Our Special Ale 1998 (Anchor Christmas Ale)
Anchor Brewing Company

 

12oz bottle. Classic dark brown color with minimal head or retention. Faint nutmeg and star anise in the nose. Thin body and a bit tacky. Bakers chocolate with spice on the palate.
Finishes a bit roasty with fading nutmeg.

 

We'll here we are 16 years in the waiting. I'd figure I should open this before it's too late. Bottle cap was rusty but underside just fine. Poured into a Chimay glass. thick dense almost black in color. No head but a few tan bubbles. Still somewhat carbonated with a few rising bubbles. Smell of red wine dominate. Tangy, spicy aromas that are very hard to describe. Pretty much smells like a good port wine.

The moment of truth, did it hold up after 16 years? I think so? It tastes really really mellow, not what I was expecting. Taste of plums with nutty & smokey undertones. Slightly sweet aftertaste. Very complex flavors. These flavors seem to go away as the beer warms. The last of it tastes more like stale red wine or soy sause. I'm sure it's far past it's prime, but it was still very enjoyable for it's age. 3.8

Just going through my cellar and pulling a few vintage OSAs to see how they're holding up. Actually, for a 16 year old beer, not bad at all. Just a slight amount of oxidation but still has a lot of body and depth. Spicing is still evident but definitely toned down. Still amazed at how this lower ABV beer holds up so well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hate you, Bobby.

A: The pour is nearly flat and almost black in color.

S: Awful. Chocolate, cardboard, mild vanilla, and vinegar. Just awesome. Mild spice and herbal notes on this. Light molasses and toffee to provide some sweetness.

T: The flavor is no better. Pure soy sauce. Mild vinegar, chocolate, and quite watery. Woody herbs and spices with a bit of bread and toffee. More soy sauce and perhaps some Worcestershire sauce.

M: Light in body, watery, and flat.

O: This was terrible.

Levifunk told me this was hanging out at Sal's in Elmhurst, so I took a trip out there and grabbed a sixer.

A - Pours a nice chocolate brown with a surprisingly tall 1/2 inch brown head. Pretty impressive for a beer that is pushing 12 years here.

S - I think this might have went bad at some point in the last 12 years, although I don't have anything to compare it to. Smells like soy sauce and ginseng with some hints of nutmeg and spice. Some roasted malts as well.

T - I am fairly sure this is not how this is supposed to taste. Soy Sauce, black olives and overtones of ginseng. You can taste almost an afterthought of nutmeg and a porter like roastiness to it. I think it might have been good once, but not really now.

M - Fairly smooth with the appropriate amount of carbonation.

D - Poured a lot of it, assuming it's bad and would have been much better had it not spoiled. If this is how it's supposed to taste, well, yuck.

D - Becomes too sour and strange to drink.

A well aged bottle of this one, found in the cooler at the Pub on the UofC campus. Deep brown. Spicey nose, nutmeg dominates. Nutmeg is the primary flavor on top of porter base. Some chocolate comes through, as does the cookie and bread notes. Nice. Very much a holiday brew.