Full steam ahead...
Written: Jul 04 '00 (Updated Jul 04 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Rich flavor and nice creamy texture
Cons: Slightly narrow taste
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| PALWalrus's Full Review: Anchor Steam Beer |
Anchor Steam has a dear place in my memories. I was first exposed to this unique beer when visiting San Francisco in the late 1980's
and spent a lot of my time downtown visiting clubs and generally having a good time. I was really pleased to see that this beer seems to be more available locally and decided to relive some of the past with a six pack.
The bottle...
The bottle has been modernized and the shape has sloping shoulders, in New Zealand this type of design was called a stubby. The label is bold, with use of bright blue and gold coloring. The bottle design and coloring belies the heritage that this beer has. Being a bit of a traditionalist I would like to have seen the older style, but if that is what it takes to get it on the shelves locally I can live with it. It nice to see however that they had not gone as far as putting a twist top on it, make sure you have a bottle opener handy.
In the glass...
Having opened the bottle you immediately get aroma of rich malt and hops. There is another part to the nose, a sort of earthy burnt tinge that is really hard to describe, the best I can do is roasting chestnuts.
Pouring this beer is a treat the liquid is a beautiful burnt bronze color and the creamy beige head forms beautifully through the pour. The head is very solid and was present to the last drop, which in my case isn't very long.
In the mouth...
In the mouth the taste is immediate and initially intense. You get a very forward taste of hops and I feel that there is almost a roasted nut flavor there to, not chestnuts by this stage, but perhaps light hazel nut without the edge. Swirling the beer around the mouth you get a rich creamy smooth mouth feel which is extremely pleasant. Rather quickly however you become aware that the flavors are all in the back of the mouth. The back of the mouth was being treated to all these wonderful round flavors, you could almost hear the taste buds in the front of the mouth screaming out 'WHAT ABOUT ME!!!"
Parting shots...
The taste is long and smooth. The finish is not overly complex (actually my tasting notes say slightly narrow) or bitter, this beer doesn't mess about, it tells you what is has, it tells you quickly, clearly and often. There isn't a real bitter finish to encourage the swallow, but the back of the mouth feel is probably enough encouragement to swallow and drink again.
Anchors away...
This is a really nice drinking beer, but after tasting I think it goes very well with the right foods also. I had several bottles with a rich homemade chicken pie and the combination was very nice. I can happily recommend this beer as good to the last drop by itself or with richer foods. Full steam ahead friends...
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
PALWalrus
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Location: Alachua, FL
Reviews written: 87
Trusted by: 43 members
About Me:
Good food, fine wine and close friends...who could ask for anything more?
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