Anchor Brewing Old Foghorn

Anchor Brewing Old Foghorn

Style: Barley Wine

Alcohol Content: 10%

From: San Francisco, California, USA

Purchased from: Beer Boutique, Putney, United Kingdom
http://www.anchorbrewing.com/

A while back, me and Kevin decided to spend a lazy afternoon "researching" at one of our favourite pubs, The White Horse  in Parsons Green. After a few opening beers, he tried a cracking Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar and I indulged in a warming Anchor Brewing Old Foghorn Barleywine. Now there are not many beers that stick out in my mind that day (due to the quantity!), but this was one of them. Since that day, we have scoured each and every beer shop we've visited for it but to no avail, until last wednesday when Kev surprised me with a lovely bunch of flowers and- you've guessed it- the highly coveted Old Foghorn Barleywine. What a guy!

Upon researching this beauty, it transpires that Anchor Brewing comes from San Francisco and is apparently Old Foghorn is handmade in small batches, following a Ye Old English recipe. This was the very first Barleywine style beer to be brewed in the US which helps to make it a pretty appealing. According to their website, all three malt-mashes are needed to make just one barley wine brew, and they only use the "first wort" which is the 'first runnings' of said mash. I am intrigued to see if this beer still stands up to my fond first impressions of it- so lets have a try!

Colour: This beer pours a murky mahogany colour with a tan head. The head disappears quickly to the sides of the glass, and the cloudiness clears to a reveal a rich, ruby red depth.

Aroma: This beer smells like autumn and it takes me a few seconds to work why. It reminds me of Halloween Toffee Apples and the slight smokiness of Bonfire Night. Notes of spices, orange and rum soaked raisins emanate from its surface.

Body: It has a gentle level of carbonation which washes the flavours from the front to the back of the tongue pleasingly. You can feel it coat the roof of your mouth and warm your insides. The alcohol is not overwhelming despite its high content, and blends perfectly with the dry finish to this beer.

Taste: Spicy, sweet notes of cinnamon, toffee and rum-soaked raisins dominate the palate. This is a great after-dinner beer, or perhaps even a mid-afternoon beer, as I can see it going very well with a slice of carrot cake. The malty sweetness cuts through its dry edge and culminates in a beer thats very easy to drink indeed. The taste of the alcohol is still there, but just serves to give it an extra 'kick' in my opinion. By the end of the bottle I am smiling and remembering just why this beer has been on my wish list for some time now. If I was giving out gold stars then this would get one for sure!

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/nogne-o-100.html
Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/redchurch-brewery-soreditch-blonde.html

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Anchor Brewing Company Liberty Ale

Anchor Brewing Company Liberty Ale 

Style: American Indian Pale Ale

Alcohol Content: 5.9%

From: Portrero Hill, San Francisco, California, USA

Purchased From: Utobeer, Borough Market London
http://www.anchorbrewing.com/

Anchor Brewing Company is an American alcoholic beverage producer, operating a brewery and distillery on Potrero Hill in San Francisco, California. The brewery was founded in 1896 and was purchased by Frederick Louis Maytag III, in 1965, saving it from closure. It moved to its current location in 1979. It is one of the last remaining breweries to produce California common beer, also known as Steam Beer, a trademark owned by the company.

Anchor began during the Gold Rush when Gottlieb Brekle arrived from Germany and began brewing in San Francisco. In 1896, Ernst F. Baruth and his son-in-law, Otto Schinkel, Jr., bought the brewery and named it Anchor. The brewery burned down in the fires that followed the 1906 earthquake, but was rebuilt at a different location in 1907.There is no record of what Anchor did during Prohibition, but it resumed serving steam beer after Repeal, possibly as the only steam brewing company still in operation. However the brewery burned down yet again within the year, and it relocated once more, this time to a building a few blocks away.

The brewery continued operations into the late 1950s, but suffered heavily from the country's increasingly strong preference for the light lagers produced by the megabreweries. Whereas there had been more than 4,000 breweries at the turn of the twentieth century, only 70 remained by the 1960s. In 1965, Frederick Louis Maytag III bought the brewery, saving it from closure. Maytag purchased 51 percent of the brewery for several thousand dollars, and later purchased the brewery outright. It moved to its current location near Potrero Hill in 1979. In 1971 the brewery began producing its now famous Steam beer. However for this review we will be focusing on their lesser know Liberty Ale.

Colour: Once poured you are presented with a glorious orange/tan coloured beer. There is a fabulous thick white head which luckily lingers in the glass as you drink. This beer is also very lightly carbonated with champagne style bubbles running throughout this beer.Truly a beautiful beer to behold.

Aroma: Thanks to the size of the head, you get a lovely bouquet which will bombard your senses. Freshly cut grass and pine needles are the dominate smells but you can also pick out a sweet smell of caramel. These flavors mix extremely well and are not to over powering.

Body: As I mentioned previously there is a very low level of carbonation in this beer. This helps to create an extremely light ale that is extremely refreshing to drink. Left long enough these bubbles will die down creating one of the smoothest drinks I have ever tried. The dry hopping of this beer also helps to create a crisp/dry mouth feel after every sip.

Taste: The primary hops used in the making of this beer are cascade. These hops are know for there grassy pine flavors and are one of the primary hops used in creation of American pale ales. You can also pick out hints of sweetened gooseberries/grapes and orange peel. These fruit notes are very fair and you will need a couple of sips pick these out of the beer. All these flavors are very subtle and inter play with each other beautifully. There is an after taste of worthers original in this drink but this does not linger long.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/sierra-nevada-torpedo-extra-ipa.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/robinsons-dizzy-blonde.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on Twitter @beefsbrewery