Zymaster Series No. 6: Saaremaa Island Ale
Anchor Brewing Company

Zymaster Series No. 6: Saaremaa Island AleZymaster Series No. 6: Saaremaa Island Ale
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From:
Anchor Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
American Pale Ale
ABV:
6%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.7 | pDev: 11.08%
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
75
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 08, 2023
Added:
May 05, 2014
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  8
No description / notes.
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Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.88/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Bottle at share. Dark orange copper with moderate fluffy white head. Malty, fruity aroma, light fruit taste (oranges), silky mouth feel, slightly viscous.
Nov 08, 2023
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.91/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Anchor Brewing Co. "Anchor Brewing Zymaster Series No.6 Saaremaa Island Ale"
22 fl. oz. brown glass bottle, coded "4LG"
$5.99 @ Roger Wilco, Pennsauken, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: So this beer has been in the cellar for 3 plus years? I didn't realize it was that old. How strong is it? 6% ABV, that's not too strong, let's hope it's still OK. It's poured a mainly clear deep golden body with a bit of an orange sheen beneath a short head of creamy off-white foam. The aroma expresses sweetish grainy malt and some lightly candyish and softly spicy notes. I don't think there are any hops present. The flavor follows the aroma but much fuller. It's malty and sweetish but there's also a light touch of acidity to it as well. The clove is clearer to be sure, and there is a touch of grassiness in the mildly bitter, semi-sweet finish. Ahh, there's some very light Ceylon mace as well. I don't find it oxidized as in "cardboard" and "paper" but I think it has emphasized the malt a little bit. There's a light caramel edge to it that I'm not sure was there in the first place. It's interesting, but kind of one-sided. That's not to say that I couldn't sit down and have a few of these if I was in Estonia, or specifically, Saaremaa Island. And wow, looking at a map now I had no idea that it was so close to St. Petersburg. When I eventually make it to Russia I'll have to stop in Estonia and Latvia first, maybe even Lithuania. Looking back there's no lacing left behind, and I did notice that the head had dropped fairly quickly. It's medium bodied and gently crisp then smooth with a moderate carbonation. Overall a very nice quaff with some interesting character and I wish I'd gotten to this sooner.
Oct 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4.15 by Bunuelian from Minnesota

May 27, 2017
 
Rated: 3.69 by mrfrancis from Kentucky

Apr 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by SSGCujo from Wisconsin

Jul 12, 2016
 
Rated: 3.56 by BubbleBobble from New York

Jul 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3.88 by OtisCampbell007 from Tennessee

Nov 09, 2015
 
Rated: 2.85 by brbrocc from New York

Oct 25, 2015
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

3.43/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle. Poured out a clear, golden orange color with a small, off-white head of foam. It smelled very floral and citrusy. Sweet caramel, odd bitterness and a citrus.
Sep 20, 2015
Photo of HopsAreDaMan
Reviewed by HopsAreDaMan from Missouri

2.29/5  rDev -38.1%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25
22oz; Forsyth W&CP; bought 08-2015; bottled in 2014?; I bought this on sale, as it was a little old. Right away, I could see it was not a beer I would care for, as the aroma and the look seems similar like a typical, commercially made lager (although the aroma is nice and strong). I get some fruit in the flavor, and some malt, but again, it reminds me of a typical lager.
Aug 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.83 by LakerLeith from California

Jul 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.17 by Rick778 from California

Jun 18, 2015
Photo of flagmantho
Reviewed by flagmantho from Washington

3.74/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured from 22oz bottle into a clear mug.

Appearance: medium golden hue with a light haze and a pretty strong effervescence. Head poured a very thin layer of white foam. Not too bad.

Smell: very sweet indeed with just a hint of hops. It reminds me in many ways of a strong lager, if anything.

Taste: hard to call this one an "American pale ale", other than the fact that it happens to have been made in America. The taste strongly reminds me of a sweet European pale lager, but with a very nice (yet subtle) hop finish. A bizarre beer, but not a bad one.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation and a pretty good creaminess. Not bad.

Overall: I like the craziness behind this beer. It doesn't read APA to me, but that aside it's incredibly drinkable. Too bad they don't still make the stuff.
Jun 11, 2015
 
Rated: 3.73 by SaisonRichBiere from Michigan

Jun 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.6 by Bp123 from California

Apr 16, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by jgunther71 from Illinois

Mar 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.16 by kgmm77 from England

Mar 13, 2015
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
BOTTLE: 1 pint 6 fl oz. Brown glass. Branded iconic red & gold pry-off pressure cap.

Acquired: At an Austin, TX bottle shop.

