Anchor Porter

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

Serve in English pint, Stem glass

Bottle. Can’t believe I’ve never tried this... Pour is a dark brown with a beautiful tan head. I’m not seeing any light peek through around the edges. Aromas are week, but dark malt and chocolate are present. Flavor is great... a big mix of chocolate, roasted malt and a dark fruit finish are just what the doctor ordered... Nice and full across the palate.

Bottle. Appearance: Deep ruby and brown, almost black with a thick off white head. Aroma: Overripe apples, raisins, good amount of chocolate and a drop of coffee. Flavour: Raisins and chocolate, like a tiffin bar, quite sour too, wine like yet very sweet, quite a complex balance between its sweetness and sourness, tangy coffee finish. Very enjoyable.

bottle. pours a very dark brown, close to black, with nice deep ruby highlights in the bottom of the glass. I found chocolate, some roastiness, and sweetness in the aroma. Taste is light chocolate, some more predominant roast, coffee, and caramel. The finish is a nice lingering roasty and hop driven bitterness.

Sweet maltiness, perhaps a touch too sweet, but not cloying. I think the mouthfeel seems a touch thin. But I do like this very much, VERY drinkable, just not in the mood to jump on the near-unanimous bandwagon.

One of my very favorite porters. Pours deep black with a fluffy tan head. Aroma is of coffee, deep roasted malt and a very little bit of floral hops. Flavor is similar to the scent, this porter has a very strong coffee flavor, along with cocoa, and a good bitterness that plays well with the roasted malt flavors. The palate is a little thick and grainy, however with a creamyness in the back of the mouth.

UPDATED: MAR 30, 2009 Re-rate: 12oz bottle. Pours a black body with an incredibly creamy, light brown, finger-width head that dissipates very slowly and remains very very very frothy and evident throughout the session. Lots of lace. Really nice looking porter coming out of the bottle. Aroma is sweet and malty. Lots of cherries. Very soft chocolate and roasts. The aroma is mainly dominated by the malty cherries. Different for a porter, but still a solid aroma. Flavor is also different, but quite nice. It starts slow, but grows and grows throughout the finish. Starts with a thick, cherry maltiness then moves into a mild hop bitterness, slightly acidic, and soft creamy mocha middle before finishing with a chocolate cherry overtone and a solid, soft roastiness that lingers for a good amount of time. Palate is full and very smooth. Overall, a really nice, soft porter with lots of taste. Not the bold, in your face roast or hoppiness like some porters, but very well balanced and flavorful. Really good stuff.

This beer was a staple of mine back in my pre-ratebeer days. Damn I wish I would have come back sooner. The body is almost opaque black but the edges are ruby tinged. The head is a beuatiful pillow of dense mocha goodness. Glass lacing is also outstanding. The aroma is rich roasted choco-coffee malts. Big thick roasted malt flavor that doesn’t quit. The hops kick in about mid way through and help bring things to a wonderful close. Body is medium-full and very rich. Damn fine stuff!

Anchor Brewing has always been a favorite of mine. Going back when I first stared with their Liberty Ale and working my way up to Old Foghorn. It’d been awhile since I cracked open an Anchor Porter so I thought I’d give it a go. Pours out a rich, creamy thick tanish/brown head which stayed the course while drinking. Color of the beer is a deep chocolate brown color, with some light bubbles sticking to the sides. Flavor is dark chocolate, some roasted coffee, molasses and toffee. Flavors were more of the same with the nose but an added hop profile to keep it lively and interesting. This is an excellent example of what a porter can be. Drinkable, rich, smooth, and not overbearing in anyway. A near masterpiece from a phenomenal brewery.