The beer we're going to taste today is as legendary as its brewery (dating back to 1896); a piece of American beer history that deservedly is a modern classic. I'm talking about Old Foghorn, a British style barley wine from San Francisco brewery Anchor Brewing. This brewery was among the first who really placed California and the entire American beer culture on the map. When Anchor started brewing Old Foghorn in 1975, after a visit in Great Britain, it was a revival of the style, at least in the United States.
Old Foghorn is hopped with a hefty dose of cascade and then dry hopped while stored in the cellar one more time to give it a fruity and citrusy bitterness. The beer is carbonated by a natural process called "bunging", which gives the beer champagne-like bubbles.
Anchor Old Foghorn Ale
Origin: San Francisco, USA Brewery: Anchor Brewing Style: Barley Wine ABV: 8.8% 355 ml bottle
Appearance: A four fingers high, light nougat brown foam with creamy top and minimal bubbles. The warmly brown liquid is clear. Beautiful!聽
Nose: The aroma is rich, sweet and soft with a lot of toffee, dark fruits, alcohol, nuts, and marzipan. The citrus from the dry hopping is clearly present. Powerful, yet soft. This could indeed be a British barley wine.
Palate: Soft and velvety carbonation. I love the mouth feel. An explosion of flavors, with hoppy fudge and caramel at the center. The sticky sweetness is perfectly balanced by the hops. Despite being very rich, it must be one of the most easy to drink barley wines I've ever tasted. The stickiness increases the closer the beer gets to room temperature, so I'd prefer to serve it slightly below or even colder.
Finish: The finish is dry with bitter herbs, marzipan and a hint of leather.聽
Conclusion: It's a straight forward, perfectly balanced and no nonsense barley wine that deserves to be a true classic. I will keep one bottle for aging and see how it performs after 4-5 years. I'm happy to give this beer 4.6 out of 5 hop cones.
