Anchor Brewing Old Foghorn

Anchor Brewing Old Foghorn - Barleywine Style Ale (2011)

Year Round Beer.

12 fl. oz. / $1.69 USD / 8.2% ABV

About: "The malty sweetness, fruitiness, unique hop aroma and high original gravity of Old Foghorn Barleywine Style Ale is to beer much as port is to wine. Old Foghorn is brewed based on traditional 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."

Thoughts: What a cool name... Old Foghorn.

Poured a deep amber red with a very huge and fluffy custard head and a heavy amount of carbonation bubbles rising up. The beer is transparent, and the head is three stages of small, large and froth bubbles. Looks good.

Let's smell it. Hmm... candle wax, no wait...smells of light yeast, plums, and loads of malt.

Sweet dark fruits, sugar plums, rock candy, corn nuts, liquid filled wax bottle candy, and sourdough bread. Very low levels of grassy hops, evil fruit roll-ups and overly-ripe bananas.

Spicy and thrilling. Full and flavorful. Thick and filling. Slightly drying.

I like it! No downside to this one aside from the lower ABV of 8.2%. *wink* This barleywine definitely has got a taste of its own. Count it amongst the unique. Aftertaste doesn't fare as well, but it doesn't matter you'll probably be chowing down on some freshly cut bush by the time you've downed a few of these.