Zymaster Series No. 8: Luxardo Cherry Ale
Anchor Brewing Company

 

 

500ml bottle into tulip.

A: Pours a hazy woody brown with a thick and dense tan head that slowly faded into a fuzzy collar that lasted the whole beer through. Wispy streaks of lace.
S: Caramel, toast, biscuit, mixed with hints of sweet cherry. Gives off a cough syrup type of cherry quality.
T: Bread crust and toast up front, nutty and cola flavor next, slight leather, caramel, and spice near the finish, lightly earthy aftertaste with a touch of bitterness mixed with a lingering cherry juice presence. Overall tastes a bit like a spicier, more bitter cherry Coke. Not as much cherry flavor. The light cherry aspect compliments the malt flavors without being overpowering.
M: Medium-full body, creamy carbonation, soft and smooth mouthfeel. Drinks well, not cloying at all. Good balance of spice.
O: Nice hint of cherry without being overbearing. Similar to a Luxardo cherry. While not my favorite style, this was executed well. Malty beer lovers should check it out.

There's a distinct red tint to this amber brew. Lots of foam clinging to the Crooked Line tulip. The fruit aroma is quite intoxicating, though it's more subtle in the flavor. Sudsy and rich mouthfeel but just slightly sweet.

Interesting sweet cherry taste, but it's not like the usual Belgian cherry brews, much less the many sour cherry beers that smack of pie. Warm and malty with a woody edge. Caramel and coffee cake with a tang. More fruit in the aftertaste makes it very friendly to drink. Poured from the 22 oz bottle purchased at Bottlecraft on India St.

 

anchor is polarizing, at least a lot of their stuff is, i think, because of their yeast. it almost seems like an english strain fermented a little too warm in many of their beers. most of the time i really like it, but i can see why others might not, or comment on some unpleasant commonality across the board. i think it works with a lot of the grain bills they compile, and this latest zymaster series beer is no exception. its beautifully malty, and i think the yeast and the fermentation temperatures both flatter it. make it more unique tasting than it might otherwise be. the cherry here is really subtle, lending a red fruit sweetness to an already sweeter brew, and giving just the slightest tartness right before the finish. i think it comes in nice waves, with the fruit near the end, and i think its rather drinkable for what it is, but if you take the cherry out, i think you end up with something quite similar to the rest of the anchor portfolio. i love these guys, always will, but i dont think this passes for innovative, at least not enough for me. i know they are capable of doing a little more with this series, and while i have enjoyed all the beers in it so far, i think it has not yet reached its full potential, this beer included.

 

 

I'm not getting any cherry presence at all. Mostly caramel malt. Not bad.

 

 

 

 

Bottled 4/24/15.

Pours a hazy reddish-orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Thin streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, caramel, candied fruit, and fruit juice aromas. Taste is much the same with slightly tart toast, caramel, candied fruit, and cherry juice flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of earth bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with definite fruit aspects, but I am only getting distinct cherry as a juice like flavor.

Serving type: bottle.

Bottled on April 24th, 2015.

L - An agressive pour into a small snifter yields one finger of sand-colored foam that quickly dissipates to a thin cap atop a deep, completely clear, brilliant brownish-red beer. Moderate head retention in the form of a thick ring along the edge of the glass leaves a few webs of lacing on the drink down. A vigorous swirl quickly stirs up a nice lively head again. Beautiful to look at

S - Toasted, nutty caramel malts with mild notes of cherry tannin. Toasted bread, dark fruits, cherry bark, and clean ale yeast.

T - A mildly tart and tannic cherry flavor up front quickly gives way to the toasted, bready malt backbone that the aroma promised. The finish is only slightly dry, and very clean, leaving the faintest cherry flavor lingering on the palate.

F - The texture is nice. Medium-full and a bit slick. The carbonation is moderately high, but isn't too aggressive.

O - I enjoyed this beer quite a bit. The finish is a tad thinner than I would have liked, but it is an incredibly drinkable "flavored" beer. The cherry element is mellow and nicely integrated, and it actually resembles the fresh fruit the beer was brewed with. Definitely worth a try.