Open Gullet, Drop Anchor

Anchor Portor
Intoxicating like Grace Jones in Conan the Destroyer

Brewery: Anchor Steam Brewery
Location: San Francisco, CA

Beer Name: Anchor Portor

ABV: 5.6%

Brewery Info
With deep black color, a thick, creamy head, rich chocolate, toffee and coffee flavors, and full-bodied smoothness, Anchor Porter® is the epitome of a handcrafted dark beer.
A blend of specially roasted pale, caramel, chocolate, and black malts, along with our top-fermenting yeast, creates complexity without bitterness. The brew is hopped at a high rate, and naturally carbonated. The result is dark in the glass, but surprisingly light on the palate.
Anchor Porter® became the first modern American porter when it was introduced in 1972. As we celebrate its 40th anniversary, our porter continues to reward those who look beyond its intimidating appearance to discover its smooth, full-bodied drinkability. Anchor Porter® is the definitive American Porter.

The Review

Bottle/Label (8/10)
I love the Anchor bottles. Short and squat, they feel like they fit perfectly into your hand and visually they are ascetically pleasing. If i was a doomsday prepper I'd have a couple of empty cases of these bottles on hand. They would make the perfect small Molotov cocktail. Lord knows when you're getting raided by a band of Mad Max type Humungus' or perhaps today's verison of Mel Gibson, you want a weapon that not only is efficient but is comfortable in the hand and looks good. From a homebrewers standpoint, hand cappers tend to not crimp the edges down tight enough around the bottle. Like most of Anchor's label's the leaf doesn't fall very far from the Christmas tree. Anchor, barley, and hops in some combination, well thought up description on neck label. However there is a quiant, old timey classiness in their look. Really like the Anchor typeface and color on this particular bottle.

Aroma (6/10)
There's big helpings of roasted malts in the aroma with sweeter toffee undertones rounding the edges. I get faint hints of some raisins and plums. Some dark roasted coffee/chocolate peek through with a touch of earthy hops. Not overwhelming by any means but enough to tantalize.

Appearance (7/10)
This is one dark portor, stretching into the abyss of the beer color scheme. Subtle ruby edges nip around the darkness when backlit. The beer is inviting with its thick tan head with moderate retention. Lacing along the glass is sticky but patchy.

Flavor (26/30)
The beer really shines in the flavor department. A nice sweet toffee flavor sets the table that with a little warming adds a layer of roasted barley/coffee notes. This taste clearly defines this porter making it complex, yet smooth and approachable. It finishes with a nice amount of earthy bitterness from the hops, that compliments the sweet, roasted goodiness of the malts. Towards the last third of the brew I perceived more dark chocolate notes than coffee, which i found really enjoyable. A taste sensation.

Mouthfeel (7/10)
The body is on the higher end of the medium side with a very lively, high level of carbonation. Smooth on the palette with a bubbly bombardment to interest the senses. A very crisp, refreshing take on a porter.

Overall (27/30)
I was amazed this beer has been around since 1972, making it a few years older than myself, which is remarkable for a craft beer. Even more remarkable was that it has taken me this long to try one. While I'll leave the adjectives like epitome and definitive to the brewery's bio, this was a very well crafted, complex but smooth brew. A very tasty beer that really shines with some warmth. The high carbonation made this an easy to drink porter and one I'd steer people towards that were on the fence with darker beers. While not something I would sit down and drink a six pack in one sitting, a couple a night would not be out of the question.

Total (81/100)

Day of Reckoning Scale
0-9 Hobo Piss
10-19 Better than tainted water
20-29 Terrible, but something to add to your beer bucket list
30-29 Below average Swill
40-49 Copacetic, but you could do better (gentle pat on your back)
50-59 Good, but you're not going to take it home to meet your parents
60-69 A very good beer, that's going to have a solid triple A career
70-79 A Exceptional beer, but just cant seem take that next big step
80-89 All-Star worthy, well worth the fanfare
90-100 Hall of Fame, let the accolades rain down