Our Special Ale 1995 (Anchor Christmas Ale)
Anchor Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opened on 12-07-08. A very special thanks to Zeke at the Speakeasy for sharing a bottle of this 1995 treat. The first time I've had a beer that's over a decade old. It still had carbonation in it which was crazy. A deep ruby red color that was fantastic along with the wine-like flavor. The beer was very dry at this point. The spiciness of this beer has been cut down from the aging. This was still quite impressive for it's age.

12 ounce bottle purchased from Stuffed Sandwich in San Gabriel for six dollars, tasted alongside the 1996 and 1997 vintages last night, poured into my Anchor pint glass, color is a medium brown mixed with dark red, very small 1/4 inch bubbly beige head that disappears quickly, aroma consits of plums, prunes, cashews, almonds, spices, roasted malts, and spice, flavor is brown sugar up front, some chewiness in the middle with grains and nuts, finish is a mixture of sweet and spicy, dark fruit from scent comes out later on, mouthfeel is sweet, spicy, roasted, and chewy, thin to medium bodied, low level of carbonation, could drink a few bottles of this, overly sweet with the sugar at first though, could get filling, this particular year has aged quite well and had a nice roasted nuttiness, spices have evolved quite a bit, would like to drink again, recommended

A - Creamy head, settling to thin lacing around the rim of the glass fairly quickly. Clear mahogany color, with no apparent carbonation,
S - Spruce, chocolate malt, coffee, a little bitter orange peel,
T - Astringent, with no detectable hops,
M - A little thin, and I'm guessing around a 1050 original gravity,
D - Not bad, but nothing I feel really distinctive. Overall, a clean beer, particularly with 11 years of aging. While Anchor claims the recipe changes from year to year, I've never felt the beers from the mid-90's really varied significantly around a set formula.

This brew is outstanding. It pours a dark cherry with a magnificent head that klaces well. The malt smoothnes wafts the nostrils and iinvites you to a smooth taste. The taste is malt, smooth, with a very light hint of hop finish. The mouthfeel is extremely smooth and it goes down extremely well.

Sampler taste at Chicago Beer Society vertical tasting, Dec. 1. After the flat ’96 I had before this one, we got back to a nice fruity and well-balanced holiday beer. I’m again reminded how well these 5.5% beers have kept. This vintage brings the malts back to the forefront.

Found this at my local home brew store for $2 and couldn't pass it up.
Pours a black brew that yields a clear red light through when held up. The head is off white and begins to fade as soon as the beer is poured.
The aroma is full of alcohol and dark grains with a strange dark fruit smell that reminds me of plums.
The flavor begins with a sweet malt presence that quickly segues into a melding of the hops and the spices. I believe that the aging has mellowed the spices a little but it still leaves a lingering taste in the mouth of roasted malt and spice.
The body has a very smooth quality that goes well with the strong flavors by rounding out the overall impression of the taste. The carbonation is very light yet when held to the light the dark red color reveals a good amount of carbonation.
Very drinkable and very pleasant considering that this ale is nine years old, it seems that one could consume a few of these in a single setting, though it is hard to get that many bottles.

This one was a beautiful red-brown ale with a rather big head that was nice and fluffy, and lasted for quite some time.

It had an aroma of roasted malt, nutmeg, and far below there were hints of coffee.

The flavor was lightly roasted, and had hints of nutmeg and cinnamon spices, but it alsy had a perfume-like aftertaste that didn't sit too well with me. This was not a floral taste, along the lines of a Fraoch, but definitely more of a chemical taste.

I wish I had another bottle to let go a while longer and see if it improved.