Our Special Ale 2006 (Anchor Christmas Ale)
Anchor Brewing Company

Our Special Ale 2006 (Anchor Christmas Ale)Our Special Ale 2006 (Anchor Christmas Ale)
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From:
Anchor Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Winter Warmer
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.91 | pDev: 10.49%
Reviews:
248
Ratings:
291
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 23, 2022
Added:
Oct 28, 2006
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  10
No description / notes.
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Ratings by FunkyMacGroovin:
Photo of FunkyMacGroovin
Reviewed by FunkyMacGroovin from California

3.17/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
12 oz bottle poured into a Duvel tulip. I can't vouch for how the bottle was cellared, though I did find it on a low shelf out of direct light at the store.

A - The pour is deep amber that nearly turns to black as the glass fills up. A half finger of mocha head forms at first, but falls quickly to a small ring. A modest amount of lacing remains.

S - Smells intensely of dark fruits like cherries and raisins, as well as spices - I can pick out cinnamon and nutmeg specifically. Also smells slightly of soy, but just barely. There's almost a brandy character to the smell (minus the wood). Four years doesn't seem to have diminished the beer much in this respect.

T - The flavors have started to fade, but I can definitely taste dark-roasted malts, some orange peel, and a few spices - clove, cardamom(?), and cinnamon. Aside from a slight lingering sweetness there's almost no finish to this beer, and the mid-palate doesn't have much going on either. Either through improper cellaring or just the passage of time, I fear this beer is a ways past its prime.

M - Medium-full in body, with more carbonation than I expected (but still not a lot). There's a light coating left in my mouth after each swallow that quickly fades - very nice.

D - It's easy enough to quaff, but I doubt I'd want more than one.

This falls into the category of "beers that have faded, but it's still apparent they used to be excellent." I can only wonder how much improved it would be if cellared ideally.
Nov 14, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
pretty absurd to find this on tap right now, 16 years old or whatever it is now, and nowhere near the holiday season, good ole missoula, what a trip! dark and brown ale looking, clear and shiny and with as much tan head as liquid in the glass, looks lively for being ancient, how?! it smells only a little oxidized, nowhere near faded to oblivion, with some light winter spice perceptible and a lot of malt, root beer and cola notes in the nose, cinnamon and vanilla, cognac and weird bacterial twang, clove, smoke, its good and weird at the same time. the flavor confirms this is real dated, but it seems well enough preserved in a cold (i think) keg, mellow melting in a good way, ruby port and chestnut and sarsaparilla, tobacco, licorice, cheap red hard candy from an old lady, and some yeasty issues, but flavorful and still almost defiantly festive, which seems odd but is true, like this still takes me to a holiday table with my parents and brother and everyone else, when it really has no business doing that at this point, perhaps some psychological play here, but come on, this is sick to try at this point, and i wish i had reviewed various vintages as i had them over the years, but now i know, all are different and this is a blast to track them down. low ratings only a product of it not being objectively amazing at this point, but its cool still. unexpectedly intact!
Mar 23, 2022
 
Rated: 3.75 by smithj4 from New York

Aug 27, 2021
 
Rated: 3.85 by DOCRW from Kentucky

Jul 04, 2020
 
Rated: 3.27 by deereless from Colorado

Dec 24, 2017
 
Rated: 3.95 by Beginner2 from Illinois

May 15, 2016
 
Rated: 4.07 by erjaq from California

Dec 31, 2015
Photo of papat444
Rated by papat444 from Canada (QC)

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Flashback #6 - 2006 Vintage, nice and warming.
Aug 17, 2015
 
Rated: 4.08 by DucksFan16 from Tennessee

Jun 07, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by jrob21 from North Carolina

Feb 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by redleg411 from Wisconsin

Feb 03, 2015
Photo of wisrarebeer
Reviewed by wisrarebeer from Wisconsin

3.97/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Time to crack open a few of my vintage OSAs. Amazing how well this holds up. Very nice carbonation. Definite rounding of spices after all these years (13+ to be exact) but still very nice. Some oxidation but nothing offensive.
Jan 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by DrBier from Pennsylvania

Jan 15, 2015
 
Rated: 5 by DavidPerry8218 from Maine

Nov 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by JAHMUR from Connecticut

Oct 20, 2014
 
 
Rated: 3.75 by SkinniePost from Wisconsin

Apr 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by plinythederek from North Carolina

Mar 07, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Gonzoillini from Illinois

Jan 29, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by jak from North Carolina

Dec 31, 2013
Our Special Ale 2006 (Anchor Christmas Ale) from Anchor Brewing Company
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 291 ratings