfortunate that the spices were so dominant, as they detracted from what was a very nice fruit and dark bread belly. The beer is by no means unpalatable, but it is strongly spiced enough that it would be difficult to drink too many in a row.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 20:05:00 | More by jondeelee

alelover

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +3%

03-26-2013 04:08:03 | More by alelover

brheuer

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +9.9%

03-24-2013 21:15:02 | More by brheuer

Duchesse

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +23.6%

03-23-2013 07:03:06 | More by Duchesse

Jtyler379

New York

4/5  rDev +9.9%

03-18-2013 02:18:12 | More by Jtyler379