Anchor Strong Beer
DCSL Breweries Lanka Limited

What with today being the occasion of New Beer Sunday (Week 654), I have decided to go with an homage to the now-defunct Lauzus Hotel & Bar here in Lancaster, PA. I was vaguely aware of their eclectic selection of imported & foreign beers growing up, but they were prohibitively expensive for us underage beer drinkers. It wasn't until after my first overseas deployment in the Navy & my exposure to Chimay that I got hip to going in there while home on leave or weekends. This CAN came courtesy of my local, in-person trader, tone77.

From the CAN: "European Tradition [-] International Premium Quality"; "Smooth Tasting Strong Beer"; "Anchor Strong Beer is 'Cold Filtered' to give you a smooth way to drink, quality beer that is fuller and stronger in taste."

I was anxious to CANduct the Crack! & gentle Glug, despite what tone77 had to say about it. A vigorous in-glass swirl raised two fingers of foamy, soapy, bone-white head with low retention. Color was Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9) with NE-plus quality clarity. Nose was plastics, metal shavings, green apples & sour, green grapes. Ugh. I gotta agree with tone77 on this one. Mouthfeel was thin-to-medium, just above the watery line. The taste followed the nose. It had not redeeming qualities unless you like inappropriately sour beers. I get what he was saying about green apples, but I got more of a pronounced sour grapey-ness and how they managed a metallic twang in a lined CAN is beyond me. Oof. He must have been desperate on his visit to drink this. Finish was sharp, sour, metallic and semi-sweet overall, indicative of its high-gravity beginnings. A real one-and-done.

I'm here in Sri Lanka, and ready to try yet another beer that is 8.8% abv. Poured from an 11.2 oz. can. Has a dark golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of green apples. Taste is more metals than the scrapyard up the street. Alcohol is not hidden at all. Feels yuck in the mouth and overall is a sorry beer.