Anchor Humming Ale - Anchor Brewing Company

bourbonbock

New York

2.9/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Picked up a growler at the local package store and poured the first one into a clean pint glass a few hours after getting home.

A. A very appetizing hazy yellow body with about a half finger of sticky looking white head that reduce to a ring after a few minutes.

S. Notes of pine, grass, and grapefruit hit the nose for a delicate aroma that has a cooling effect on the nostrils.

T. Grapefruit bomb followed by a decent malt body. Slightly salty and earthy, not the best pale ale I've ever had but very unique and refreshing.

M. Light mouthfeel with what must be a very attenuated beer. Smooth and clean flavor and nice aftertaste.

Probably wouldn't try this one again for a while but very glad ni gave it a shot.

Serving type: growler

01-14-2012 00:08:31 | More by bourbonbock

flagmantho

Washington

4.01/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: light orange hue with just a hint of haze and a moderate effervescence. Head is a thick finger of pillowy ivory foam with decent retention. I like it.

Smell: sweet malt with a nice hop aroma of citrus and tropical fruits. It's nicely tangeriney -- a character I happen to love in the style. Good stuff!

Taste: the flavor delivers just what the aroma promised. A sweetish base with a big punch of citrusy, grapefruity, tangeriney hops with maybe a little bit of pine in there just to mix it up. Bitterness is strong but smooth; it packs a punch, yet doesn't linger on the palate. I quite like it.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a nice carbonation and a rocky effervescence; not really creamy, but appropriate for this beer.

Overall: this beer rubs me the right way. Its flavor combo, refreshing qualities and overall drinkability keep me coming back for more. Mmm.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 18:03:46 | More by flagmantho

CHickman

New York

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours very cloudy orange gold color with a nice thick 2 finger foamy beige head that faded very slowly with tons of bubbles in the head, leaving decent foamy lacing and rings as it went down. Bubbles raced up the brew like a champagne, and the head turned into a foamy layer on top.

Smells fruity and hoppy up front, with leafy herbal notes like piney hops, tea leaf, orange peel and citrus hops, followed by a bready/biscuity presence; the nose is pretty well balanced and the malt backbone seems to have a light funk at the end.

Tastes more malty than hoppy up front, followed by fruit and hops which have a mix of lemon zest, apple, herbs, piney hops, tea leaf, light caramel, orange peel, coriander, citrus hops, bready/biscuit presence, a malty sweetness and a trailing bitterness like grapefruit or very fresh hops. The combination of strong malts and strong hops work well together here, as this is simple and complex tasting at the same time; the balance and bitterness remain quenching and refreshing, while providing enough zest to keep your interest and stay sessionable. This is like bitter version of the Liberty Ale and perfect as the weather is warming up.

Mouthfeel is on the light side but leaning towards medium, with crisp carbonation, a light feel and an overall effervescence that reminds me of a cocktail made with seltzer; this is very easy to drink as the bitterness fades quickly and leaves your mouth dry. This would be a great daytime summer beer that I will try to enjoy this summer some weekend. I liked this and suggest giving it a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 04:16:10 | More by CHickman

sabinelr

Washington

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1. Read the label for expectation
2. Take a whiff from the bottle. Promising hoppy fragrance.
3. Take a swig, notice pronounced mix of hop bitterness, malt bitterness, and slight sweetness. All of these offset the alcohol taste, to make this a competent casual brew. Very pleasant and persistent bitter aftertaste, lasting quite a while and never turning bad.
4. I like this more than their flagship Anchor Steam Beer. It is not a challenging beer to drink. I can see myself getting a six pack for when (?) summer (?) happens (W. Wash.) and lounging out in the yard. I think you will enjoy this brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 19:42:50 | More by sabinelr

patpbr

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - orange in color and a nice two finger head. It looks refreshing
S - citrus hops and faint malt
T - balanced well with hops of citrus and fruit. Nice malty backbone
M - mouth is near medium, crisp with a mild bitter finish
O - I would be content drinking a few of these from time to time

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 22:47:10 | More by patpbr

RickS95

Indiana

3.65/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a clear copper orange color. The body itself is fairly non-descript, but the head is really nice for the style. A thick topping of large and small bubbles. Strong retention, but a nice thick lace as the bubbles eventually give in.

