-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Our Special Ale 2006 (Anchor Christmas Ale)
Anchor Brewing Company
- From:
- Anchor Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Winter Warmer
- ABV:
- 5.5%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.91 | pDev: 10.49%
- Reviews:
- 248
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Mar 23, 2022
- Added:
- Oct 28, 2006
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 10
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
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
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, 2022Rated by papat444 from Canada (QC)
4/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Flashback #6 - 2006 Vintage, nice and warming.
Aug 17, 2015Reviewed by wisrarebeer from Wisconsin
3.97/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
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, 2015Reviewed by mfnmbvp from Illinois
3.7/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
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, 2013Poured 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
Our Special Ale 2006 (Anchor Christmas Ale) from Anchor Brewing Company
Beer rating:
88 out of
100 with
291 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!