Jan 22, 2015

Anchor Brewing 2014 Our Special Ale

Each Winter, Anchor Brewing releases their holiday brew, Our Special Ale. And each year, the recipe changes. Previous iterations of the beer have been quite festive, carrying seasonally appropriate flavors and aromas. For their 2014 release (the 40th such release by the way), the company appears to have changed things up a bit.

As always Our Special Ale carries a good bit of piney spruce character, but the seasonal spices and hints of years past appear to be toned down. Instead, this 5.5% ABV brew presents more of a brown ale like nature — subdued spices, more malt, some tobacco. The result is a curious beer that I thoroughly enjoyed, but also one whose longevity in the cellar may be at question. Then again, only time will tell there.

Appearance

The beer pours a chestnut in color with a garnet edge and a frothy cap of dark tan foam.

Anchor Brewing 2014 Our Special Ale photo

Aroma

Overall, the nose is pretty subtle as miscellaneous spices, distant spruce, bread and caramel all make an appearance.

Taste

Again, the seasonal nature of the beer feels more subdued compared to years past. It really tastes like a nutty, English brown ale with spices lingering in the background. Caramel, an earthy quality, pine, tobacco and light citrus notes also present themselves throughout in varying degrees. The beer is light-to-medium bodied with a moderate sweetness and lightly drying finish.

Overall

The 2014 Our Special Ale may not be as festive as years past, but it is pretty darn drinkable. I do like the malt profile that the beer brings. As stated, I’m really curious how this beer will handle a few years in the basement. Previous incarnations have held up well enough over time. This one is hard to predict.

Rating: 4/5

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