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

Utica_Brew_Review

New York

3.09/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

Awesome caramel amber appearance with great head. Sweet earthy pine aroma. Smells almost like a porter / ale. Roasted chocolaty creaminess with a hint of hops. We feel like it's a bit confused. It takes elements of a porter and marries them with a spicy earthy ale. Finishes with a roasted nutty flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 09:59:51 | More by Utica_Brew_Review

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a Pint Glass

Appearance - Dark Brown with a Ruby Tinge when held up to light. Head is about 2 fingers in width and there is a decent amount of lacing on the sides.

Smell - Cinnamon, Spices, Licorice, Figs and Malts. Smells reminds me of Snickerdoodle Cookies and Christmas. Very rich and vibrant smell!

Taste - Spruce, Cinnamon, Licorice, Spices and Malts. Aftertaste is surprisingly resiny too. Flavor is quite nice and warms you up very fast.

Mouthfeel - Light Bodied and Mildly carbonated. Very easy to drink as well.

Overall - Flavor is nice and rich & it's easy on the palete. This is probably one of the best Winter Warmers I've had thus far and I would check it out if you still can manage to find it.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 07:11:34 | More by NuclearDolphin

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

3.8/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a nonic pint glass, pours a dark red brown almost black with a huge tan head that dissipates slowly leaving good lacing, clear

S: vanilla, pine, mulled wine spices, cinnamon, nutmeg,

T: vanilla, chocolate, raisins, cranberry, cherry, cola, some malt sweetness, a little hop bitterness at the end

M: surprisingly thin feeling

O: this beer has a wonderful smell that screams holiday season, the flavors ate subtle but complex, it feels like drinking a soda much more than a beer though

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 04:08:12 | More by M_C_Hampton

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.36/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

I poured this bottle into a snifter style glass. I was a little aggressive with my pour, which created over three fingers in my glass. It died down to about a finger and held that may for awhile. The nice result is that I had rings of lacing on my glass (really pretty). The coloring is very dark. I get some red at the edges.

The smell is very different. Off the top I get fruit (not sure what kind), spice, and sweetness akin to brown sugar. It comes together nicely with some pretty good balance.

The flavor is surprisingly thin. I get some woodiness at this point. I'm surprised that the body fell off this much. The flavor really doesn't match the nose.

This was really disappointing for me. I'm going to age a few bottles and see if this improves at all.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 02:57:56 | More by ummswimmin

olfolxholme

California

3.08/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

35

12 oz bottle in Delirium Noel tulip snifter

A - Beautiful dark cherry brown that glows when held up to the light. Attractive deep khaki head. Decent lacing. Ok head retention.

S - Smells like candy from the health food store, to me. Licorice is the flavor that comes to mind, but that's not quite it. Some spice. Some yeast esters. Not a particularly strong aroma, and not particularly inviting for me. Maybe even a hint of that band-aid smell mixed in.

T - A rather one dimensional flavor at first, mostly malt. A little bit of spice as the aftertaste settles. Nothing that offensive, except I don't like a lot of graininess in the flavor. Some do.

M - Decent smoothness. Nothing to write home about. No astringency, though.

O - It's fine. I bet it would be great with a hearty meal, especially at the holidays. This beer is different every year, of course, so it's always worth trying. If I see a giant bottle of this on a bottle list in a few years, I will be tempted to see how it has aged and/or how it tastes from the big bottle. If you can find it, you should give it a shot and support Anchor Brewing. But, for me, this wasn't that amazing. Also - drink it on the colder side, IMO.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 17:18:48 | More by olfolxholme

MaximalC

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

Pours an opaque cola color with a moderate amount of tan froth on top. Aroma smells sweet and fruity, almost like bubblegum or some other candy. The taste is very difficult to describe, and I think it's fair to say I've not had a beer that tastes similar to this. It tastes akin to what I imagine potpourri would taste like if I was ever inclined to try it. There's a prominent but indefinable spiciness to it, along with the bubblegum detected in the nose. Cinnamon may be the most recognizable spice here. The finish has a clean, sharp bitterness to it, but it's neither citric nor piney; chemical may be a more apt descriptor. There is something vaguely familiar here, but I can't put my finger on it, possibly because I'm not used to encountering it in beer. This is a peculiar animal indeed, and I'm eager to see what more experienced imbibers have to say, because my vocabulary is sorely lacking in this case. At least I can say the mouthfeel is smooth and velvety thanks to the just-right carbonation.

