God Bless Fritz Maytag
Written: Jan 20 '05 (Updated Oct 26 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: An all-around complex flavorful brew.
Cons: I didn't brew it myself
The Bottom Line: Drop Anchor and let off some steam. There's probably a six-pack at your local grocer waiting for you.
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| moocey's Full Review: Anchor Steam Beer |
A short history of my experience with Anchor Steam:
I need to start this review by saying that I live in Alabama - NOT a haven for craft beer drinkers and certainly not a place to find much other than what Budweiser Miller and Coors advertises. Sure, there are a lot of skunked, green-bottled imports and wannabe craft brews that are unremarkable and bland, but very few high-quality craft brews make it to Auburn, Alabama. Anchor Steam is one of them.
I'm sure you already know this if you've read some of the other reviews of Anchor Steam here, but California's Anchor Brewing is one of the pioneers of American craft brewing. They're the granddaddy of all micros. Because of Fritz Maytag and Anchor's grand total of 50 employees I can go to any grocery store in town and have one more good beer to choose from.
Anchor Steam Beer is of the "California Common" style. This means it's brewed with lager yeast at ale temperatures. It took me a while to try this beer, because I was under the impression that lagers were bland and boring. I was quite mistaken.
Aroma - This is one of those beers where the aroma hits you immediately upon uncapping. Boom! Fresh malty aroma and a hint of spicy hops smack you upon the nose like a silent ninja!
And the beer is still in the bottle!
Appearance - Anchor Steam pours an average clear reddish amber color - just what you'd expect from an all-malt brew. The color is the only thing average about this beer. Watch out when pouring this beer into your pint or it will be foaming over onto your hand. Huge head that lasts and lasts.
Taste - This is going to be kind of difficult because there is just so much flavor going on here, and I notice a couple of strange things about it no matter how many times I drink it. I can't put my finger on a beginning, middle, or end of the flavor profile of this beer - it can taste different to me from sip to sip. From the beginning there's ever-present, caramel-like maltyness combined with a sharp, spicy bitterness from the hops that linger on in the finish. There are vaguely lemony, salty esters that I can't quite figure out if I'm actually tasting or simply imagining, yet they seem to show up every sip. Thick, creamy mouthfeel with a decent amount of carbonation... I can analyze the flavor of this beer to death if I want, or I can just turn off my brain and enjoy it. Either way it's delicious!
If you're someone who's just getting into beer or someone who usually drinks adjunct-laden lagers and is looking to expand their horizons, this is a brew to start with. It's extremely flavorful but not terribly intense. There might be more bitterness than you're used to tasting, and that's part of the overall experience of beer.
It may cost more than some other beers, but it's not expensive. When you see the eight dollar per six-pack price tag, think about how much you'd be paying for a pint of Budweiser at your local bar. Then compare that to how much it costs for six Anchor Steam beers. Drink up!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
moocey
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Location: Alabama
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 7 members
About Me:
I try any new beer I can get my hands on.
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