Anchor Our Special Ale (2004)
This is the thirtieth special ale from the brewers at Anchor. It is available from early November to mid January. The ale's recipe is different every year, but the intent with which we offer it remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life. In ancient times, trees symbolized the winter solstice, when the earth with its seasons appears born anew.
3.6
432 reviews
San Francisco, United States
Community reviews
Bottle @ Bull & Bush Christmas tasting. Brown appearance with a light brown head. Minty, ginger, fairly carbonated aroma. Somewhat oxidized, dull toffee, minty spicy flavor. Not all that bad- well at least in comparison to the older vintages.
Bottle vintages 2000-2006 shared at Paul’s Dec 3rd tasting. The 2000 and 2001 were by far the best - very interesting how this beer has aged especially considering the low alcohol to begin with. Aroma of the older years is full of prune, fig, raisins, and molasses. Mouthfeel is getting thinner and thinner in comparison to the older years - still with notes of dark fruits, molasses and some spices.
Bottle courtesy of Andy at Paul’s tasting. Pours a clear brown with a thin beige head. Peppery, prune and plum, malt and sweet toast. Malty and sweet, very nice caramel note, though there is a bit of age on it as well. Finishes with more sweet caramel, oxidized and toasty.
12 oz. bottle from my cellar and consumed at home on a cool early fall evening. Pours a clear brown in color with a small beige head that disappears quickly. The aroma still has quite a bit of allspice, some sweet malts, mild earthy notes and a touch of oxidation. The flavor has mild notes of allspice, mild malt sweetness, light fruit notes, some earthy and herbal notes and a splash of vanilla. The problem I had was this had really thinned out and the flavor was watered down. I haven’t had this since I started on the site and without notes don’t feel comfortable blending the ratings, but this has definitely fallen off in the past few years.
(12oz bottle thanks to bu11zeye) medium ruby brown with very little head. Nose of sweet grain, tons of allspice, wafers and vanilla. Taste of unsweet chocolate cookies, bittersweet finish. The 2002 and 2003 we had the same day were both fairly good, but this one has not aged nearly as well.
Bottled@Man In The Moon (had in 2010). Deep ambery colour with a small off-white head. Aroma is raisins, spices, mild Madeira like notes as well as some slight toffeeish notes. Flavour is rather similar in a very pleasant balance. Has aged very pleasantly. Man In The Moon in Stockholm certainly has some gems in their Cuveecellar.
12oz bottle thanks to bu11zeye.
Reddish brown pour with a bit of tan head. Has the spiciest aroma of all three (02, 03, and 04) with lots of nutmeg and cinnamon. Flavor is earthy, roasted, and spiced.
22 April 2011, bottle w/ cgarvieuk. nose is cola haribo. med/thin and slightly fizzy. interesting. i like 2010 better. this is christmas spice and rich milk chocolate. nice for an xmas beer.
bottle at home ... dark brown ... thin brown lacing ... soft sweet chocolate raisine nose ... light cola ... little coconut ... little chocolate ... big soft roast malt ... hint of rum ... quite nice.
Bottle courtesy bu11zeye. Murky pour with a mainly brown color and touches of red near the edges. Almost no head or carbonation. Aroma is sharp spices and clay notes. Nutmeg for sure in this one. Dry flavor with bitter spices that linger for awhile. Some clay earthiness as well.
Bottle [2004, in my possession for one year, before was in the Woodstock Wine & Deli in Portland]... Poured near black with a thing, bubbly, tan head that faded quickly. Nose had a bitter-sweet molasses thing going on. Lots of molasses sweetness with licorice/anise, muddled fruits, cocoa, and dark-roasted malts.
Bottle - Looks beautiful, with a deep, dark mahogany cola pour with a massive foamy tan head that doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. The smell is intoxicating, with rich molasses and brown sugar, ginger, and a light allspice note. It’s a little too sweet, and there’s a hint of soy sauce, but it’s still a really nice smell. However, it’s something that I think I’d rather smell than drink...but here goes. Hmm...the taste is fairly muted in relation to the smell. Lots of malt, but pretty dry and flat until the finish, where the molasses comes out, along with burnt sugar, the ginger, and a little bit of toffee. Lightly bitter finish, with some anise and the molasses lingering around for awhile. Surprisingly thin in the mouth, with excellent carbonation, but such a watery mouthfeel that it detracts. I expected this to be a little heftier. All in all, much, much better than the 2003, but not totally my cup of tea.
