Anchor Old Foghorn Ale

Brewed by Anchor Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
San Francisco, California USA

Abv 8.8%. Reddish-brown color, pours with a very thin head that doesn’t stick around at all. The aroma is sherry, grapefruit, and some alcohol soaked raisins. The flavors are sweet malts, grapefruit hops, not at all a hop heavy barleywine though, some rum or sherry notes with raisins and plums. Some really nice depth to this, easy to drink, incredibly smooth, and well-rounded. What a great representation of the style. One of those I enjoyed the more I drank it.

Bottle. Moderate malt aromas of caramel and roasted, light to moderate hops of orange peel and herbs, light leather for the yeast and date, toffee, brown sugar and alcohol in the background. Head is small, frothy, off-white with fair lacing and is mostly diminishing. Color is clear dark copper. Flavor starts heavily sweet and lightly acidic, then finishes moderately sweet and very lightly bitter. Palate is medium to full, syrupy, and has a soft carbonation. It finishes lightly alcoholic. A great flavor, even without the expected bitterness of a Barley Wine. Definitely the most easy drinking example I’ve tried.

(Bottle from Julio’s Liquors, cellared for 9 mos. after purchase) Sweet, sticky and hot…Pours somewhat hazy dark reddish-amber. Very little head and what there is mostly is around the edges. Aroma is somewhat piney along with sweet candy-like maltiness. Mouthfeel is fairly full, fairly smooth and fairly sticky. Only very light lacing along with a syrupy film inside of snifter. Flavor is sweet candy-like malt, almost like candy apple glaze and light caramel. Sweet but not over the top. Malt is overlain by pine and light-medium bitter notes. Fairly hot but ABV presence doesn’t detract. It’s more mellow than harsh.

A great red amber color greets the eyes. Beer produces a a very thin, dense, filmy head from the medium carbonation of the beer. Aroma has a great fruity notes with lots of malt and a very faint floral hops bitterness. The flavor combines a nice dark sugary fruit flavor with lots of malt sugars, lots of alcohol and a beer that is very heavy and smooth in the mouth. Overall a good choice if your craving a solid barley wine.

This is one of those beers that I see on the shelves from time to time, and for whatever reason, never got around to trying. 12 oz. bottle. Pours a hazy dark reddish brown with glowing ruby along the edges when held against the light. Thin-moderate off-white head that lasted through the first quarter of the glass and left a skim coating of film with each sip. Pleasant aroma of caramel and some alcohol. The flavor is caramel with just a bit of butterscotch and some alcohol. Mild bitterness at the finish. Somewhat buttery mouthfeel. Enjoyable!

[08 Bottle I assume... 8YU, whatever that means 10.29.08] Pours a lovely clear dark red with a slight brown hue and a very smooth silky thick beige fine layer of froth. I assume it’s an 08 bottle since I just bought it off the shelf, however the hops are already pretty oxidized and I can smell the malt coming around too. Rich caramel aroma, not overly sweet and a good amount of lightly oxidized hops with a bit of spice. Wow, this is high gravity, I always expect something light from Anchor, but this has a full mouthful, heavy, syrupy but well carbonated with very fine sparkling carbonation. I can tell this is going to age exceptionally! Fantastic flavor, great depth and exceptional balance. Lightly toasted malts, something very English. Nice caramel sweetness that is kept in check. The breadiness, like fresh sour-dough, is really unexpected but rather delicious. Very light burnt caramel in the finish with a nice piney hop bite. I love the way the alcohol warms off of those two elements. Very drinkable and light with all that sticky barley wine flavor. This is a fine brew, even with 1000+ ratings. 8.5.9.5.18 [Same vintage sampled 07.10.09] First taste is big alcohol and the spices clash with the bitter hops I had in my previous beer. Definitely quite fruity now, rich toasted slightly burnt malt. Definitely more English. The alcohol is very present. Still magnificently smooth fine fluffy carbonation. Pretty much has to be served at room temperature or else its really a disservice. 8.5.8.5.17

Pours an amber brown with almost no head. The head is a light gray color. It smells malty and sweet with a nice amount of hops. Tastes sweet like molasses, with a nice body, but a little thin. A miniscule amount of carbonation. Easy to drink for the style.

Bottle from 1999. Poured amber orange with not a lot of head. Aroma was sweet, dark fruits, and oak. Taste was dark fruits, malt and a nice sweet with a warming alcohol finish. Texture was nice and rolled down into my belly. Thanks Bruce for sharing.