2008 vintage that is approx. 1 year old (I purchased my usual, 2009 sixer a couple of days ago). The usual Anchor code, 8OU dot-matrixed on this baby.
Nice, mocha colored head on top of the usual dark brown, garnet body. Head is maintained nicely and the lace is nicely broken on the glass and firm on the surface.
The nose is surprisingly muted for the OSA. Normally one gets plenty of herbal spices but after a year this seems muted somewhat.
Tastes are also less spicy than some have been in the past. A decent amount of licorice bitterness that includes a touch of winter spice, but the whole package seems less aggressive than in years gone by, even taking into account the year of age that’s already on this.
Finishes with a touch more sweetness and perhaps a whiff of orange peel. Spice finally comes in with the aftertaste.
Creamy in the mouth (as usual), the 2008 vintage is less spiced than many others and the age seems to have driven that fact home even further.
Still a nice beer, but perhaps less “interesting” than other vintages.
Our Special Ale 2008 (Anchor Christmas Ale)


10/28/2009
Brewery:
Anchor Brewing Company
Anchor Brewing Company
Style:
Winter Warmer
Winter Warmer
Format:
bottle
bottle
ABV: 5.5 %
Appearance: 4
Taste: 3.5
Mouthfeel: 4
Smell: 3.5
Overall: 4
Total: 3.68
Series Name:
Year:
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