The malty aroma still has hints of spices. The color is a bit darker ruby brown than the ’09 we drank. The flavor has lost a lot of spicrs and gained a lot more malty, abbey dubbel type flavor.
Bottled. Poured rich mahogany with a creamy, well-retained beige head.. looked great in the glass! The aroma picked up toasted nutty notes with lesser molasses and oxidation, accented by herbal notes, allspice, and cardamom.. dry and airy overall impression.. this was miles different from the older vintages I drank recently. The flavor found lightly sour molasses and tarry sweetness at the core, with the sourness sticking all the way through the drink.. dry coffee bitterness, nutmeg, and a touch of oxidation around.. finished with dry, tacky spices and an almost barrel-ly impression. Medium-bodied with just an OK flow through the palate.. dry and weathered feel.. seemed like it was a ways downhill.
2004 Bottle - Thanks IrishBoy!! - Pours dk brown with a large tan head...aroma is full of fruity maly and spice, cinnamon, dirt, cocoa...flavour is fairly dry, roasted malt, baking chocolate, more dirt, nutmeg, cinnamon and clove...finish is tight and tannic, with a lingering roasty, dark malt taste...
Anchor Brewing Company--Our Special Ale--30 Years--2004 12 oz. Bottle. 5.35% ABV--50 IBU’s? (4.75 / 5.0) Winter Ale--Rich tan head. Clear dark red bronze black color. Roasted spicy nutmeg hop front. Tangy crisp rich dry sweet roasted black cherry toffee caramel spicy body. Clean dry mild citrus spruce spicy hop end. WOW! Sampled 12/15/2004.
All beers shared by csbosox, courtesy of his departed friend Mark. Cheers to you Mark.
Side by Side of the 1999, 2000 and 2001 Vintages:
1999 - Pour is a ruby brown, hazed, with a thin rim of an off white head. Aroma of big full nutmeg, soft, spiced coriander, bunch of yeast. Nice delicate and full nose. Taste is pretty metallic, oxidized, behind that, and after the oxidiation clears there is some of the spiced nutmeg of the nose. Palate is medium, lightly carbonated, with a lingering yeast aftertaste. (8,4,6,3,14 - 3.5)
2000 - Pour ditto to the 1999, though a bit flatter looking. Aroma is metallic showing substantial oxidation. After that clears, a bit of nutmeg, clove. Taste is showing the oxidation with a dry metallic nature, followed by spruce, nut, tree bark. Palate ditto the 1999. (6,4,5,3,11 - 2.9)
2001 - Pour ditto the 1999. Aroma is full and round, chestnut, vanilla, cinnamon, even some cranberry. Certainly the best nose of these three. Taste is really well integrated, some of the nut berry and yeast of the nose, along with a pleasant dry fruit character. However, there are also some phenols present that detract. Palate ditto the 1999. (8,4,6,4,16 - 3.6)
Side by Side of the 2002, 2003 and 2004 Vintages:
2002 - Pour is a hazed brown ruby with a 1/4 inch tan head. Aroma is big spice yeast, clove, hazel / nutmeg, dry fruit even. Nice. Taste is dry fruit light sweetness, along with the spice yeast, touch of oxidation in the back. Palate is thinner than some of the older vintages, medium to thin. (8,4,7,3,15 - 3.7)
2003 - Pour ditto the 2002. Aroma is the typical potpurri of spice, with some light metallic. Taste is showing oxidation, up front followed by the potpurri spices, dry fruit ester sweetness and a hint of vanilla. Palate is medium to thin, some light carbonation, long spiced finish. (6,4,6,3,12 - 3.1)
2004 - Pour ditto the 2002. Aroma ditto 2002. Taste is spice, cinnamon, earth, yeast and nuttiness. Nice integration of flavors, really get the malt in this more than others. Palate is medium, more full bodied than the 02 and 03. This was the class of the session. (8,4,8,4,15 - 3.9)
Tasted by itself:
2007 - Pour is hazed brown ruby with a 1/4 inch tan head. Aroma is softly spiced, potpurri, clove, yeast esters. Much more subdued than others. Taste is clove, light white pepper, general yeast. Not much malt, some faint pine hop. Palate is thin to medium, long dry pepper aftertaste. (7,4,6,3,14 - 3.4)
Bottle by way of trade at least a year ago. Sorry I can’t remember who sent this to me. If you see this rating please let me know and I’ll update the rating. Pours cloudy brown with a one finger tan head after a vigorous pour, but that faded pretty fast. The nose is cinnamon, ginger, tobacco and light chocolate. The taste is spice, slightly sour fruit, dates, tobacco juice and faint cocoa. Thinner mouthfeel. Decent brew. Probably past its prime, but there foundation is still there and it’s still tasty.
