Old Foghorn | Anchor Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Anchor Brewing Company
California, United States
anchorbrewing.com
Style: British Barleywine
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 10.00%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Old Foghorn® is brewed based on historic English barleywine methods. It is highly hopped, fermented with a true top-fermenting ale yeast, carbonated by a natural process called "bunging" to produce champagne-like bubbles, and dry-hopped with additional Cascade hops while it ages in our cellars. Made only from “first wort,” the rich first runnings of an all-malt mash, three mashes are required to produce just one barleywine brew.
ABV varies slightly over the years.
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers
Ratings: 2,019 | Reviews: 1,081
3.25/5 rDev -17.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.99/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Look: Beautiful dark amber, tan foamy head (but it's a barleywine, so expected). Bottle is classic Anchor style, not the best I've seen, but a lot better than the worst.
Smell: Vanilla (particularly when smelled from the bottle), malt, dried fruit, some alcohol... Probably some Old World hops but don't take me very seriously here. Beautiful.
Taste: whoah, this is one bold beer. Vanilla is the first taste to come, with raisins and plum after. Good malty base, almost plum-cake like, the sort with insane amounts of butter in the dough and rum-soaked raisins (it may be old fashioned but it's solid as hell). Hop bitterness to balance the aftertaste. Rubbing alcohol is definitely present, perhaps a bit of clove. Beer in big capital letters.
Feel: Creamy and chewy, with just enough carbonation to keep things from being too cloying. Still, this is a heavy drink.
Overall: English Barley Wine as it should be. Drink with care, if possible in a comfy chair.
959 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Look: Beautiful dark amber, tan foamy head (but it's a barleywine, so expected). Bottle is classic Anchor style, not the best I've seen, but a lot better than the worst.
Smell: Vanilla (particularly when smelled from the bottle), malt, dried fruit, some alcohol... Probably some Old World hops but don't take me very seriously here. Beautiful.
Taste: whoah, this is one bold beer. Vanilla is the first taste to come, with raisins and plum after. Good malty base, almost plum-cake like, the sort with insane amounts of butter in the dough and rum-soaked raisins (it may be old fashioned but it's solid as hell). Hop bitterness to balance the aftertaste. Rubbing alcohol is definitely present, perhaps a bit of clove. Beer in big capital letters.
Feel: Creamy and chewy, with just enough carbonation to keep things from being too cloying. Still, this is a heavy drink.
Overall: English Barley Wine as it should be. Drink with care, if possible in a comfy chair.
959 characters
4.01/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.25/5 rDev -17.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
4.36/5 rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from fridge temp. Pours a dark red with surprisingly little head. This bottle was best before March 2018, so it has likely been aged for a couple of years. Nose is amazing. Nice plum, fig, toffee, candy sweetness, and some earthy notes. This is an extremely nice smelling barleywine. Taste is also fantastic. Definitely a good amount of plum, grape, raisin, fig, walnuts, oak, caramel, and a bit of hop bitterness. This is outstanding stuff. The bitter aftertaste is interesting. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and a bit dry. Overall, really nice beer.
555 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from fridge temp. Pours a dark red with surprisingly little head. This bottle was best before March 2018, so it has likely been aged for a couple of years. Nose is amazing. Nice plum, fig, toffee, candy sweetness, and some earthy notes. This is an extremely nice smelling barleywine. Taste is also fantastic. Definitely a good amount of plum, grape, raisin, fig, walnuts, oak, caramel, and a bit of hop bitterness. This is outstanding stuff. The bitter aftertaste is interesting. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and a bit dry. Overall, really nice beer.
555 characters
3.85/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: murky, muddy brown, but when held to the light it looks fairly clear and a kind of ruby color; thick, creamy tan head
Aroma: dark fruit sweetness; molasses; nice, big grain bill; bready; vanilla
Taste: this is pretty sweet; there is some great dark fruit flavors up front-plum, cherry, fig; very subtle licorice sneaks in there too; moves into some nice malty, bready, grainy flavors in the middle; ends with a touch of hops and a fairly strong grape flavor; aftertaste is fruity, sweet, and wet
Mouthfeel: medium-bodied; slightly juicy; on the thinner side; perfect carbonation
Overall Impression: a nice barleywine; a little too sweet in my opinion, but very smooth and drinkable nonetheless; not the best barleywine around, but certainly worth picking up; I think I’ll cellar the other one for a bit and see what happens to it
From notes taken on 11/7/2013
878 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: murky, muddy brown, but when held to the light it looks fairly clear and a kind of ruby color; thick, creamy tan head
Aroma: dark fruit sweetness; molasses; nice, big grain bill; bready; vanilla
Taste: this is pretty sweet; there is some great dark fruit flavors up front-plum, cherry, fig; very subtle licorice sneaks in there too; moves into some nice malty, bready, grainy flavors in the middle; ends with a touch of hops and a fairly strong grape flavor; aftertaste is fruity, sweet, and wet
Mouthfeel: medium-bodied; slightly juicy; on the thinner side; perfect carbonation
Overall Impression: a nice barleywine; a little too sweet in my opinion, but very smooth and drinkable nonetheless; not the best barleywine around, but certainly worth picking up; I think I’ll cellar the other one for a bit and see what happens to it
From notes taken on 11/7/2013
878 characters
4.8/5 rDev +22.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
this beer pours a rich mahogany with a large head. The aroma is gorgeously rich, with notes of honey, banana bread, cinnamon, pine, mint, red malt, brown sugar, toffee, apricot, cumin, chutney, caramelized onion, and creamy tea. The flavor is gorgeously sweet, with notes of of golden raisin, toffee, brown sugar, black tea, caramelized onion, bubblegum, pine, cedar, and dried apricot. The mouthfeel is fairly thick with rather mild, dissipating carbonation. Overall this is a fantastic beer - complex but extremely well harmonized, the individual flavor take a lot of picking out, not because they are indistinct, but because this is really a creation of the whole.
