Our Barrel Ale
Anchor Brewing Company

 

On-tap @ John Brown Smokehouse in Long Island City, NY.

12 oz pour.

Deep ruby brown color, almost black. Good sized tan head that settles down to a thin ring that hugs the edges of the glass. Sweet, fruity aroma with plenty of complexity and layers. Cherry, raisin, caramel, cola and brown sugar. The whiskey barrel comes out much more in the flavor, but it is restrained and balanced. Finishes bitter with a little spicy kick from the whiskey.

This is a winner from Anchor. Full-flavored and complex yet light enough that it is easy to drink without feeling thin. Nicely done.

A beer that really opens up well as it warms up. Don't drink this one cold. Hope to see Anchor produce this one again.

 

I've tried a few beers from this ancient brewery which I need to revisit and review that were average if I remember, however this one stands out as my favorite offering from Anchor. Dark fruits, figs, raisins, dates, plums, and blackberries for days with that smack of Rye and oak. It tricks the brain into wanting to think it's a stout with it's dark characteristics, but it's something very different, in a good way. Extremely drinkable and smooth at 7.5% . I think why I'm a fan of the American Strong Ale is because it is so diverse in what it can be.

I aged this for a year & it was well worth the wait. Pours a clear deep brown with ruby highlights producing 2+ fingers of moderately lasting, frothy, tan head leaving rings, strings & streaks of sticky lace. Aroma is dark roasted/toasted malts, pumpernickel bread, wood, caramel, baked sweet potato, prunes, raisin, thin rye spice with faint dark cherry & cocoa. Aroma improves as beer warms with cocoa, wood & cherry coming forward. Taste is rich but watery with a nice balance of sweet & bitter with bitter leading the dance. Dark roast, burnt bread, burnt brown sugar, cocoa, wood, dark cherries & dark fruits leading the way with rye spice, whisky & caramel in the background. Aftertaste is bitter & lightly sweet. Mouthfeel is medium bodied (but thin for such robust flavor) with modeate carbonation, wet & sticky with a hint of warmth in the finish & aftertaste. Taste a little like a barrel aged hybrid of their Porter & Winter Wheat.

 

Looks like a porter. Smells like big vanilla and malty. Taste like bourbon, cherries, vanilla. Very malty. A nice spiciness come through as it warms up. I never heard of this beer before today. I didn't expect it to be this good. I would diffently get this one again!!!!

been hearing about this one for awhile now, so nice to finally try it. its unique as they go too, and real different from other anchor stuff. much darker than anticipated on the pour, with a short tan head and a real dense ruby to brown color, rich and viscous looking. smells like a old ale, some english yeast and a little tang, the oak is obvious, sweet and woody all the way, and a little more booze there than usually shows up in a beer at this strength. molasses, raisin, prune, fig, dried elderberry, bourbon, and caramel all come in during the flavor experience, whiskey first, hot and a little sweet, followed up nicely by all the dried fruit in this, seriously its like a trail mix in a glass. a bit more sweetness than it needs, but i like the english yeast going on, its not irrelevant here. basically no carbonation at all, it drinks nearly still, more barleywine in this aspect, not bad, just remarkable. not sure how long it spent it wood, and not sure what was previously housed in these barrels, but this is distinctive and interesting beer, even if i am not in love with it. lots of wood, and the malt is darker than many, giving it some cooked sort of depth. layered and strong, this warms up well. cool stuff from anchor, glad i finally got to have one...

 

Type: 12-oz. bottle
Glass: Karl Strauss 26th anniversary tulip glass
From: Bine & Vine in Normal Heights (San Diego), Calif.
Price: $3.15 (10 pct. off for 6-pack deal)
Purchased: May 4, 2016
Consumed: May 19, 2016
Misc.: Bottled on Sept. 15, 2015

Have had eight Anchor beers and not sure I’ve been impressed with any. This one, however, had me excited. Not only is it a style I usually enjoy, but most beer critics like it as well. Probably served it too cold.

Poured a very dark mahogany color with 2-to-3 fingers of frothy, tan head. Above average-to-good lacing. Good retention. (Sight - 4.00)

Smelled woody notes, sweet caramel (sweet potato too?), toffee, smooth whiskey, spicy rye, spoiled dark plums, raisins and hints of brown sugar. Anchor’s Porter still is on the mind, but there are some similarities. Somewhere between an American Strong Ale and an American Barleywine to me on the nose. (Smell - 4.00)

Taste followed the nose nicely, maybe even better. Got rye whiskey, oaky wood, sticky toffee, sweet caramel, plum juice, raisins, hints of cherrywood, bourbon and cocoa. (Taste - 4.00)

Medium body. Sticky texture. Average carbonation. Long, boozy, slightly warming finish. (Feel - 4.00)

This was the best Anchor beer that I ever had, but that’s not saying much. I feel like I overrated this one a tad, but I did enjoy it. Still somewhere in between an American Strong Ale and an American Barleywine. (Overall - 4.00)

4.00 | 90 | A-

 

Been wanting to try this one FOREVER. Got lucky and picked up two at Total Wine in Spokane. Pours nearly walnut brown with good clarity and khaki head.... Nice barrel notes nod politely toward the rye whiskey... caramel maltiness with plenty of dry toastiness is balanced perfectly by the whiskey and wood... subtle dried cherry essence with warmth... This one exceeded my lofty expectations.

4/4.25/4.25/4.25/4.25

Anchor Barrel Ale has a thick, spongy, beige head, a dark, reddish-brown appearance, and a touch of lacing left behind. Aroma is of dark malt, brown bread, black cherry, and oak whiskey barrel. Taste is of all that, with brown bread crust, and moderate bitterness. The alcohol level is more subvert, than overt. Mouthfeel is high medium and velvety, and Anchor Barrel Ale finishes wet and rich.

RJT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From a Growler bought at Liquor Shed in Casper.

2 finger head of foam sitting on a pitch black brew. Off white it tis, long lasting it tis, leaving some nice lacing it does.

Our Special Ale nose intact with a small hint of oak. In other words, some spice and a strong malt backbone.

Malty, roasty, mild but there spices, milder oak presence that works for me. By no means too sweet. .like I said, this maintains the qualities of the base beer remarkably well.

Medium for both body and carbonation.

This is a real treat! I'm glad I bought a Growler and not a Howler.

 

 

 

Smooth but boring. I get dry cocoa and sweet caramel, a little booziness, a hint of smoke, but this beer's character is too small for the potential of an 8% barrel-aged beer.