Tonight's beer: Anchor Our Special Ale (2013)
Bright floral spice, backed with earthy and woody impressions—juniper, coriander, nutmeg, ginger, galangal, maybe allspice and/or cloves—backed by toasted dark bread. Molasses, honey, maybe maple around the perimeter. Transitions from brightly bitter through lightly sweet to tightly dry.
Surprisingly light-bodied for such a dark winter beer, amply carbonated. Drying and refreshing. A little bready chewiness, and a hint of syrupy stickiness into the aftertaste.
Different from my recollections of the past couple years of this: Two years ago it was almost on the lines of a porter or a stout; this is much, much lighter-bodied than that, and I think I remember last year's as less bright than this year's. Delicious every year, even as the recipes shift and evolve. Surprisingly intense and complex for 5.5% ABV (a nearly-miraculous flavor-to-booze ratio), marvelously well-integrated and balanced and poised. I am definitely glad we picked up a sixer of this.
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| Anchor Our Special Ale (2013) |
Bright floral spice, backed with earthy and woody impressions—juniper, coriander, nutmeg, ginger, galangal, maybe allspice and/or cloves—backed by toasted dark bread. Molasses, honey, maybe maple around the perimeter. Transitions from brightly bitter through lightly sweet to tightly dry.
Surprisingly light-bodied for such a dark winter beer, amply carbonated. Drying and refreshing. A little bready chewiness, and a hint of syrupy stickiness into the aftertaste.
Different from my recollections of the past couple years of this: Two years ago it was almost on the lines of a porter or a stout; this is much, much lighter-bodied than that, and I think I remember last year's as less bright than this year's. Delicious every year, even as the recipes shift and evolve. Surprisingly intense and complex for 5.5% ABV (a nearly-miraculous flavor-to-booze ratio), marvelously well-integrated and balanced and poised. I am definitely glad we picked up a sixer of this.
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