668 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
this beer pours a rich mahogany with a large head. The aroma is gorgeously rich, with notes of honey, banana bread, cinnamon, pine, mint, red malt, brown sugar, toffee, apricot, cumin, chutney, caramelized onion, and creamy tea. The flavor is gorgeously sweet, with notes of of golden raisin, toffee, brown sugar, black tea, caramelized onion, bubblegum, pine, cedar, and dried apricot. The mouthfeel is fairly thick with rather mild, dissipating carbonation. Overall this is a fantastic beer - complex but extremely well harmonized, the individual flavor take a lot of picking out, not because they are indistinct, but because this is really a creation of the whole.
668 characters
3.75/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.74/5 rDev +20.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Quite exceptional. This beer takes a while to adapt to but it really is a nicely balanced Barleywine. For English style its not as sweet as some others, but provides a little more hops and a little more of that leathery, old tastes and aroma. Old Foghorn is a perfect name for a beer that gives off that vibe of a hermit sitting in a cold lighthouse at night drinking a big beer like this.
391 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Quite exceptional. This beer takes a while to adapt to but it really is a nicely balanced Barleywine. For English style its not as sweet as some others, but provides a little more hops and a little more of that leathery, old tastes and aroma. Old Foghorn is a perfect name for a beer that gives off that vibe of a hermit sitting in a cold lighthouse at night drinking a big beer like this.
391 characters
3.61/5 rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
2013 vintage reviewed December 2017.
Aroma - syrupy sweet malt, insanely rich. Plum flesh ester is medium high, low creamy vanilla character, very faint herbal hop, slight hint of paper, not very complex but quite inviting.
Flavor - Fairly refined sherry character dominates, thin molasses malt character is medium high and allows just a touch of herbal\ blackcurrant hop to show through before a papery finish. A little solvent alcohol is discernible but very slight on the palate.
MF - medium-full, pleasantly grippy but undercut by oiliness from alcohol, and general thin oxidized character.
Overall- O2 was not very kind to this 4-5 year old beer and the alcohol still needles it slightly. Overall pretty pleasant to drink but not a memorable aged strong ale.
APP - deep ruby beer with slight haze and a low tan head the persists. Thick legs.
857 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
2013 vintage reviewed December 2017.
Aroma - syrupy sweet malt, insanely rich. Plum flesh ester is medium high, low creamy vanilla character, very faint herbal hop, slight hint of paper, not very complex but quite inviting.
Flavor - Fairly refined sherry character dominates, thin molasses malt character is medium high and allows just a touch of herbal\ blackcurrant hop to show through before a papery finish. A little solvent alcohol is discernible but very slight on the palate.
MF - medium-full, pleasantly grippy but undercut by oiliness from alcohol, and general thin oxidized character.
Overall- O2 was not very kind to this 4-5 year old beer and the alcohol still needles it slightly. Overall pretty pleasant to drink but not a memorable aged strong ale.
APP - deep ruby beer with slight haze and a low tan head the persists. Thick legs.
857 characters
3.5/5 rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.34/5 rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.73/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
12 oz bottle served in a goblet.
Hazy copper colored body with a decent head and a bit of sediment.
Partially hidden alcohol.
Lightly sweet, Medium-light body and carbonation.
178 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
12 oz bottle served in a goblet.
Hazy copper colored body with a decent head and a bit of sediment.
Partially hidden alcohol.
Lightly sweet, Medium-light body and carbonation.
178 characters
4.21/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.09/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Bottle poured into snifter
Two finger light brown creamy foam cap settles to islands of foam , dark tea appearance
Aroma of dark fruits , raisins, whiff of spiciness
Taste of dark fruit ,
Smooth but I feel the alcohol
Good beer
235 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Bottle poured into snifter
Two finger light brown creamy foam cap settles to islands of foam , dark tea appearance
Aroma of dark fruits , raisins, whiff of spiciness
Taste of dark fruit ,
Smooth but I feel the alcohol
Good beer
235 characters
3.74/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Amber - red colour, medium off white head with medium retention. Nice lace.
Aroma of raisins, red fruits, chocolate notes, dough,
Medium to full body, creamy nutty rexture. Medium carbonation..Dry finish, hops are noticed.
Taste of red fruits, chocolate, licorice, caramel, nuts, wine.
Good barley, though I'd like them stronger.
329 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Amber - red colour, medium off white head with medium retention. Nice lace.
Aroma of raisins, red fruits, chocolate notes, dough,
Medium to full body, creamy nutty rexture. Medium carbonation..Dry finish, hops are noticed.
Taste of red fruits, chocolate, licorice, caramel, nuts, wine.
Good barley, though I'd like them stronger.
329 characters
3.89/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Old Foghorn from Anchor Brewing Company
Beer rating:
3.92 out of
5 with
2,019 ratings
0 characters. We love reviews! Turn your rating into one with ≥ 150 characters.
Explain why you're giving this rating. Your review must discuss the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) and your overall impression in order to indicate that you have legitimately tried the beer. Nonconstructive reviews may be removed without notice and action may be taken on your account.