Anchor Our Special Ale (2005 and later)
This is our special ale from the brewers at Anchor. It is sold only 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. Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons appears born anew.
Editor’s Note: due to the significant similarity in style and strength from year to year (despite potential differences in the exact spice blend), this beer is no longer separated by vintage.
Editor’s Note: due to the significant similarity in style and strength from year to year (despite potential differences in the exact spice blend), this beer is no longer separated by vintage.
3.5
2242 reviews
San Francisco, United States
Community reviews
Doft av mörkt bröd. Mörk vätska med tjockt beige skum. Smak av vörtbröd, jäst, choklad. Fyllig, lätt bitter smak.
Dark brown colour, small head. Aroma is cocoa, some clove. Light sweetness, light bitterness. Light body, medium carbonation. Easy to drink, good.
Dark brown. Thick tan head. Aroma is sweet malt. Taste is sweet malt, brown sugar, sweet with a little bitter. Ok.
Aromat piernikowy, przyprawowy. W smaku bardziej w kierunku black ipa. Fajne palone z wyraźna goryczka. Czuć też świeżość i ziołowość. Dobre.
Mörk mahogny med tunt fint beige skum. Doftar maltigt, lite kryddigt, muscovadosocker och toffé. Smaken fyllig, söt, lite kaffe och lakrits. Eftersmaken lite söt och besk, kaffe och lakrits, kryddig på slutet.
Liquide marron foncé avec mousse courte. Nez malté caramel et légèrement épicé. En bouche, c'est une attaque légèrement torréfiée sucrée qui débouche sur une belle amertume de fèves de cacao torréfiées avec une impression très soyeuse dans la bouche. Il s'agissait ici d'un release de 2017.
Wonderful sweet coffee porter flavor, great smell.
Dark brown with thin creamy foam
Caramel, coffee, sweet malt, darker milk chocolate, pine and slight sweet cocktail Sherry
Creamy, tangy, dark coffee with sugar, nice malt and some citrus note. Toasty, with long slight hoppy finish.
2020: Pretty Coke-like with sweet malts and spices. Medium carb. Some light bitter dark chocolate. Not overpowering.
Okay, black licorice, pine, light toffee, too bitter.
7.0% black in colour with a nice brown head, a sweet plum aroma the taste is bitter sweet with a hint of licorice.
Dark, slightly bitter
Malty, sweet coffee with hints of marshmallow. Very drinkable, delicious.
Väl utjäst IPA. Karamell knäck o lite pomerans men ganska avhuggen. Karaktär av gamla skolan ale men med tendens åt jul och dess vört. Vört grov o kornig. Bitterheten gör ölet, den sitter som en smäck långt efteråt.
Love this every year. This year is no exception
Copenhagen 3/12 2020. 35,5 cl bottle from Meny, Østerfælled Torv, Kbh. Ø. As “Merry Christmas Happy New Year 2019 Ale”. Big pine tree on the label.
Pours clear but very dark brown with a red hue. Small off-white head. Settles as thin and flimsy remnants of foam unable to cover the surface of the beer. No lacing.
Aroma is medium intense with a sweet slightly spicy odor mingling with light tart notes. Toffee and caramel. Hints of nuts. Light scent of tart berries.
Medium strong carbonation. Slightly thick, oily, lively and tingling texture.
Flavor is medium intense with a fairly strong sweetness followed by a moderate bitterness. Aftertaste is sweet and lingers for a while. Finish is caramelly.
If a Christmas beer is all about being toffee-like and pleasant this one hits the mark.
2019 Vintage bottle. Sweet and rich aroma of molasses, brown sugar and dark fruit. Pours with a dark brown colour and mid-sized light brown head. Minimal carbonation. Malt forward flavour with notes of spice, dark chocolate, pepper and dark fruits. Full bodied. Sweet malt finish. Good Christmas ale.
A festive brew and pretty strong. I like it more than the regular anchor steam beer. Slight malty slight hoppy smell. Smooth like the other steam beers but with more bitter malty bite.
2020 / 7.0% / 40IBU / Pours a pitch black with a small foamy tan head. Moderate aroma of roasted malts. Medium body with some oily lacing. Smooth with a slightly dry dark cocoa taste and some light spices. Enjoyable with a pleasant lingering aftertaste.
