The most unique beer that Franklin’s offers is a beer they simply call Anarchy. A beer in constant motion. Depending on when you visit Franklin’s, you will never know what you are going to get. Brewer Charles Noll throws the book out every time he brews this unique and flavorful beer. See, Anarchy Ale is never the same. Each time it is brewed, a different recipe, with different grain bills, hop varieties, and brewing methods are used. Anarchy Ale breaks all the style guide line rules, and in that sense, this is true anarchy. You are never too sure what is in store for you with a pint of Anarchy Ale, but you will always know, that is it going to be an over the top, balls to the wall, hop monster of a beer, with huge flavor and character. Last time I stopped by Franklin’s after work and enjoyed a pint of Anarchy Ale it poured to a deep caramel to light brown color with a thick and creamy tan head, and a soft to moderate amount of carbonation. The nose on this beer just explodes with huge waves of piney and citric hop aromas paired with a big smack of caramel and sweet malt aromas, and some peppery alcohol heat. The palate on this beer is very robust and flavorful. Big flavors of sweet malt, caramel, estery ripe fruit, and touches of chocolate and roasty flavors fill the mouth. There is a lot going on in this beer, really big and intense flavors that seem to gain complexity the more you sip and savor as it warms. Anarchy Ale finishes with more of those robust malty and fruity flavors up front, then ends with a big, resiny, piney, and citric hop bitterness that lingers.

On tap at RFD during RBSG 2006. Pours a medium gold, slightly cloudy color with a small off-white head. Wierd very slight aroma of pine cones and butt. Really good bittering hops emerge during mid-palate. Maybe this name is very appropriate, as it is hard to attest to it’s character. I subsequently tried this at the brewpub after the RBSG. Here I found it to have a butterscoth color with a white head. The flavor was quite muted. I kept waiting for something explosive to happen. The palate was long- the hops languish on your tongue forever. Has a floral aroma at the brewpub. The best of the litter was a nitro version served at the brewpub as well. The bartender says that this is a different version altogether using a different recipe. I found this one to be very hoppy. Yummy with lots of alcohol (8% ABV). Great lacing with the butterscotch color of the one not pushed with nitrogen. Splendidly smooth with an excellent palate. My rating reflects the nitro version from the brewpub. Awesome beer. I guess the anarchy part comes from the fact that they make whatever the hell they want and call it all by the same name.

Interesting stuff. Reddish tea-color, cloudy and dusty. Nose has lots of candy sugars with a dry apricot fruitiness. Flavor is a bit fruity, plenty of peach and apricot. Toasty malts mix with some cocoa. Sweet and slightly acidic in the finish with a bit of an alcohol burn. Sticky and full flavor. Good stuff.

Sampled on tap on 7/14/06 at the RBSG: Pours a hazy copper orange with a thin and well-lacing white head. Big, fresh grapefruity hoppy and lightly caramel malty aroma. Body starts with a pleasant toasty caramel malty sweetness with a ton of fresh citrusy hops. A real nice, balanced and flavorful beer.

Draft... This beer rocks!... Milk chocolate, caramel and flowers in the nose. Clear, deep amber hue. The flavor is very malty, lightly sweet, lightly pungent and fruity. Full-bodied with a silky mouthfeel. Pillow-soft carbonation. Lightly tart, dry finish with a whisper of damp straw at the wee end. Excellent ale from an excellent and creative brewery.