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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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
Photo of mfnmbvp
Reviewed by mfnmbvp from Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 oz. bottle, with a more than obvious vintage date, and a code printed on the back label 6SG. My second of these annual winter warmer releases from Anchor Brewing Co., and I'm excited to have it, based on my experience with Anchor Our Special Ale 2005. A seven year old beer, making this the second oldest beer I've ever drank.

Poured into a clear balloon snifter.

A - Pours a thick muddy caramel colored body with only a faint conjuration of some khaki bubbles. About a finger of khaki head when given a swirl in the glass. Some thin lacing. Looks good.

S - Smell is of sweet caramel malt, earthy tea leaf, vanilla, wood, cream, faint cocoa, some yeast must, faded herbal spice rack notes, and some vinous cherry / grape presence.

T - Taste is of watery caramel malt, faded cinnamon / ginger spiciness, a bit of tart vinous cherry / grape, mild toffee, and a hint of bitter cocoa on the finish.

M - Feel is noticeably more full-bodied, with more spritzy carbonation than the 2005 was. Still, it is light enough with good healthy carbonation still present. Slightly on the thin & watery side of things.

Overall, I didn't think it was as great as the 2005 version, but this still held up well. I would be interested to see how this one would develop with another year or so on it.

Anchor Brewing Our Special Ale 2006 ---3.5/5
Dec 24, 2013
Our Special Ale 2006 (Anchor Christmas Ale) from Anchor Brewing Company
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 291 ratings