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Argonaut Collection: Flying Cloud San Francisco Stout
Anchor Brewing Company
- From:
- Anchor Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Foreign / Export Stout
- ABV:
- 7.4%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.94 | pDev: 10.66%
- Reviews:
- 64
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Nov 08, 2023
- Added:
- Jan 24, 2013
- Wants:
- 17
- Gots:
- 38
A Dublin-style brew made with English Maris Otter pale malt, two black malts, and flaked barley. Nugget and Golding hops provide a spicy, floral complement to the deep, dark-chocolaty maltiness and dry finish.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by DrBier:
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.66/5 rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.66/5 rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle at share. This one sneaks up on you, quite strong for a stout, subtle flavors, lots of aftertaste, and a bit of warmth. Mild chocolate and a dry finish.
Nov 08, 2023Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
3.86/5 rDev -2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.86/5 rDev -2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
355 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet Madla. ABV is 7.4%. Black colour, moderate but lasting tan head. Pleasant aroma of moderately roasted malts, hints of caramel, dark bread, wort and woodwork. Dry and roasty flavour, roast malts and coffee, hints of liquorice and dark bitter chocolate, moderate bittering hops in the finish. Nice beer.
Jul 19, 2022Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
4/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Unknown vintage; drank 10/9/15 @ the Yarchives.
Black appearance.
A rough pour yielded a HUGE dark tan head (careful pouring! ); frothy lace.
Red wine, black licorice & fresh earth notes in the nose.
Medium thick mouthfeel.
Red wine, fresh bread & black licorice flavors up front; fresh earth notes on the finish.
An interesting, enjoyable stout. I'd have another.
Mar 24, 2019Black appearance.
A rough pour yielded a HUGE dark tan head (careful pouring! ); frothy lace.
Red wine, black licorice & fresh earth notes in the nose.
Medium thick mouthfeel.
Red wine, fresh bread & black licorice flavors up front; fresh earth notes on the finish.
An interesting, enjoyable stout. I'd have another.
Reviewed by Libeertarian from Montana
4.18/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From notes taken 02/02/17:
Pitch black in glass, though clearly dark brown when tipping it back for a sip thins it out. Head is probably the darkest I have seen, so in head terms you might call it a “dark brown,” although it is more of a medium brown on an actual color spectrum. Quite lacey. I can tell it is thick and viscous from looking at it as it pours. To nose, roastiness and char, some toffee or cocoa sweetness. Even more chocolate to taste, dark. But even roastier than that, with some dark fruit tartness in the background. A little toffee and smoke in finish. Tobacco and burnt meat and booze in retro-olfaction. Full body, no question. Velvety and sloshy, with tingles on tip and edges of tongue, and cheeks. Very astringent but balanced out with sweeter, acidic flavors.
Feb 09, 2017Pitch black in glass, though clearly dark brown when tipping it back for a sip thins it out. Head is probably the darkest I have seen, so in head terms you might call it a “dark brown,” although it is more of a medium brown on an actual color spectrum. Quite lacey. I can tell it is thick and viscous from looking at it as it pours. To nose, roastiness and char, some toffee or cocoa sweetness. Even more chocolate to taste, dark. But even roastier than that, with some dark fruit tartness in the background. A little toffee and smoke in finish. Tobacco and burnt meat and booze in retro-olfaction. Full body, no question. Velvety and sloshy, with tingles on tip and edges of tongue, and cheeks. Very astringent but balanced out with sweeter, acidic flavors.
Reviewed by DovGibor from New York
3.97/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.97/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Picked up a four pack at a brewery tour in late Aug & noticed the bottle date was 1/14/16 (6JN); this tasting is on 1/9/17, roughly 1 year from bottling. If Anchor is selling this at the brewery 7 months old, I don't think they can take issue with my rating it at 12 months. It was enjoyable when I got it so thought it'd be worth an experiment.
Poured into a snifter. It's almost pitch black with the slightest blush of dark brown when held up to the light. Thin layer of brown head dissipates quickly to rim of bubbles. Aroma is lightly roasted malt with light caramel/toffee and a hint of chocolate. I detect no hops at 1yr.
Mouthfeel is rich for a moderate Abv stout. There is good body and light carbonation on the tongue. Taste is a decent balance of roast with a light malt sweetness to balance it out. There is spiciness that makes me think of rye, though probably comes from the other specialty malts used. The full, roasted flavor may have been accentuated by the age, and while that's not off-putting, it is more present than I expected.
Overall it's a good export stout. It probably didn't' improve with age but was still enjoyable. If I find it fresher I will revisit my review.
Jan 12, 2017Poured into a snifter. It's almost pitch black with the slightest blush of dark brown when held up to the light. Thin layer of brown head dissipates quickly to rim of bubbles. Aroma is lightly roasted malt with light caramel/toffee and a hint of chocolate. I detect no hops at 1yr.
Mouthfeel is rich for a moderate Abv stout. There is good body and light carbonation on the tongue. Taste is a decent balance of roast with a light malt sweetness to balance it out. There is spiciness that makes me think of rye, though probably comes from the other specialty malts used. The full, roasted flavor may have been accentuated by the age, and while that's not off-putting, it is more present than I expected.
Overall it's a good export stout. It probably didn't' improve with age but was still enjoyable. If I find it fresher I will revisit my review.
Reviewed by Harrison8 from Missouri
4.06/5 rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours an absolute black with a thick (2 1/2 cm) caramel colored head. Wonderful head retention. Lacing is dull and barely present. Aroma is spicy with notes of roasted and toasted malts, bread, and spicy floral hops. A sip brings in a dull pale, roasted malt quality, which never bolsters up or gets too loud. Additional flavor notes include chocolate, bread, and spicy, floral hops. Mouth feel is filling and velvety, with a bit of a fizzy, dry finish. Overall, it's a really fun dark beer. It finishes dry, which may be off putting for some, but otherwise it's a fun little brew with plenty going on.
Served in a 12oz snifter.
Jul 30, 2016Served in a 12oz snifter.
Reviewed by LMO1190 from Florida
3.86/5 rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.86/5 rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pitch Black with a tan head. Smells like cherries and roasted malts. Taste of cherries, vanilla, dark malts, sweetness. Smooth mouth feel, very taste clean.
Overall, This is a good clean beer.
Jul 22, 2016Overall, This is a good clean beer.
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts
4.08/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.08/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours near black where no light shines through. Beige head with many streaks from each sip.
Sweet with a barley wine aroma. No hop, but lots of cherry sweetness.
The taste is an extention of the smell. Deep sweet cherry with an unsweetened chocolate flavor. Thinnish body with a high carbonation level. Yet, this is a chewy beer. This is a bit of a cross between a sweet stout and a dry barley wine, or a dry stout and a sweet barley wine.
Jul 08, 2016Sweet with a barley wine aroma. No hop, but lots of cherry sweetness.
The taste is an extention of the smell. Deep sweet cherry with an unsweetened chocolate flavor. Thinnish body with a high carbonation level. Yet, this is a chewy beer. This is a bit of a cross between a sweet stout and a dry barley wine, or a dry stout and a sweet barley wine.
Argonaut Collection: Flying Cloud San Francisco Stout from Anchor Brewing Company
Beer rating:
88 out of
100 with
233 ratings
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