A 355ml bottle, 2018 vintage, 6.9ABV, from Little Leeds Beer House a year ago & stored in my cellar. Pours brown with a white head. Aromas & tastes of caramel, licorice, spices, herbal, pine & malt. Medium body. Spiced malty finish. Very enjoyable
355 ml bottle, 2019 Vintage. 6.9 % alcohol. Dark reddish amber colour with a thin lightly tanned head. Sweet aroma with caramel malts, spices, liqourice, fruits, herbal hoppy notes. Taste is sweet. Medium bodied. Slightly drying finish with spiced notes and hops. Nice Winter Warmer.
Bière qui était auparavant en american strong ale, passé maintenant en
flavored, ce que doit être assurément une christmas.
Le niveau abv de mon exemplaire intitulé " merry christmas 2017 ",
était de 6,7 % .. ce qui est un peu mieux que le 5,5 indiqué sur le site,
mais ce qui n'en fera jamais néanmoins une american " strong " .. on est ok.
Cette édition était la 43 ème de " our special ale ", différente chaque année.
Au menu malt d'orge et de blé.
Epices certainement puisque " flavored ", mais ce n'est étrangement pas
indiqué sur l'étiquette.
Mon exemplaire allait donc sur ses trois années de réalisation.
Couleur marron intense aux reflets noir, et opacité forte.
Mousse brun moyen, crémeuse, stable à 3 mm.
Arômes de cannelle, bois de cèdre, bois de santal.
1ère bouche veloutée, à l'entame très épicée, à l'équilibre aléatoire.
Arrière-bouche qui introduit poivre blanc et pointe de muscade.
2ème bouche qui n'est pas du tout à l'équilibre, on est dans l'excès.
Arrière-bouche qui parvient quelque peu à niveler, mais par le bas !!
Longueur qui continue ce nivellement, sans grâce particulière.
Jambes finement huileuses, longues.
Levure correcte.
Alcool beaucoup trop faible pour une christmas, bien que l'âge l'aide un rien.
Finale sans étonnement.
CONCLUSION : n'oublions pas que cette bière est un " one shot " et donc
les cotes rassemblées sous le même nom n'ont absolument aucun sens ..
On ne peut tirer aucun enseignement de pareille statistique !!
Un ami avait apprécié l'édition 2016 .. comme quoi, les années se suivent
mais sans se ressembler .. (6/3/5/3/9)
Deep copper colour, tall and durable foram. Sweet smell of roasted bread. Distinc spicy note on the tongue, anis stands out. Very deep, roasty, melanoidine malty taste. Dried fruit deepen the sweetness and give it a noble taste.
Bottle @ DØE Køge. Appearance: pours clear brown with ok off-white soapy head and lacing. aroma/taste: barley, bread, brown sugar, light dried fruit, light liquorice, light cocoa, grass, light citrus, light cinnamon and light spicy notes. palette: strong malty and light spicy aroma, average carbonation, medium body, medium sweetness, balanced by a light to medium bitterness, average duration and a watery texture. Overall: tasteful winter ale
2018 edition. Brown color, beige head. Aroma of anis and pine. Quite bitter taste, with notes of anis, roasted barley and liquirice. A bit to bitter for a Christmas ale, lacks sweetnes.
Parece una Barley Wine, pero más suave. Notas de palo cortado en nariz y de madera y dátiles en boca, con un punto ácido claro y un amargo algo astringente que la equilibran muy bien. Carácter cálido. Interesante.
mørk brun, treaktig, tørket frukt, krydret..................................
Overwhelming banana aroma, spices gives a feeling of artificial flavour. To sweet.
1.5 litre bottle of the 2019 Edition with friend in Newport Beach. Pours a chestnut brown with a very thick, light brown head. Aroma of caramel and spices. Taste is caramel with notes of nutmeg and cinnamon with hints of ginger and orange. Good bitterness to offset the sweetness of this delicious Christmas Ale. Mouthfeel is OK, but a little thin. This is a pleasant and well-made beer.
The 2021 vintage is similar to the 2019 edition, but perhaps with a livelier spice flavour with hints of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pleasant and not at all unctuous. I would give this one a rating of 3.8.
2019 edition. Dark amber or even coppery beer with nice beige head. Aroma of caramel, some hops (?). Very malty, moderately sweet with a bit bitter aftertaste.