Anchor Liberty Ale

Brewed by Anchor Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
San Francisco, California USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker

Bottle - unable to pour from the bottle, but it has a nice smooth balanced flavor with a decent hops finish

UPDATED: SEP 28, 2011 A mainstay to be enjoyed every Independence Day! This brew poured up a luscious golden amber colored body with a foamy head with good retention and lacing effects. Aromas of floral hops, some grains and fruits (oranges, lemons). Flavors of hops, apricots (or maybe nectarines), a slight hint of honey (or burnt sugar). Light- to Medium-bodied, very smooth with a dry finish.

UPDATED: SEP 21, 2011 Edited to account for second tasting (the night after) Bottle in a pint glass - pours hazy orange with rich white head leaving behind noticeable lacing. Nose is hops (spruce). Aroma is hops and caramel. Taste is a little sweet at first and finishes bitter. Texture is thin and finish is medium in length. Aftertaste a bit metallic. Very lively beer. Wish the bottle said APA so I wouldn’t have been surprised at the amount of hop.

Let me say first that Anchor has to have the coolest looking 12 oz bottles of any brewery. Awesome. Anyways, this one pours amber with a foamy white head. Not sure how long this one was on the shelf, but it’s not too pungent. The hops are in the background, with muted citrus and pine, with a sweet bready malt base layered over top. Light toffee. The taste is similarly tame, with the light pine hops showing themselves on the finish, but a lot of luscious caramel malt stealing the show. There’s actually a bit of a bite on the finish too--not sure if that’s the hops or something’s gone wrong with the 5.9%. Not bad, but I prefer my APAs a little cleaner and a little hoppier.

Bottle.  Golden clear small head. Nice sweet malty notes. Some floral orange as well. Very crisp for a top fermentin yeast. Bitter sherry like finish.

(22oz bomber thanks to zdk9) clearish gold with a thick soapy off-white head. Nose of bread, orange peel, star anise. Taste of bread, butter, cracker, light faded orange. Would be better if it wasn’t as faded. Nice soft carbonation.

12 oz. bottle served in shaker- poured a slightly turbid sunfaded copper color with a prestine white head that tried it’s very best to lace. Aroma of grass, with background notes of caramel and a light floral. Hits the mouth with an even medium body, malt was slightly roasted, some hops in the middle, finish is somewhat acidic but does resonate nicely on the palate. 10 years. Damn.

Smelled bright and fresh, lots of hops and citrus fruits around. The taste was very hoppy as well, but also fairly sweet with a light malt background. Finished very bitter, very refreshing as well with it’s dry finish.