I've had several recent prior iterations of this brew from Anchor, and this is quite different than those, and not in a positive way, unfortunately. Whereas previous versions have had tastes in the arena of brown sugar and nutmeg, this is more akin to flowers, candy, and chemicals. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 03:22:36 | More by MaximalC

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A- Dark brown body that allows a little bit of light through. Bubbly tan head that leaves a lot of lacing on the glass.

S- Caramel malts, a hint of nutty brown malts, slight roasty aroma, a pinch of spices.

T- Tastes like a smooth brown ale with caramel malt and the spices coming through. I get a bit of piney hops at the end too. Pretty well rounded with good flavor.

M- Smooth, medium carbonation, medium bodied.

O- Exceeded my expectations. Not in your face flavors, but subtle flavors that work well together. Good as a session winter beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 02:45:17 | More by stephenjmoore

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I has been hit and miss whether we get the Anchor Christmas beers, luckily both 2011 and 2012 releases have made it here. Bought a 6 pack - a couple for now, a couple for aging and an eventual vertical tasting.
12 oz. bottle.
Deep dark, mahogany brown with lighter tan brown foam. Head of small bubbles, long lasting foam with thin sheet lacing. Smell has lots of spices, some dark fruit with nice roasted malt. Slight touch of hops at the end. Taste has all ther same components (though not as pronounced) as the smell. Dark fruit, almost dried fig or prune. A bit of smoky element as it warms. Earthy, slightly bitter finish and aftertaste. Mouthfeel and body are medium, would not have minded it a bit heavier or thicker. Good level of carbonation, slightly dry finish. Overall a well balanced and flavorful beer, already looking forward to next year's recipe.

Next up is a side by side with 2012 vs 2011.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 03:46:08 | More by BigBry

sevenarts

New York

3.9/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark brown, with a slightly ruddy character in the light, and a good sized tan head. Some lacing.

S: Crisp and clean and malty, some vegetal spice notes, maybe some caramel and brown sugar for sweetness.

T/M: Very sweet and creamy and malty. Nice layered flavors with sweet malts up front, spices and leafy, piney notes at the edges, gradually giving way to a roasted character at the end.

O: A very good winter ale, much better than I remember last year's being, with less big spice flavor and more creamy malt texture.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 23:20:23 | More by sevenarts

andys_war_hall

Texas

3.66/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Poured a nice dark brown, with a finger head, that had nice retention.

S: Had a slight carameltoffee sent, along with an earthy toasty malt smell.

T: Big cocoa and toffee flavor up front. Right away the chocolate is what I noticed. On the back end I was reminded of raisins and cherries. There was also just a hint of plum.

M: Mouthfeel was just where I thought it should be. It was not overly thick, and not too watery. It went down smoothly, leaving the palate ready for the next sip.

O: Overall, I thought this was a really decent holiday brew. It was exactly what I expected from it and nothing more. I enjoyed this years, and look forward to the next.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 22:10:55 | More by andys_war_hall

DIM

Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

a: This was a clear, dark mahogany color. It poured with a smallish, fizzy cap.

s: Gentle, potpourri like spices, apple cider, plus some other dark fruits.

m: Nice balance between the lightly sweet figs/spicy apple cider and cinnamon/nutmeg spiciness.

m: Light body and gentle fizziness.

o: While I don't generally go for spiced beers, I have a weakness for this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 23:32:49 | More by DIM

AndyAvalanche

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into my personalized New England Patriots Mug. Mahogany brown with slightly lighter brown highlights . Tan head with mostly small bubbles, but they vary a little bit. I'd say above average to decent lacing.

Smell is good. I love how it changes every year. Plenty of winter spices, figs, other dark fruits, roasted malts and a slight touch of hops at the end. The blend is very nice, sort of subtle.

Taste is good, on par, but not quite as good as the smell. The winter spices and dark fruits are the dominant feature again, but there is sort of an earthy, bitter aftertaste that is a little close to the unpleasant end of bitter.

Mouthfeel is pretty good, medium bodied, good carbonation and pretty well balanced. Earthy bitter finish that is slightly dry. Overall a nice beer, I was glad to get a six pack this season and finally sit down to review it. Not the best year I've had, but certainly worth getting.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 03:13:03 | More by AndyAvalanche

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.6/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a brandy snifter. Stamped 2OP.

A: Light head fades quickly atop a dark beer with ruby highlights.

