Our Special Ale 2022 (Anchor Christmas Ale)
Anchor Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

Imagine you wake up in your tent after a late night of gin and tonics and competitive knife throwing by the campfire. You passed out in the juniper bushes after devouring the rest of the chocolate cake. Your buddy has brought you a piping hot cup of coffee. Congratulations, you have now smelled this wonderful beer!

12oz bottle into a pint glass. Bottled 8/31/22, so 9 months in the bottle.

Cloudy dark brown body with an off white head. Spicy aroma and somehow a little soapy. Rye and juniper make this a very bitter drink, and there is the soapy note. Didn't care for this one.

Look forward to this every year. Never disappoints. Malty with cherries and altogether pleasant. Just how a winter warmer should taste. Not alcohol forward and lacing is perfect. Opaque, but that adds to the mystery. Enjoy!

A- black cherry in color that is non opaque. One finger frothy head. light red.

S- candied cherry and malt.

F- taste mimics smell. strong dark fruit(cherry)

M- bubbly but smooth. strong on the booze as well.

O- a good winter warmer. i love anchor steam beers.

I poured an 11 oz. bottle firmly into a pint glass. A 1-inch light tan head rose above a translucent dark coppery body. The smell is faint but good. Moderate lacing existed all during consumpion.Malt and hops notes are muted... a fresh earthy, woodsy evergreen scent prevails, pleasant but hardly overpowering. The taste adds a bit more hops than the nose, with sweetness like a milk stout, and the earthy forest taste still front and center... a slightly bitter aftertaste detract a bit. The mouthfeel is decent, a tad watery, again like a milk stout, but certainly respectably drinkable. The 7.2 ABV seems just right for a winter warmer. Overall, this is a pleasant drink, and it fits the general expectations of a winter warmer. I do have a favorite Christmas ale, so I don't think I'll search this out, but I certainly wouldn't turn one down, especially during the winter months. Anchor Special Ale 2022 will find some fans.

Poured from bottle into tulip, good 2 finger light tan head, good retention and lacing. Dark rubish/brown, crystal clear, little light passes thru. Not much on the nose, but prob just me and my sinuses. Spicy/tingly right off the bat, not sure if this is carbonation/or rye, or something else, but I like it. fades into herbal, dark fruit notes, eucalyptus, and a nice residual eucalyptus on the finish that hangs around. Sad I drank it late and sad I only grabbed one. Will learn one day to try this earlier in the holiday season

Description: Rich, brown color, sort of like a Coke or Pepsi. Small amount of head. Aroma is spice, pine, nutmeg, vanilla; smells Christmasy. Taste is...it's a Christmas beer. Spice, vanilla, etc., but nothing out of the ordinary or unique. Body is medium with medium-high carbonation.

Overall: 3.75 (This beer is good but I would not likely drink it again) It represents the style adequately. But I'm not a huge fan of Christmas beers and this is no exception.

 

Always different, always Special.
Light russet brown with a tan head of tight foam, great lacing and retention to the end.
Rich malt nose full of red fruit, herbal spice and licorice.
The flavor is all Winter Warmer hybrid - part Belgian dubbel, part mocha porter, lots of fruit notes of raisins and figs and dark grain sweetness in balance and appreciation of each other.
Body is medium which feels a bit weak for the big flavors yet making it easy to drink in big swallows.
Finish is long and hoppy with mild, dark and caramel malt flavors lingering.
One of my favorites of this ever and I'm pretty sure I've had (at least) one every year for over 20 years.

 

 

My standard caveat: I rate beers the way I do on Untappd.

I had been wanting to try this for a while.

Poured into a Sam Adams glass.

Amber in color. Not picking up much in the way of esters.

The description on Untappd says it's rye forward. I am not a rye fan because of its aggressive spice character and that shows up. I think I am getting some of the eucalyptus. Everything else, quite honestly, I am not sure, but everything blends well and mutes the rye spice so that it's not off putting to me. I enjoyed it but I will be more careful to review the description more carefully so that I have a better idea of what to expect from the current version.

I enjoyed this more than the last few renditions... Christmas tree hops....dark cocoa malts....delicious flavors and finish...

I had several over the Christmas holidays and it really hit the spot...had another today while waiting on the game and it's just as good...

Anchor is one of those breweries that doesn't distribute to my area any longer so I have to rely on travel opportunities to pick it up....and I'm never disappointed....always solid, always tasty...

Terrific little beer...