It's got a strange smell. There's not much of it, even after it warms a bit, but it seems to be a fight between pilsner malts and citrus hops. So far, I'm on the fence as to whether I like it or it works.

The taste is more indicative of the style and a welcome change from the unusual smell. Standard bisuity malt base with a spread of citrus (lemon, grapefruit) on top.

It's pretty tame in the mouth. Normally I'd expect an explosion of hoppy citrus bite from a West Coast Pale Ale, but this is very subdued. Mostly tart and slightly bitter from the beginning, it's somewhat loose and watered down. As it works its way back, the acidic citrus gives the tongue something to think about. Wet finish, with an Earthy bitterness lasting well into the finish.

It's a Godsend if you're used to American macros. If you're used to top notch APAs, it's merely pretty good. Somewhat easy to drink, just does little in the way of excitement.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 03:09:57 | More by RickS95

stride28

2.85/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Consumed this beer out of the bottle, which was a bit shorter and wider than usual. The bottle design meshed well with the company's anchor logo and font choices, creating a rugged yet refined feel reminiscent of seafaring and sailing. Unfortunately, the beer's great visual aesthetics did not line up with its taste and olfactory experience. The beer had a strong 'boozy' aroma. Taste-wise, the Humming Ale was hoppy, with distinctive earthy tones that were fine, but I was let down by the bitter and tart middle. The taste concluded with a convincing bitterness that carried along the alcohol that was suggested by the beer's aroma. However, the summary on the bottle mentions a "bold, hoppy ale" (agreed), that celebrates the brewery's "first brew". Perhaps the surprising bitterness and unrefined aroma is meant to evoke memories of a fledgling, optimistic, brewery that would later find its signature taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 04:22:51 | More by stride28

beertunes

Washington

2.79/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Poured into 9oz Pilsener glass. Poured a very clear and clean yellow-gold color, very much Pilsenerish, with over 1/2 inch of white head that had lightly moderate retention and good lacing.

The mildly grainy aroma was very sweet and had just some gentle hops around the edges. The taste was also sweet, in fact it was an odd, funky sweetness. There was just a bit of floral and pine hops floating around too, but the weird sweetness dominated.

The body would have been OK, except that the beer was very sticky all across the tongue. The beer really stuck to the back of the tongue on the finish. Drinkability suffered from the gooey aspects. Overall, a below average brew. I actually liked this beer much less than the numerical score indicates. You can feel safe in skipping over this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 23:36:18 | More by beertunes

nusch

3.79/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Distinctly verdant and hay-filled notes on the flavour end of the review. The nose of this beer is distinct, to the point of being slightly off-putting. A few caramel and citrus notes on the finish and linger in the mouth. The beer comes on as slightly bitter or astringent (which? I don't know), but smooths out into a pleasant finish. This is a nice little twist on the typical pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 15:19:10 | More by nusch

SerialHiker

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Pours an golden orange color…transparent with some bubble action in the middle…minimal off white head that doesn’t last…(3.25/5)

Smell: Sweet, candy, pale malt jumps right out of the glass…lemon citrus hops up in there...some piney and floral hops playing background roles…very light and zesty…(3.75/5)

Taste: Two things happening here…the lemon is zesty and abundant with the floral hops adding a bit of wispiness…the malt is also very abundant, sweet, pale and flavorful adding straightness to the overall that balances out the citrus/floral hops…very harmonious in it’s design…it’s very light, crisp, balanced and refreshing…(3.75/5)

Mouthfeel: Light body, crisp and refreshing to the palette…medium carbonation does form presenting floral and citrus tones…ends light, with mild floral bitterness…(3.75/5)

Overall: This is a good brew…the balance of flavors can be tight rope difficult for some, but this beer accomplishes that with flying colors…it’s light, crisp, sweet, citrusy, floral and malty without leaving anything behind…if I had a knock, it would be limited head on my initial pour, but in the smell and taste, the two more important characteristics, this beer excels…I could easily spend a night drinking on this one flavor and be very content…I’d recommend picking up a sixer of this and dragging it out to a fun time, roof deck, social engagement…Yum! (3.75/5)

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 04:49:12 | More by SerialHiker