S: Spicy, slightly sweet, and pleasant. This reminds me of Christmas...pine needles, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

T: Not my favourite...it's oddly-flavoured, with a slightly thin-sour taste that is not-quite metallic. The flavour is pervasive but brief, disappearing immediately when I swallow. The aftertaste is more pleasant, with the same herbal-earthy-spiciness noted in the nose.

M: Interesting, the mouthfeel is quite competent, offering a bold presence on the palate, a dry-spiciness that mitigates the lack of carbonation, and a silky texture at times.

O: Not a bad holiday ale, but nothing I'll rush back to. Not recommended; would have another.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 02:35:27 | More by AgentMunky

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.44/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A 355ml bottle with a BB of July 2014. Picked up recently from Trembling Madness in York. As always with the Anchor Xmas brew, I love the label art.

Poured into a Duvel tulip. A dark reddish-brown hue with medium carbonation (darker than previous incarnations IIRC). Produces a huge head of creamy beige foam with good retention; this slowly reduces to a surface layer. Aroma of caramel malt with hints of brown sugar, dried fruit, cinnamon, clove, spice, mild pine and stewed hops. Herbal and earthy; the spice is a touch overdone and lends it a bitter background note. But it's certainly seasonal!

Tastes of caramel malt with a distinctly spicy character and a dry, bitter finish. Notes of brown sugar, dried fruit, mild roasted malt, cinnamon, clove, spice, herbs, mild pine and stewed leaves. The spice comes on a bit strong and dominates the flavour, while also giving it a harsh, herbal quality. A dry bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, but rather thin and watery. The spices also result in an unusually astringent sensation on the palate. An aftertaste of spice, bitter herbs and caramel malt.

An OK brew but not great, and not as good as in previous years. The spice is just a bit too strong, as if someone went overboard with the exotic ingredients. The aroma is quite nice, but the flavour is unbalanced and has an acrid herbal quality to it. The body also leaves something to be desired - it's too thin for the strength and flavour. I'm glad I tried this but I wouldn't have it again. No need to seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 00:54:00 | More by jazzyjeff13

zeff80

Missouri

3.71/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - Poured a dark burgundy color with a two-finger, light brown head of foam. Thin rings of lace.

S - It smelled of spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, nutmeg and spruce.

T - Good toffee flavor with lots of traditional Christmas spices.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied ale.

O - This is an annual tradition. Haven't missed it since 2005.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 02:34:04 | More by zeff80

RickS95

Indiana

4.09/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Extremely dark compared to a lot of the seasonals I've been seeing lately. Brownish, ruby, burgundy color. It's fairly clear, despite the darkness. The head is stellar. As large as you want it to be, looks like the head of A&W Root Beer, kind of IPA like.

Spice fest in the nose. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg all dazzle. There's some malt in there, but hops take a backseat.

Tastes follows the nose in that spices are front and center with malt , and almost no hop presence.

Feel is a bit lacking compared to the other components because it's got a loose, watery feel. Obviously, it's spicy and the malt gives it some body, but it's just a bit watered down. Spices from beginning to end with a faint bitterness in the swallow.

Overall, another good winter beer from Anchor. Really tastes like the winter.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 03:29:12 | More by RickS95

Arborescence

Finland

3.86/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Served in room temperature.

Appearance: Virtually black. Pours a massive foamy head with a brown tint.

Aroma: Sweet and floral, but not overly sweet by any means. Herbs and medicinal characteristics. A hint of peat?

Taste: Quite light, but very robust medicinal flavour, with herbs and aromatic hops.

Mouthfeel: Average; smooth but uninteresting. Light to medium bodied.

Overall: Not as tasty as last year's, as I recall. Very strong medicinal and herb aromas and flavours, but leaves something out on the malt side.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 16:52:56 | More by Arborescence

TheSixthRing

California

3.38/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Appearance - Pours a near black, dark cordovan brown. The head is a ight tan color, about a pinkie width thick, and with sub-par retention. Spotty lacing with fair stick.

Smell - Aroma hits on plenty of holiday notes: gingerbread, clove, cinnamon, molasses, and clove spice.

Taste - Woah, geez! Full on, in your face holiday spice attack. Malt forward gingerbread and molasses character with strong notes of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon. Finishes with an earthy, slightly grassy bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Light and fluffy in the mouth. Tingly carbonation.

