Dark Anchor
Heavy Seas Beer

Dark AnchorDark Anchor
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From:
Heavy Seas Beer
 
Maryland, United States
Style:
English Porter
Ranked #20
ABV:
6.8%
Score:
89
Ranked #12,558
Avg:
3.98 | pDev: 7.79%
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
29
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jun 16, 2023
Added:
Nov 03, 2021
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
Dark Anchor holds its own with every sip. Rich but balanced, its toasty malts and earthy English hops will warm up the coldest of waters. When the days get shorter and the sun goes down, anchor out and enjoy the view.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by daliandragon:
Photo of daliandragon
Reviewed by daliandragon from Maryland

4.12/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Huge, steady, dark head for a porter is an impressive start. Nose is roasted coffee and bakers chocolate and a little smokiness. The flavor is nice, with similar coffee and chocolate but also an earthy, almost sour finish that kind of hits the spot. This my first new porter of the season and it is enjoyable, easy to find, and relatively cheap. Good stuff still happening in Bmore at HS.
Dec 11, 2021
More User Ratings:
Photo of Skabiski
Reviewed by Skabiski from Maryland

3.93/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Consumed about 1 month past BB. Pours dark with a tan head. Smells of roasted malts and fruit. Tastes of cocoa, dark roasted malts and earthy hops. Medium dry mouthfeel. Overall, pretty good stuff. I would like to try it fresher.
Jun 16, 2023
 
Rated: 3.44 by West_Chester_Ale_Tester from Ohio

Apr 01, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by KT3418 from Colorado

Mar 17, 2023
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.11/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
From the 12 oz can in a snifter. This solid porter pours a dark
blackish brown with a fantastic head of light brown foam that settles
to a thick ring, thin layer, and sports some mighty fine lacing. Nose of
toasted malts, dark breaded malts, crust, dark chocolate, and earthy
hops. Flavors are what I look for a a good standard porter! Dark
chocolate, subtle coffee, earthy balanced hops, dark breaded malt
and subtle dark fruits. Mouth feel is medium full, smooth, rich,
lightly coating, lightly creamy, light soft carbonation, and a
balanced bitter malt and earthy hop finish that is lightly
dry.

Overall----excellent!

By the way, bring back the cool older packaging, the newer labels are
kinda bland compared to the old pirate!

Cheers
Feb 16, 2023
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4.07/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a dark color with a nice head and lacing
Aroma has roast malt hints
The taste follows the nose with a roast malt flavor
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A good Porter
Feb 10, 2023
Photo of MrOH
Reviewed by MrOH from Maryland

4.57/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Very dark brown with tan head, nice retention and lacing
Aromas of dark fruit, dark caramel, and dark chocolate
Earthy chocolate, prunes, dried red plums, slightly burnt caramel flavors
Medium bodied and appropriately carbonated
Really, really good
Jan 27, 2023
Photo of bubseymour
Rated by bubseymour from Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Nice semi sweet dark chocolate flavor profile. Some bitter in the finish but light.
Jan 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.13 by travelguy from Ohio

Dec 28, 2022
Photo of MadMadMike
Reviewed by MadMadMike from France

3.77/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12 ounce can, fridge chilt, into a can glass.
Nice foamy brown head atop a deep dark brew.
Nose is coffee, dark roast malt.
Taste follows. Bit of burnt char.
Feel is right in the pocket for the style.
Overall, it doesn’t have the depth of character of, say, Anchor Porter, but it’s a serviceable porter if you want one.
Nov 10, 2022
Photo of BJB13
Reviewed by BJB13 from Maryland

4.07/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
16 ounce draft pour at the brewery into a tumbler pint glass.

