Another game in San Francisco means another great BOTG from Anchor Brewing. This time I chose the venerable Anchor Porter to help me #rootrootdrink my Astros to victory. Let’s get straight to the brewer’s PR from the website. Heck, it’s my favorite part of my blog. Full disclosure: It’s my favorite part because it’s the easiest part. Any fool can cut and paste. It takes a really amazing blogger to link to the original content and put the info in italics. So here ya go.
With deep black color, a thick, creamy head, rich chocolate, toffee and coffee flavors, and full-bodied smoothness, Anchor Porter® is the epitome of a handcrafted dark beer.
A blend of specially roasted pale, caramel, chocolate, and black malts, along with our top-fermenting yeast, creates complexity without bitterness. The brew is hopped at a high rate, and naturally carbonated. The result is dark in the glass, but surprisingly light on the palate.
Anchor Porter® became the first modern American porter when it was introduced in 1972. As we celebrate its 40th anniversary, our porter continues to reward those who look beyond its intimidating appearance to discover its smooth, full-bodied drinkability. Anchor Porter® is the definitive American Porter.
There’s something about Anchor’s labels that I love. They are complex, but not busy. They have a vintage vibe that the hipster in me really digs.
Ok here’s the deal. The Astros are getting absolutely killed right now. It’s 10-0 in the 5th and we are getting no-hit. I am pissed off. My wife loves this style of beer. Therefore, she is going to take the computer away from me and review this beer all by herself. Loyal readers, meet Jennifer. Jennifer, meet both of my loyal readers.
From the pour you can clearly see this is a DARK BEER! My wife likes DARK BEER! How cool is she?
Beer Review:
Hi everyone! *waves* The caption of the picture is 100% correct. My favorite styles of beer are porters and stouts, so when Jeff said we needed to pick an Anchor brew for the BOTG today, I knew it had to be this Anchor Porter.
As he poured it up, it didn’t look like there would be much of a head. But with the last rush of liquid, a nice 2 finger, cappuccino-colored head formed at the top of the glass. The beer was practically black with very little light showing through.
I’m not the best when it comes to identifying smells, but (to me) most porters I’ve had have a similar heavy aroma. However, the Anchor Porter was very different. It smelled lighter, almost fruity. I smelled a bit of chocolate, but I was mostly thinking how…different it smelled compared to other porters.
After the first sip, I think I said, “It tastes fizzy.” I could taste a dark fruity flavor — maybe black cherry — right off the bat. I also tasted a bit of chocolate, but there was no coffee flavor like I was expecting from a porter. I took another sip because I was so surprised by the unique flavor. As it warmed, the “fizzy” mouthfeel mellowed, and the dark cherry flavor seemed more pronounced. It finished with a slightly bittersweet flavor.
Although it was different from what I expected, I really enjoyed the taste of the Anchor Porter. The smell and flavor give it a unique flavor that sets it apart from the pack, and I will definitely have another! I would give this beer a Triple.
Astros Review:
Matt Cain is perfect through 8. I’m staying up to see history in the making. And by that I mean an 11 run comeback in the 9th for my Astros.
*UPDATE* Matt Cain just threw a perfect game against my Astros. I am not going to sleep well tonight. My god.
Go ‘Stros.
