7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Draft. Dark black beer with a big biege head. Roasted malt aroma. Roasty flavor with chocolate/molasses backing. Creamy mouthfeel. Nice and smooth. A very good porter.
Tried
from Draft
on 17 Aug 2004
at 10:28
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
BottlePours a very dark brown, with a modest head that fades to nothing fairy quickly. Very light lacing as well. Aroma is a nice dark rasted grain, some licorice and purple graps as well. The flavor is...well...is not there. Some smokey chared taste, with a touch or molassas and malt, but it is very faint. most of it is after a breath or two passes over the tounge. It is smooth, creamy and a bit heavy and rich. Just lacks any real bold flavor. A little of that smokey, char-coal aftertaste and very little hops haning around. Good but not great.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Aug 2004
at 02:38
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Dense barley wine with a light head, stongly roasted malt aroma, and a very intense bitter malty roasted flavour. Overall a good, good strong beer.
Tried
on 19 Jul 2004
at 18:49
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottle. Deep amber color with a big white head. Spicey hop aroma with some citrus and malt backing. Clean and refreshing. There’s some spiciness to it along with a nice crispness. It’s good, balanced, and yet not all that remarkable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jul 2004
at 22:38
5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
A yellow beer with a very beutiful huge creamy head. The aroma is sweet fruity with notes of flowers, hops, and grass. The flavor contains notes of honey, wheat, and hints of citrus on a sweet background. The sweetness lingers as the bitterness sets in. The mouthfeel is sweet, soft, and very nice for a summer beer.
Tried
on 04 Jul 2004
at 11:00
9.2/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
I have been drinking this beer for a few years now. As I opened the fridge to grab another bottle I realized that I have indeed been a doofus and have failed to rate this one yet. Understand that this is an established favorite I buy by the case to keep on hand. As such I cradled the little 7 oz brown bottle lovingly in my hands. The opener satisfied me with a gentle popping of the cap and lovely wafts of mist rose enticingly from the bottle. I poured this cloudy mahogany beauty into a nice glass with only the smallest of tan heads arising. The complex aroma of hops, caramel. molasses, and pear drifted lovingly to me as I brought the glass closer in my embrace. The taste - so thick - like a heavy syrup coated my tongue. At once I was washed over with a strong hop bitterness that lightly drifted in to sweet caramel and molasses. Again a hint of pear like acidity slipped into my subconscious senses. After lovingly swallowing this treasure the palate was warmed by a lingering caramel flavor that brought harmony and peace to the mouth.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Jun 2004
at 19:23
4.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 3
Texture 6
Overall 2.5
I have long been a fan of several Anchor products so It was with pleasure that I saw the arrival of the Summer Ale. Being in a bar at the time I had not the chance to check the rating of this beer, so as such I was pretty optimistic when the usual 12 oz brown anchor style bottle arrived. The brew poured out a light golden color which, given the style did not surprise me in the least. There was a faint wheat and lemon scent but certainly nothing special on the nose. As for the flavor let me first state that any citrus alluded to on the nose was completely lacking on the tongue. A taste, that I suppose was vaguely wheaty came through next only to be followed by the same aftertaste associated with your usual BMC brew. Ugggh. Oh Anchor, how you have failed us. Sigh. I guess I can always go back to my Liberty and Foghorn and remind myself that Anchor is capable of making some good brews to go with this swill.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jun 2004
at 15:08
5/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5
Draught
Lager color. Medium creamy white head. Sweet grassy hoppy aroma. Grassy hops dominate flavor with sweet firm malty body. Hoppy aftertaste is mild.
Lager color. Medium creamy white head. Sweet grassy hoppy aroma. Grassy hops dominate flavor with sweet firm malty body. Hoppy aftertaste is mild.
Tried
on 12 Jun 2004
at 10:38
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
1998 edition. This beer came in an absolutely huge 50.7 ounce bottle. It must have been designed for a little holiday "nightcap." The beer poured a deep red-brown, with a dense, persistent tan head that left nice lacing. Anise, vegetables, chocolate, and flowers pervaded the air above the glass. Aging has done wonders for the flavor- rather than the dominant anise and vegetable flavors that turned me off of the fresh 2003 and 2002 versions, the spices have mellowed out quite a bit, and underlying chocolate and coffee malt flavors are more prominent. Slightly tart body. The first vintage of this beer I’ve actually enjoyed.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Jun 2004
at 12:36
5.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
First time encountering this beer, but the experience was less than satisfying. Has a clear straw-colored body topped by a thin off-white head and a bitter hops aroma. The flavor is a very mediocre bitter, dry, cerealy affair with just a hint of sweetness. Very much like many macro-lagers. I can best describe the flavor as a "used and abused" dirtiness. Grassy. Not terrible but it does have fine company in the Budweisers and Millers that occupied nearby shelf space.
Tried
from Can
on 24 May 2004
at 00:48