2011 Anchor Our Special Ale
There are only a handful of winter-specific beers that I absolutely must find each and every holiday season. There are even less of those that I buy with the sole purpose of setting down in the basement for an extended period of time. Anchor Brewing’s Our Special Ale has always been one of those few.
Each year the brewery releases a slightly tweaked version of the beer, but each year that I’ve enjoyed it, the beer has always had that Christmasy signature — piny spruce, herbs and spices. Every batch is a little different and, even more so, ages quite differently. I’m hoping that the subtle nature of the 2011 version of the brew stands up to a few years in the basement. As for right now, it’s lacking that pungent spruce and herbal quality that I’ve grown accustomed to finding in this beer.
Appearance
Just like year’s past, this bottling pours a dark brown with a mahogany glow when held up to light. The large light brown head dropped slowly to a patchy surface covering.
Aroma
The initial piny hops and spruce aromas fade slowly to hints of a light roast and a touch of chocolate. It’s definitely not as herbal/spiced as in previous releases though there is a bit of a holiday zing to the nose.
Taste
Again, the clove, cinnamon and orange peel that I’ve found in past versions of this beer are toned down a good deal. They are in the mix amongst the lightly roasted malt, chocolate and piny hops, but their impact has been lessened. There’s a more pronounced hop bite that tingles the palate and lingers through to the semi-dry finish. The beer remains easy drinking and, at 5.5% ABV, are just potent enough to leave you warm on a cold December night without causing too much damage.
Overall
While I can tell that this year’s recipe is similar to past vintages, the 2011 Our Special Ale unfortunately lacks that festive nature that I expect. It’s still a decent brew and tastes darn good. It’s just a bit on the subtle side when compared to past experiences. A 2009 vintage bottle of the beer I had just the day before still packed more herbal/spiced punch than this year’s offering. I’m curious as to how this one will turn out with some time under its belt.
Rating:3.5/5