RateBeer
Score
9995
OVERALLStyle
Serve in Snifter

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution

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RATINGS: 1579   WEIGHTED AVG: 3.82   EST. CALORIES: 264   ABV: 8.8%
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COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
San Francisco’s celebrated Old Foghorn Ale has been virually handmade by the brewers of Anchor Steam Beer, in one of the world’s smallest and most traditional breweries, since 1975. Our barleywine-style ale, the first of its kind in modern times in the United States, has a luscious depth of flavour that makes it ideal for sipping after dinner. It is made with top-fermenting yeast, fresh whole hops, and "first wort", the richest runnings of a thick all-malt mash. Old Foghorn is "dry hopped" in the classic ale tradition and aged in our cellars until it attains the perfect balance of malty sweetness, estery fruitiness, and exquisite hop character, for which it is known throughout the world. A ruby red ale with little carbonation and a warm finish.


3.8
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
PhilTavey (1) - IRELAND - MAR 20, 2012 does not count
Pours like melted toffee and I like the caramel enveloped fruity nature of this bad boy. The abv is not over stated and relaxes into the fruit. Nice.

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20
martinrumsam (233) - BARNSTAPLE, Devon, ENGLAND - MAR 18, 2012
bottle pours a clear light chestnut with full beige head that stays and laces . aroma is fruity with esters , malts and caramel underneath. taste is sweet malty and toffee givcing way to a bitter finish .Alcohol too dominant in the taste compared to better barley wines . Full bodied , oily with modest carbonation .It is ok but some rough edges compared to the best .

3.8
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
Reid (1433) - Salem,Oregon, Oregon, USA - MAR 16, 2012
12 oz single from "Lifesource" Salem. $1.99 I CANNOT believe i haven’t rated this old classic yet. Nice clear bright amber coloured ale with a small yet persistent light tah head. Fine estery ,fruity aroma blended with caramel and brown bread with honey Fine honey,caramel tastes,,cane sugar and slight piney hop, getting butterscotch and rich fruitcake in the back. Good mouthfeel to this one..smooth and with a pleasing alcohol warmth as it goes down the gullet. Very nicely understated beer. A classic indeed

3.9
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
kwik-lime (646) - London, ENGLAND - MAR 15, 2012
Good malty beer, sweet, with hints of alcohol and a strong hint of strawberries. Really good.

3.7
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
toby00777 (135) - California, USA - MAR 14, 2012
Mahogny with a small tan head that leaves very quickly. The smell has a dark fruit and sweet malt aroma,but it’s not as strong as other barleywines. The taste has a creamy earthy tone to it. Medium bodied and well balanced.

4
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
Kosmokrator (48) - Legnano, ITALY - MAR 14, 2012
UPDATED: MAY 17, 2012 In bottiglia. Limpido color granato con sottilissima schiuma beige. Aroma avvolgente di lievito e caramello con leggeri sentori legnosi. Gusto fortemente maltoso con note di caramello, zucchero di canna e lievi tracce resinose. Molto corposa e sciropposa, effervescenza minima; l’alcool la rende liquorosa al palato ed il finale è amarognolo e un po’ appiccicoso.

4.1
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
edgallow (592) - nashville, Tennessee, USA - MAR 14, 2012
12 oz bottle pours amber with a off white head. Aroma of malts, yeast and sweet fruit. Taste is much the same with a bit of bitter hops.

3.8
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
duaneh (100) - - MAR 9, 2012
Cloudy dark orange amber topped with a half finger of off white head that melts to a ring of lacing. Aromas of brown sugar and caramel. Mouthfeel is very rich and creamy. Taste of caramel, brown sugar, raisins, prunes, citrus hops and alcohol.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
AndresTM (185) - Texas, USA - MAR 6, 2012
UPDATED: APR 27, 2012 Complex aroma, very dark and luscious, featuring heavy notes of dark fruits, fudge, orange, and some spices. The mouthfeel is syrupy, with light carbonation and a medium-to-heavy body that can also be somewhat sticky. The taste is mostly sweet and a bit sour, but there’s a mineral bitter impression that accompanies the mostly sweet-and-sour finish. The fruity esters are prominent on the tongue, as is some honey that wasn’t that noticeable to the nose. It’s hard to detect the hops. There’s also a gentle note of juniper berries towards the end. After a few sips, a sour impression coats the oral cavity. I love it; it far exceeded my expectations. It’s not a beer for everyone, mind you—it can be a little too syrupy and sweet, if not just too strong and flavorful for those who like drier beers, and there is no hop thrill here. But what it tries to do, it accomplishes.

3.6
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
davey101 (215) - Connecticut, USA - FEB 28, 2012
Bottled on 01/08/1996. Old school 7 oz bottle stamped: 6JH. Surprisingly it opened with a faint fizz. A - Dark brown/red murky body. Non existant head, just some dark khaki colored edging. Swirling yields some lacing and retention. There is a lot of dark "stuff" floating around in the beer. S - Predominantly sweet dark candied fruits. Plums, raisins, figs, etc. Some roasted malts and bittersweet chocolate. The finish is burnt and alcoholic. The smell is very unique. Although its not the most pleasant, its not all that bad. T - Similar to the nose. Caramelized figs and raisins followed by roasted malts and some dark chocolate notes. The alcohol is a tad noticeable and there is some oxidation. The finish is cloyingly sweet. Complex and flavorful. M - Obviously its a flat beer. The mouth feel is medium to thick and coats the tongue. O - I’m struggling to get through 7 oz. of this beer. At 16 years old it does have some redeeming qualities. Lots of robust barley wine aromas and tastes. This beer aged well.


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