REVIEW 32: ANCHOR STEAM

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  USA

BREWERY: Anchor Brewing Company

STYLE:  Steam Beer

ABV:  4.9%

PURCHASE:  60-oz. pitcher, $12.00

SERVING:  Said pitcher, poured into pint glass. Standard pour led to standard one-inch head. Average retention.

APPEARANCE:  Rusted copper color and translucent. Beige-white head. Scattered lacing.

BOUQUET:  Subtle nose highlighted by moderately floral hops and doughy grains. Relatively clean, however. Slightly fruity, mainly in the form of apricot (seemingly).

PALATE:  Average carbonation accompanying a light-medium body. Mild overall mouthfeel; smooth and agreeable. Malty entry, albeit a fairly subdued one. Moderate hop bitterness that crescendos mid-palate, then converts to sweetness at the finish, which continues on to characterize the otherwise yeasty aftertaste. Malt is still there at the end, albeit as an undertone. On the whole, though, seems ever so slightly watery. 

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  "Steam beer." Also known as "California Common." Developed in California in the late 1800s due to the common occurrence of lack of refrigeration, necessitating the use of warmer fermentation. But that's technical talk.

Anchor Steam has long, long been the flagship representative of this style. And it has also long, long been identified with its hometown:  San Francisco. What Sam is to Boston, Anchor Steam is to the City by the Bay. To the naive, novice, or otherwise uninformed, it represents a departure from the mundane world of boring macrolagers, and an entry point into the intriguing world of alternative or craft brews. And it still remains an admirable product and maintains a loyal following.

Alas, Anchor Steam has now become what I call a "safe" beer, one that is nonetheless impressive and still bests most of its competition, but one that has clearly been surpassed by the vast array of newer and even better microbrews and imports on the global market. In other words, if you don't know much about specialty beer and want to impress people, this will still do it! 




GRADE:  B