Reviewed live at low altitude in Austin, TX. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Vintage: 2014. Batch 4LG.
ABV: 6.0%.
Style: Saaremaa Island Ale. Wild Indigenous Pale Ale.
Serving temp: Cold.
Serving vessel: Goblet.
Expectations: Above average given the brewery.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: ~1/4 inch. White colour. Fair creaminess, fullness, and thickness. Leaves no lacing as it recedes.

Retention: Poor. ~25 seconds.

BODY: Translucent transparent copper-orange of above average vibrance. Clean; no yeast particulate or hop sediment is visible.

Overall, it's a generally appealing pale ale. Not unique or special.

AROMA: Biscuit malt, graham cracker, indistinct fruit, marmalade, honey malt, pale malt, mild floral hop character, some caramalt, and surprising malt sweetness given this is meant to be a pale ale. Strangely, the emphasis is definitely on malts rather than hops, but it works. Hints of cedar wood and overripe orange. The cedar is fantastic, and incredibly evocative.

I can't decide if the hopping is English in character or just really dialed down, but I like it. I don't notice any yeasty oddities; I wouldn't know this was an obscure Estonian-style brew if I tried it blind, but there's definitely something different about it that I lack the faculty to put my finger on.

Aromatic intensity is average. The cedar and the honey stand out most.

TASTE: Honey malt and cedar, definitely. Pale malts, mild malty sweetness, and some floral hop character. A kiss of indistinct spice. Yeast-derived banana. Pear. Hints of breadiness. A kiss of orange. The third act is redolent briefly of apple juice. As it warms, some clove and allspice emerge, but the spice profile never comes off Christmasy.

Depth of flavour: Average.
Flavour duration: Average.
Flavour intensity: Average.
Flavour amplitude: Average.

Not a real complex or intricate brew, but it does have some modest subtlety. The cedar wood and honey malt really make it interesting, but it's not unique. An off-kilter brew with interesting elements and nice balance. It's cohesive but not gestalt. I do like it, but it's not easy to peg as a specific style. There's ample room for improvement, and it does have a strange raw sweetness for a pale ale of any variety, but it just works. I do like it, but it has ample room for improvement.

TEXTURE: Direly overcarbonated, tanking the drinkability. Smooth, wet, fairly refreshing, medium-bodied, clean, and somewhat crisp. Thickness, heft, and weight on the palate are average. Overall presence on the palate is decent. Has nice softness.

Not oily, gushed, hot, boozy, astringent, harsh, rough, or scratchy.

This mouthfeel fails to elevate the beer and doesn't really accentuate any specific notes, but it complements the taste nicely.

OVERALL: Fans of cedar and honey malt sweetness will have a field day, but those drinkers in search of a well executed pale ale will be left scratching their heads. This is odd, but it has nothing to do with the purportedly unique Estonian islandic yeast. It's just a sweet pale ale with some really interesting elements. Not a world class brew, but certainly worth trying - especially at its reasonable price point. I always applaud experimentation, and in spite of its flaws, this works. I'd like to see this thrown out in 6 packs, but I'm not sure I'd want to buy it again. If anything, it tastes most like a honeyed Munich lager with the estery character of an ale and a hint of Belgian-esque yeast. I'm glad this is on the market, but it's far from world class. It's nice to see Anchor isn't too shackled to ostensible tradition.

High C+ (3.23)
Mar 13, 2015
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 8/18/2014. Listed as 7.2% on the bottle. Pours crystal clear deep golden color with a 2 finger dense white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Slight spotty lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of pear, apple, white grape, apricot, banana, clove, pepper, honey, biscuit, herbal, wood, grass, and herbal/yeast earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance of fruity/spicy yeast, earthy hops, and bready malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of big pear, apple, white grape, apricot, banana, clove, pepper, light caramel, honey, toasted biscuit, herbal, wood, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate earthy herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of pear, apple, white grape, apricot, banana, clove, pepper, honey, toasted biscuit, wood, grass, and herbal/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice robustness, balance, and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, earthy hops, and bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, crisp, and lightly sticky/bready mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very nice and unique pale ale style. All around good robustness, complexity, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, earthy hops, and bready malt flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink for the ABV. It feels like a cross between an English pale ale and a German Kristallweizen to me. A nicely enjoyable offering.
Mar 07, 2015
Photo of Tiernan
Reviewed by Tiernan from Texas

2.52/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Served from tap into a tulip glass.
Look- Very light golden hue with a small amount of lacing.
Smell- Maybe it was a bad keg, but this beer smelled awful. Strong scent of soap and a residual stink I find hard to explain.
Taste- Light. Simple. Straw. I don't know what else to say here, this tastes like a light lager and I'm only wondering why I was served 8oz in a tulip glass for a price I would normally pay for a good pint.
Feel- Bubbly. Smooth. Light.
Feb 25, 2015
Zymaster Series No. 6: Saaremaa Island Ale from Anchor Brewing Company
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 75 ratings