Anchor Old Foghorn Old Barleywine.

I'm not sure, but I can probably get this back east. Anchor is fairly ubiquitous, but I wanted to give a nod to the local-to-me-for-the-time-being brewery. Plus, I don't see b-wines in the 12 ounce format very often. The neck label indicates that it is dry-hopped, but I'm not sure how common that is for the style.

The head looked pretty creamy on the pour, and right now, it's sitting as a nice cap, a few millimeters thick. It's a nice garnet against the light. There's also a constant stream of bubbles, but it's not overcarbed. The most interested feature is probably the aroma, which smells exactly like bubblegum. This is the second beer I've had in the last week that has reminded me of Big Red soda. It's an interesting combination with the taste which is obviously malty but fairly subdued, when I think about other b-wines. Less prune and more raisin and banana; less bitter and more sugary. For being 9.4%, it's a super easy drinker, maybe a tinge of alcohol on the tip of the tongue at the finish, and the body is quite light. I would expect more viscosity and weight from the style, so I'm on the fence about mouthfeel. If I chalk it up to it being Anchor and Anchor doing silly things like inventing steam beer, maybe this is some traditional side effect. I would also like to know the bottling date and/or how long they sat in secondary. It's quite smooth.

I happen to have a lot of cheese at this point in time and so that sounds like it would be a tasty pair, something soft and light colored, like havarti or brie, of which I have neither. This meunster is ok though.

I like the fact that it comes in a 12 ounce bottle because sometimes a entire bomber to yourself cam be a bit heavy. That being said, I'm not sure I'd want more than a bottle of this. As I said, it's quite sweet. Without some nuts and cheeses to temper it, I'm just about over it and ready for something else. Still, it's worth a purchase for the season. You don't have to drink the entire 6-pack (not a 4-pack!) in one sitting.

Addendum: Oh wow, I was tagging this as an American b-wine, but BA says it's an English. I wouldn't have guess that given my experience with English b-wines. Maybe the only consistent distinction in the amount of hops.

• Appearance: Clear, garnet against the light. Creamy head that manages to cap, if a bit thinly.
• Smell: Bubblegum through and through. Unusual and unexpected but rather pleasant. Might be too cloying for some.
• Taste: Subdued malt and fairly sugary. Raisins, bananas, not much bitter and very mellow.
• Mouthfeel: Carbing is a bit low given the weight, which is the surprising part. I would expect more viscosity and weight from a b-wine. The lower carb with the lightness leaves it feeling a bit flat towards the end. Otherwise, the finish is clean.
• Drinkability and Overall: A very drinkable 9.5%ABV. A curious change of pace, if you like barleywines but want something lighter-bodied. I don't think I'd want to drink more than a bottle though.