Anchor Our Special Ale 16-year vertical: drink or keep?

I would hang onto them, personally. If it was a beer that held up better I would do the vertical, but with Our Special Ale… let it remain special

 

I would keep them intact. I loved this beer each year but older ones never seemed to fair better, mostly for worse. I am a collector at heart as well so I would probably have fun opening Sharing and drinking these but once finished I would be mad I opened them up and want to replace them and that would be a long expensive journey. I think they will look cool on a shelf sitting in order. Great set to have.

Enjoy

 

I get the sentimental side of it, but I'm always of the mindset that beer is meant to be drank, not collected. Though after you finish them I bet the empty bottles would look really nice as a display

 

The 2024 release would have been the 50th release of the beer (I think). I would plan on waiting a year and opening up the bottles then to celebrate the would-have-been golden 50th release. By waiting, you are also providing more time to see how the dust will settle with the brand and brewery closure (since this is still ongoing). If this beer brand comes back in some shape or form, would you regret having opened your bottles?

Keep in mind, my idea is coming from someone who wouldn't want to hold onto that much beer for sentimental reasons (and others wouldn't think anything of that). The question is: Why did you hang onto them in the first place? If you can answer that question in a satisfying way, you might know what you really want to do with them now.

 

That is a crossroads for sure. My drummer instinct tells me brother that you bought those beers with the original intention of cellaring them and savoring them at your discretion. ? Even though Anchor evaporated, if it were me, I'd stick to the original plan. Special moments for the Special Ale. Cheers!

 

Sell them back to the employees.

 

I found these this fall but could not pay $32 each. Are yours 12oz or Mags.


Enjoy

 

Start with the oldest and drink 1 a year. You'll have 16 years of enjoyment ahead.

 

Most of them aren't going to be particularly good...but you can always keep the bottles as decorations vs. keeping them full, too. Might as well crack 'em and see if a few mysteriously still taste good (I bet some older ones will) vs. letting them get worse and worse over time.

 

^ ^ This ^ ^

With that in mind @BeerVikingSailor, what would you be doing if Anchor had not been shuttered?

 

. * * * * Did the employees have any success in buying the brand , I would hate to lose this brand !