Overall - This is a strange one. Somebody got spice rack happy. Unfortunately, it's just too abrasive, too muddled, and the result is a beer that pulls the tongue in too many different directions at once. It's a decent beer, but not one I'd necessarily recommend, nor try again.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 05:02:44 | More by TheSixthRing

Huffs

New York

4.15/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Sam Adams glass, developed a rich frothy head which lasted and laced well. Aroma was malty but faint and the appearance was dark brown. Taste was highly spiced with strong malty notes and hints of caramel and citrus. Mouthfeel was a medium somewhat airy consistency and the aftertaste was dry and hoppy.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 23:45:57 | More by Huffs

silverking

Florida

4.03/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It pours a very dark crimson brown with a beautiful tan head. the head has excellent retention, but the lacing was just ok. It smells of oranges, chocolate and pine. cinnamon and clove are also detectable. Flavors of chocolate and orange transfer well to the palate. The taste slowly turns delicately bitter and then proceeds to a sweet molasses like malty finish. If you have a chance to purchase this, do it. It's different every year. This is my first purchase of anchor's "our special ale" and I look forward to purchasing it again next year.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 18:35:44 | More by silverking

Moose90

Colorado

3.08/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle into a shaker pint
Bottled - Fresh enough
Tasted 12/24/12

A - This is dark. I don't know what I was expecting, but its darker than I anticipated. Has a nice head that stayed around and left some lacing.

S - Complex, almost too much so. Lots of pine, pepper, cinnamon, and some chocolate malt underneath it all.

T - A lot going on here as well. Good christmas spice and nutmeg, but had a little too much pine and some gingerbread for me.

M - Drinkable, a little thick. Smooth beer, don't detect any alcohol.

O - It was okay, I wouldn't seek out this years batch again. Glad I got to try it though, had been searching for a while. I'm still a fan of Anchor.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 20:56:24 | More by Moose90

alexgash

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle with a nice Araucaria heterophylla on the label.

Clear, dark maple syrup amber-brown body with ruby highlights. Thick finger of dense, firm, light peanut brown head. Great lacing. Fruity, bready malt base on the nose with familiar OSA accents of spices. I'm getting clove, vanilla, cardamom, and maybe black pepper.

Toasted malts up front. Slightly grainy. Some muddled fruit sweetness reminiscent of Tootsie pops (grape flavored?). Sweet bread adds to the malt near the finish. Accents of orange peel (citrus zest), clove, vanilla, and maybe coriander. Slight woody bitterness in the finish. Medium body with a slightly slick feel. Not bad, but not the best OSA I can remember.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 22:23:19 | More by alexgash

atigerlife

Hawaii

3.88/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown with light brown highlights. Creamy brown head that has good lasting power.

Aroma is of spices, malts. Having a hard time picking up what is going on here.

Taste is malty, hops bitterness that is not overpowering, vanilla, clove, fig newtons.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, cleansing, lively.

Overall, it is quite drinkable but I don't see this as sessionable. A couple is fine.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 18:52:47 | More by atigerlife

teromous

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark brown color, very hard to see through. A lush tan head that is thick and stands well. Pretty good lacing, leaving some lines and spots.

S: Huge malty sweetness and some alcohol burn in the nose. A hint of butter in the background. Not extremely complex but I would say it smells alright...pretty average. It smells like it should have a much higher ABV.

T: Lots of caramel flavor. There's some mellow coffee as well. It has a tea quality to it, where it's slightly bitter but like a tea leaf bitterness.

M: It has a pretty full mouthfeel. Sweet but not slick. The caramel and light buttery flavor start to wear on me while I drink it.

O: If you drink enough of this, it will fill you up pretty fast. The beer could really be a meal by itself. It's easy to drink because of its mellow blend of flavors and light bitterness, but I wouldn't be able to drink more than one because of its filling nature and sweetness. I would drink it again but it's not at the top of my to-buy list. Easily forgettable, but not a bad beer at all.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 05:47:14 | More by teromous

bmwats

Louisiana

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

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a standard pint.

A: Very dark brown, or black. Pours about a 1 finger, foamy, whit-ish head. Craters unevenly, and fairly quickly, leaving a bit of a foamy blanket and a ring. Sporadic lacing.

S: Roasted espresso malt, nuts, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

T: Hearty roasted coffee. Nutty, with a little fall spice.

M: Full and robust. Lightly bitter finish.

D: Sip and enjoy.

Atmosphere is pretty good. Great hue, really nice head, and fair lacing. Nose is roasted nuts and coffee with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg. Tastes like it smells...only not sweet (which is a good thing). Char roasted malt, nuts, and fall spice. Overall, this is a really good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 04:47:50 | More by bmwats