Straight forward traditional Porter. Nose is a little weak but the rich roasty flavor and smooth medium body more than make up for it. Full malt with enough hop for balance and to add to the moderate bitterness. Finishes with some char. Nothing sweet or fancy. Very drinkable.
Nov 07, 2022
Photo of TheBigBoy
Reviewed by TheBigBoy from Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
For me this was below average for this style. Missing the heartiness, chewing that I seek out in this style. Fairly malty and bitter without the complexity usually revealed in a porter.
Oct 16, 2022
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

4.07/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Heavy Seas Beer "Dark Anchor"
12 fl. oz. can "BEST BY 03/21/22"
$2.49 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: A rough pour has brought up a two-inch tall head of dark tan foam atop a very dark brown body that appears black in the full glass. If you hold it up to the light you can see that it's clear with glimmering highlights of ruby and orange at the base of the glass. In the nose you'll find caramel, cocoa powder, an apple-like fruitiness, and bittersweet chocolate. The flavor follows with the addition of some toasty bread, nuttiness, coffee, coffee-like roastiness, and just a hint of toffee. It's a little like the combination of a nutty candy bar, a Butterfinger candy bar, a chocolate covered espresso bean, and a thin slice of juicy apple. There are some minor leafy and earthy hop notes but that's about it. It's moderately bitter and mostly dry in the finish with some toffee, soft roastiness, and leafy and earthy hops lingering shortly. In the mouth it's medium bodied with a dextrinous edge and gently cirsp-then-smooth across the palate. I don't drink enough porter and this is a great reminder of that. It's rich but not too rich, perfectly balanced to bring out the caramel, nutty, and toasty notes, and well-rounded with some nuttiness, toastiness, chocolate, and apple. How strong is this? Ohhh, it's 6.8%! I didn't think it was that high. I was going to say that I could drink a lot of these but at 6.8% I'd end up falling down. Still, it has a great drinkability, and it's very enjoyable and satiating. I intend to keep this on my radar.
Review #8,144
Jul 11, 2022
Photo of DanO1066
Reviewed by DanO1066 from Maryland

3.78/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A 6pk of 12oz cans (Best by 3/11/22) over the last week: Great looking very dark brown body topped by an impressive dense mocha head. A whiff of - nothing? Taste of roasted malts. Smooth medium-bodied. A very solid English porter.
May 13, 2022
Photo of Dodo2step
Reviewed by Dodo2step from Pennsylvania

3.77/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A- motor oil black and 5 finger foamy head. almost cask like pour. tan head and curtain lacing.

S- roasted malt and coffee.

F- metallic coffee and roasted malts. not bad complement to each other.

M- cream and chewy porter. thick bodied. the head sticks around long as well.

O- not bad beer a good porter and i am not a porter fan good beer
May 06, 2022
Photo of JohnniEMc
Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania

4.07/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Now, we have a nearly full clear glass liter mug, as the contents of two twelve ounce cans have been emptied into one. It's the black coffee brown colored brew of almost every porter or stout. The biege colored head is slight and short-lived. Its roasted malt character to smell is good, but not great. After that, there's not much else. The body is a bit too light across the tongue to be considered great. The taste of roasted malt is true to the style, but this is an uncomplicated version. Nothing changes from front to back. There's no layering, nor transitioning of flavors. But wait, there's more than only one flavor, one of dry and fully roasted malt. There's a smokey aspect to the finish and it's nice. What a nice surprise at the finish. Not a big winner, but there are far worse.
May 04, 2022
Photo of 1BrewBacca
Reviewed by 1BrewBacca from Georgia

4.06/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Look: Pours like a stout. Black coffee in color with a mocha head.
Smell and Taste: Nothing overpowering here. Hints of coffee, chocolate, dates/raisins and maltiness.
Feel: Smooth and well balanced.
Overall: Very easy to drink. Pair this beer up with a good burger and you'll be doing a happy dance.
Apr 10, 2022
 
Rated: 4.18 by selekt0r

Mar 23, 2022
 
Rated: 4.69 by FrankWithers from Maryland

Mar 19, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by LennyBound from Illinois

Mar 16, 2022
Dark Anchor from Heavy Seas Beer
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 29 ratings