Bottle that I found in the back of my cupboard, originally bought at the Utobeer stand in Borough Market, London. Dark murky brown pour with a slight tan head. Aroma of chocolate, malt and dark fruit. Tastes of dark fruit, malty, rather thin and dull maybe due to age. Perfectly acceptable but nothing to get excited about in my opinion.
Bottle. Poured a ruby reddish brown. Nose is caramel and port like. Some light carbonation. Fairly smooth but vinuous. Lots of dark fruit flavors with a sweet finish. Possibly past it’s prime.
Pours to a deep brown body with a nice tan head that mostly but not fully dissipated. The aroma is earthy and twiggy with some ginger and cinnamon. Subtle milk chocolate. The flavor is smokey and earthy with twigs and subtle chocolate. The palate is medium bodied with some sweet earthy overtones.
2004-12, bottle, Göteborg
AR: fudge and hops AP: dark amber body, low steady head F: christmas spices, fudge and hops
12 oz. bottle - thanks nugget; dark rosy brown with spotty white head; rich, deep bodied with nutty, spicy and bready aromas; malty, nutty and dry; quite nice with lots of spice, nutmeg, cloves
On tap, 2004 keg. Pours with a creamy tan head and a slightly hazed amber brown body. Decent lace. Aroma of dark toffee, caramel, coffee and light spice (very light for an OSA). Flavor of dark fruits, spice, coffee grounds (light) bitter dark caramel and light oxidation papery notes. Rounded fruit notes. Medium bodied, creamy mouth, medium to high bubbles.
cloves, spices, malt, caramel, chocolate, candy, the perfect stocking stuffer!!
Magnum shared at Logan’s 2009 pre-GABF Party (2004 version as listed here). Light brown pour with a tan head. Aromas of nutmeg, brown sugar, and, surprisingly, alcohol. Slightly sour flavor with still cinnamon and nutmeg. If that doesn’t sound very good to you it’s because it isn’t. Thin bodied. I remember really liking some of the OSA’s when they were newly released but I just don’t think this has held up well.
(bottle) Pours out a dark murky brown with a light beige head that leaves a ring around the snifter and stays. Aroma is strong of cola, ginger snaps, light spearmint, rye, and a bit of brown sugar too. Further warming results in this beer bearing an uncanny resemblance to JP/Stone/Nogne Holiday Ale. Taste has hints of dark fruits, brown sugar, cola, and dries out to a nice finish of dark chocolate and roasted malt. Everything is fairly subtle at first, but as this warms up, the rye really shows up in the finish, yielding a big rye bread taste. Mouthfeel is medium and carbonation is smooth. Oddly enough, for this being 5 yrs. old and of a low ABV, there is no presence of oxidation. Pretty good stuff.
Dark brown with off-white head. Tastes of molasses, ginger, and toffee. Malty aftertaste. A good Christmas ale.
I brought this 2004 vintage, I didnt bring the 03, that was consumed during our 2002 to 2006 vertical Dec. 2008. Pours hazy dark brown with tan edges and 30 second mocha head. The aroma is smooth dark molasses, hints of chocolate, dark gingerbread, rye bread, more molasses only lighter in color and old toffee. The taste is dry dark chocolate moving into molasses and a touch of fruitiness. It ends dry with roasted malts, chocolate and rich ripe aged dark fruitiness.
courtesy of cicgarcitybrew.
Pours dark brown with yellowish - tan head.
Aroma is malty and chocolate.
Taste, light and dry. malty, chocolate with notes of cocoa powder - caramel and some very faint spices.
My favorite of our 2008 vertical tasting. This one aged quite well.