Our Special Ale 1984 (Anchor Christmas Ale)
Anchor Brewing Company

 

12 ounce bottle thanks to Sam at Stuffed Sandwich in San Gabriel, consumed on 12/20/08 with Drake, poured into an oversized wine glass, nothing like celebrating the holiday season with a twenty-five year old Christmas beer, oldest beer I have tried to date, color is a dark reddish brown, suprisingly a head arose but it was only around a quarter inch and it went away very quickly, off white in color and bubbly, oxidized malt was strong in the aroma, some other underlying scents were maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, peppermint, pine sol, plums, and black licorice, tasted was dominated by old spices and malt, got sweeter as it warmed, tasted twenty years younger than it really was, liked the way it mellowed out all the super spicy components and molded it all into one rounded taste, slightly sweet and spicy mouthfeel, thin bodied, not much carbonation at all, taste lingered well, could have drank this bottle and then some more but it would get heavy after too much, alcohol is detectable at times, wondered if I would get a stomach ache after drinking something this old but thankfully I did not, all of that speculation about vintage beers is false in my experiences, surprised how well this brew has held up, low in alcohol but the spices seem to keep things somewhat in place, while this beer is way out of its prime, it was fun to review and will be nice to look back on and remember what it was like, love this stuff each year, and while it is good fresh, some aging can be very beneficial at times too, this year was not the best but i am glad I tried something that had been cellared for so long, certainly worth trying now or in another decade, and he still has some left

12oz bottle received via I Want That BIF 2 from lou91. Thanks for the opportunity. Was looking for something to toast MJ with, and this called out to me.

Poured into a Rapscallion glass, forming a surprising 1/2" tan head over the cloudy reddish brown brew. Head fades to swirly uneven layer of bubbles in a flash, with lots of tiny bubbled lace. Aroma is earthy, leathery, with sherry notes. Taste is tart through and through, with some muddy maltiness present, but not much else peeks through the tart. Mouthfeel is remarkably still lightly bubbly, and drinkability is okay, although the funkiness is a bit off-putting. This one hasn't weathered as well as I had hoped, but heck, at 23 years, this brew could drink itself legally, so why can we expect?!?

My undying gratitude to lou 91 for this bottle. Pours with an unthinkable third of an inch of head! The aroma is one of incredibly rich and spiced sherry.

Taste is distinctly layered and complex. Cocoa upfront, coriander and ginger, maybe some allspice, the finish is bone dry, no oxidation noticed. Thick and chewy mouthfeel with soft and slight carbonation, after nearly 22 years. There is no effort required to drink this after the first sip, but rather an uncontrollable cumpulsion.