A NIGHT WITH THE HOPS

Not too long ago during a beer discussion started for a reason I cannot remember it occurred to me that there were a few beers that I had yet to try for another reason that I am not aware of.  The beers in question were both porters from very important breweries in the world of American craft brewing.  Today is the review for the first of those two.

Now for the first review of the year . . .

Brewery: Anchor Brewing Co. (San Francisco, CA)

Name: Porter

Style: Robust Porter

ABV: 5.60% (via internet)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge before serving in a pint glass.

Aroma: A moderate roasted malty aroma with maybe some slight hints of chocolate.  Also a bit of sweetness and maybe a floral note in there.  Relatively mild overall. – 8.5/12

Appearance: Dark brown though with garnet highlights at the edges when held to light.  One finger light brown head that is think, holds very well, and leaves a solid trail on the glass.  Opaque though clear at the edges when held to light. – 3/3

Flavor: Fairly strong malt flavor that is heavily roasted with a bit of burnt character.  Some hop flavor also comes through.  A moderate bitterness though I think that is a combination of the dark roasted malts and the hops used.  There is a dryness to the finish with a hint of sweetness and some roasted bitterness lingering. – 17/20

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a moderate to low level of carbonation.  Very smooth and pretty creamy on the palate with just a bit of astringency. – 5/5

Overall Impressions: The mouthfeel is really nice and quite enjoyable.  The beer goes down very easily and I could definitely go through a few more than the one I have.  The creaminess and sweetness are even more prominent as it warms some and the burnt character also fades a bit.  Better when not super cold, but good regardless.  Damn fine beer.  – 8/10

Overall: A- (41.5/50)

Anchor Brewing Co. - Porter