Anchor Steam Beer

Pros: Awesome beer--must try
Cons: can't think of any

Steam beer is both an ale and a lager because it uses both top and bottom fermenting yeasts. This quality really comes out when tasted. It is carbonated and you can see bubbles but it is very malty and smooth lacking a lot of the bitterness associated...

Pros: Well-balanced, complex; I'd call this a wine drinker's beer.
Cons: Best had from the draft.

Much has been said in other reviews about Anchor Steam's unique method of production; it's essentially a lager brewed at temperatures more commonly associated with ales.

I don't know enough about beer making to say what effect this has on the taste and texture, but I can say a bit about them nonetheless. Anchor Steam has a very full but not sticky mouth-feel, with caramel and toffee malt dominating the flavor and a hoppiness that sneaks up on you at just the right moment, leaving a clean aftertaste. It's somehow rich and complex yet refreshing and neither heavy like a porter nor bitter like a pale ale, making it a beer for all seasons.

Anchor Steam is best had fresh, from the draft if you're fortunate enough to find it on tap; the malty notes fade as it sits, even when kept cool and dark.

Pros: great bottle, great complex taste, nice old-world americana look, full-bodied without being too heavy.
Cons: makes me want to drink too much

anchor steam is a great american tradition which thanks to gadzillionaire fritz maytag has been preserved for all of us to enjoy. anchor steam is certainly one of the top 5 american beers and the reason for the surge of microbrews in the past 10 years. it is incredible that anchor steam has been able to gain the popularity it has without "dumbing down" its product.