Anchor Porter

Brewed by Anchor Brewing Company
Style: Porter
San Francisco, California USA

Serve in English pint, Stem glass

Bottle @ Henriks Bergen. Pours rich black body with a soft - almost creamy head. Good lively carbonation. Nose is liquorish and some what chocolate. Tastes sweet liquorish and leathery - nice and creamy with a soft bitter and sweet ending. A good porter.

Full, lush, creamy, cream colored head. Color is almost pitch black. Just the faintest dark red, ruby highlights around the edges. This brew looks outstanding. The head is really sticking around and it leaves a copious amount of lacing. A rich chocolate and coffee malt come to the forefront of the nose. The smell is also evoking a roasted and smokey flavor that is very delightful. The taste is very similar to the smell by recalling the chocolate and coffee. Not overly sweet, but just enough sweetness for a teasing. The smokey flavor adds appeal by appearing in a delicate way in the end. Medium to full mouthfeel. Chewy and very smooth. Creamy. The coating of the tongue and throat are very satisfying as they linger for a long while. I really, really, really like this brew. I haven’t had a tremendous amount of Porters in my life, but this one has to be at the top of my list of ones I have had thus far. Perfect for those late Autumn/Winter days and evenings. Easily drinkable. This is a beer that I will have to visit every year at some point or another. Thanks Anchor...... for brewing it.

UPDATED: MAR 6, 2011 Bottle. Has a light aroma, smells of chocolate and a hint of raisins. Taste is pretty damn good! Has a roasted malt taste to it, along with chocolate/caramel/coffee. The finish is slightly bitter and sort of muted - wish it had a more robust, roasted finish to balance it out. As it is, it’s a light-medium mouthfeel with maybe a little bit too much sweetness. 5.6% alcohol.

Black with red hints. Nice mocca head. Looks really nice. Hoppy aroma but also burnt malts, dark fruits like plum and wine. Theres actually quite a lot of plum and grapes in the taste. Mouthfeel is smooth and nice. Nice beer! Easy going but nice!

12 oz bottle into English pint. I can’t believe I haven’t rated this yet; it’s always been one of my favorites. Pours an almost impervious black with reddish tints showing up when held up to a light. Has a nice long retaining tan head that leaves exceptional lace. Aroma is very English compared to most American porters. Smells like a bakery: freshly baked cookies and bread especially; cocoa, cinnamon. Taste is both tart and sweet with some bitterness coming up in the finish. Tastes somewhat old. If I’m reading the code right, this was brewed in September of 2009. So it is past its prime, which is a damn shame, because I remember this being a very delicious, distinctive beer. It’s still good, but that old taste is definitely bringing the score down. I’ll definitely rerank it as soon as a fresher bottle becomes available. Carbonation is low to medium, body is medium, texture is a little chalky. This beer deserves better, so maybe I fudged a little on the scores. I repeat: a re-rate is in order and will be done as soon as some fresh stuff comes in.

Bottle. Pitch black pour with a medium tan head. The aroma is ashy, chocolate, roasted malt and sweet tobacco. To the sweet side. Rich tobacco flavour with notes of chocolate, roasted malt, caramel and has bitter chocolate like finish. Nice.

Bottle at Cardinal’s Porter Symposium. Clear deep ruby with a finger thick, creamy light brown head. Light bodied and dry. the roasted notes are properly present in mouth and on the nose along with dried fruits especially prunes. Sweet, acidic and bitter. A well balanced porter.

Bottle 33cl. A dark beer with low head. Smell is malty and roasted. Aroma is a sweet caramel and roasted malt style beer, medium creamy, good roast flavor with nice chocolate and sweet notes. Some fruit hints at the finish, a goos porter a bit heavy but pleasant.