Our Special Ale
(has 21 batches)
Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco, California, United States 🇺🇸
Spiced / Herbed / Vegetable / Honey - Spiced Winter Out of Production|
Score
7.06
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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.
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9.2/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 9
Voici une belle surprise avec cette Merry Christmas 2016 Happy New Year de chez Anchor. Même si le titrage alcoolique est un peu faible (6,5% Abv) pour une bière hivernale et que celui-ci aurait gagné à être augmentée pour renforcer la puissance de la bière, celui-ci est bien utilisé pour résultat une bière harmonieuse, juste et agréable. L’étiquette présente une approche un peu différente des classiques, avec une nouvelle année sous le signe de la renaissance et du symbole de l’arbre pour le solstice d’hiver. Je vais être plus terre à terre et m’intéresser à notre breuvage qui doit être avant tout festif ! En verre, notre Anchor, présente une belle robe d’un brun profond et se pare d’une multitude de fines bulles la rendant des plus gracieuses. Une mousse beige, nappe convenablement la bière de 3 à 5 mm d’épaisseur. Le nez est très beau se portant sur la cerise, le pruneau et le café sur de jolies notes épicées de réglisse et de cannelle procurant une sensation de vin chaud. L’attaque sur le malt, le caramel et le réglisse est un peu en dedans mais prépare bien l’entrée en matière de l’amertume qui est douce sur des notes de café. L’arrière bouche s’intègre quant à elle parfaitement bien, soyeuse sur des arômes de cerise et de candi. L’ensemble est très chaleureux et parfaitement homogène. Le final laisse quant à lui s’exprimer des notes de cherry avec des belles variations autour de la réglisse. La longueur, malgré les 6,5 % Abv est très correct. En conclusion, il s’agit ici d’une très belle bière qui brille par son équilibre. Avec un peu plus de puissance et un brin de complexité en plus, je ne serai pas resté sur terre...je serai monté sur le pin!
Tried
from Can
on 17 Jan 2017
at 11:44
7.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle from Whole Foods Kensington High Street, London. A dark brown/black coloured pour with a medium beige head on top. Roasty, malty, spice, Christmas cake aroma. Tastes similar, roasty, malty, spice, Christmas cake, cinnamon, slightly sweet. This was very enjoyable indeed. I’ve had many of these over the years and have never been blown away but the 2016 version is very good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Jan 2017
at 08:32
6.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Botella de @Vivalabirra, Oviedo 02/01/2017 BBD:08/18 Color negro, sabor especiado, notas tostadas, cuerpo medio.
Earlier Rating: 12/11/2016 Total Score: 3.8
Botella, 09/12/16 Como Marry Chrismas 2015. BBD: 2017 Color marron oscuro, aromas especiados, sabor dulce especiadada, rica.
Earlier Rating: 12/11/2016 Total Score: 3.8
Botella, 09/12/16 Como Marry Chrismas 2015. BBD: 2017 Color marron oscuro, aromas especiados, sabor dulce especiadada, rica.
Tried
on 03 Jan 2017
at 13:49
7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
2022 - Bottle @ 7% Rocky tan head left a creamy cover on a dark brown still body. Spices, berry & raisin aroma. Medium bodied, smooth & lively on the sharp back. Liquorice, cardamom, aniseed, roasted & malt tastes with a bitter finish. 2018 - Bottle @ 6.9% Rocky off white head stayed well on a deep mahogany coloured still body. Berry, Christmas cake & candied fruit aroma. Medium body thinning to the back, smooth with prickles down the throat. Sweet berry, sweet grape, spices, liquorice, dark chocolate & cocoa tastes. 2016 - Bottle @ 6.5%: Light beige head soon left a cover on a near black still body. Sweet nutty aroma. Medium body feel, well carbonated - clean on the palate. This has lots of malts, nutty flavours, spice, hints of cinnamon - tangy on the back. Good Christmas flavours.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Jan 2017
at 11:04
7.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle (from SIP). Pours dark brown with beige brownish head. The head stays for a second. Aroma is spices, cola, sweetness, malt. Flavor is sweet and bitter, spices, cola, malt, some roast. Finish is dry-spicy bitter. Overall: good. --- Beer merged from original tick of Merry Christmas & Happy New Year (Our Special Ale) on 01 Sep 2017 at 14:34
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Dec 2016
at 13:21
8/10
Earlier Rating: 12/30/2016 Total Score: 3.8
12 oz bottle, thanks brenn79. Aroma is cola, dark bread crust, vanilla, spices (nutmeg, cinnamon I think, clove possibly). Pours dark brown with red highlights and a one finger beige head with decent retention. Taste starts out lightly malty sweet before some significant herbal hop bitterness kicks in; finishes with a faint tartness. Spices are there in flavor, but they’re a bit vague. This seems a lot better than previous years. I know the alcohol is higher, and I don’t remember it ever having this much hop presence before. I wonder what else changed.
Earlier Rating: 11/14/2011 Total Score: 4
12 oz bottle. 2011 bottle. I rated this yesterday on paper. Thanks Brenn79. Pours mahogany with ruby red highlights. Has a medium beige head that collapses in a couple of minutes. Aroma is minty, dark fruits, other unidentifiable spices. Tastes like minty gingerbread. Sweet and meaty with a lightly dry bitter finish. Average carbonation with a somewhat thin body. Very Christmasy. Tasty.
12 oz bottle, thanks brenn79. Aroma is cola, dark bread crust, vanilla, spices (nutmeg, cinnamon I think, clove possibly). Pours dark brown with red highlights and a one finger beige head with decent retention. Taste starts out lightly malty sweet before some significant herbal hop bitterness kicks in; finishes with a faint tartness. Spices are there in flavor, but they’re a bit vague. This seems a lot better than previous years. I know the alcohol is higher, and I don’t remember it ever having this much hop presence before. I wonder what else changed.
Earlier Rating: 11/14/2011 Total Score: 4
12 oz bottle. 2011 bottle. I rated this yesterday on paper. Thanks Brenn79. Pours mahogany with ruby red highlights. Has a medium beige head that collapses in a couple of minutes. Aroma is minty, dark fruits, other unidentifiable spices. Tastes like minty gingerbread. Sweet and meaty with a lightly dry bitter finish. Average carbonation with a somewhat thin body. Very Christmasy. Tasty.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Dec 2016
at 19:50
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
1.5 liter magnum bottle shared by my brother-in-law, thanks Scott! Dark brownish with beige head. Aromas of malt, toasty notes, caramel. Tastes of nutty notes, caramel, malt, slight dark fruit. Medium body with a dry finish. Solid.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Dec 2016
at 16:28
7.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Tap at Cherry Reds, Birmingham. Poured a clear dark brown with a frothy off white head. The aroma is grainy malt, crisp alcoholic red berry fruit, some yeast. The flavour is moderate sweet with a rich, smooth, sweet fruit, hop bitter, light alcohol, light spice palate. Medium bodied with average carbonation. A real heart warming Christmas ale.Earlier Rating: 12/20/2014 Total Score: 3.4Tap at The Beer Temple, Amsterdam. Poured a reddish brown with a frothy white head and some broken lace. The aroma is rich spicy over ripe red berry fruit. The flavour is moderate bitter sweet with a light veggie mineral light fruit palate. Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Tried
from Draft
on 23 Dec 2016
at 15:39