Anchor Brewing Company Anchor IPA India Pale Ale (IPA) at 6.5% ABV ($3.00 at Dominion Stavanger, 355 ml, best before 20-Nov-2016)
Pours clear pale to medium amber with a fat finger of loose ivory head, excellent retention and lacing. (5/5) Nose is pithy citrus, mild pine, light caramel malt. (7/10) Taste is moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild peppery spice. (7/10) Medium body and slightly slick texture, moderate carbonation, building bitter and lingering finish. (4/5)
Y’know, I went into this not expecting to like it. I mean, really – an IPA with a two-year shelf life? Pull the other one, right? Well, I dunno what it’ll be like after two years, but after a couple of months (assuming the best before to be “only” two years after bottling) it’s pretty decent. It’s initially somewhat malty if you’re expecting an American IPA, but if you give your head a shake and recall that this is brewed with two-row barley malt, the traditional English character becomes apparent. And on the finish, there’s a nice lingering and building bitterness with just a hint of peppery spice. This might well be the best IPA ever put on NLC shelves. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