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This one poured a bright clear yellow orange with a 1/2 inch of sticky white head. Smell and taste was pretty exceptional I found it very similar to the Liberty ale I had before, sticky hops that don't quite stick to the palate, pale malts, and some gram cracker balanced goodness. Mouth feel was on par for the style with a light to medium bubbly yet session able. Overall I don't think I would pick this one over the Liberty but both tasted pretty similar to me which left me puzzled.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 19:32:57 | More by DrDemento456

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.83/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a light golden amber with good carbonation. Half finger white head with good retention and lacing. Light aroma of biscuite malt, light fruit and citrus. Flavor follows with biscuity malt, citrus, especially grapefruit, light apple, finishes crisp with hop bitterness. Light bodied as appropriate for the style. A nice well balanced pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 22:46:57 | More by LiquidAmber

Lawl3ss

Texas

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Lightly chilled 12 oz. bottle into a shaker pint. Bottling date appears to be July 27th 2012.

Look- Pours a deep gold with three fingers of crackly white head that settles to a foamy cap after a few minutes. Sparse lacing.

Smell- Herbal aroma, crackerlike malt, apricot. Mild sweetness.

Taste- Very similar to the nose. Green tea, lemon, light biscuit malt, fresh pine, candied orange follows. Light feel, floral, pleasant. Bitterness on the mild/mellow side.

Mouthfeel- Medium body, light carbonation. Juicy feel, drinks like tea. Mild mineral character.

Overall- A light feeling unique pale. Bright, spritzy, not really light, but refreshing. Not an everyday purchase, but I've bought it before and I'll get it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 23:16:51 | More by Lawl3ss

kshizzle101

Washington

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Stone pint glass

A - dark orange in color and slightly hazy. a 2 inch head with good retention. thick lacing down the sides

S - Sweet fruits like citrus and light scent of bread. Smells hoppy and a little boozy.

T - Starts off almost biscuit like and sweet, with some malts coming in at the back end. Definitely some piney hops in here as well

M - Fairly heavy bodied for a pale, even a little syrupy. Good carb throughout.

Overall - A little funky, but i like it. One of the stronger hopped pale's I've had in awhile. glad I picked up a 6 pack.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 22:00:34 | More by kshizzle101

beerpadawan

California

3.6/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a hazy light copper with a gorgeous off-white head and excellent retention, lacing.

Nose has grassy, green hops. Piney. Hint of mint. Sweet cereal. "Malted."

Soft body, medium-light, creamy mouthfeel. Very genteel bitterness lends dryness to finish. Hops giving off fruitiness, but not citrus/grapefruit/tropical; more like the sweetness and faint tartness of a grape. Herbal/Spicy notes too. Well balanced; some bready/biscuit flavors roll through, but overall a clean, lightly sweet flavor from malt.

Nice beer; easy drinking but with some good flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 06:43:20 | More by beerpadawan

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.18/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a light golden color with foamy white head. See through. Fruity nose, light and bright.Soft mothfeel. Taste is a fruity hop, a little of kilter, with a strange bitter. Flavor is different and odd. Not sure what to say here. Not one of the better Anchor Steam offerings.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 13:16:17 | More by KTCamm

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.13/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – The brew is served a deep golden color with a one finger white head. The head fades relatively quickly to leave only a very light level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is very light. There is a light bready aroma mixed with faint notes of a lemon, herbal and grassy smells.

Taste – It starts out with a biscuit taste mixed with a light lemon flavor. As the taste advances, some floral tastes and a light pine flavor come to the tongue. These flavors seem to be lost relatively fast however due to flavors of an earthy and grapefruit nature coming in. These flavors take the taste to the end and leave bitter-biscuity flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is rather average in terms of creaminess and thickness with a carbonation level that is rather average as well. A decent feel for the moderate hop and bready flavors of the brew.

Overall – It was a decent brew, although with the more bitter hop finish, the taste was slightly off at the end. Alright, but nothing I would really go for on any real occasion.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2012 00:24:46 | More by Darkmagus82

DannyHartman

3.7/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

As I pour a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass, a nice 1 1/2 inch head appears atop a yellowish/gold brew.... Throughout drinking, it leaves a decent amount of lacing.

At first smell, I get lots of citrus like that of lemon or orange.... There's also grapefruit as well as grainy and bready notes.... You can even find floral notes with the slightest bit of hops.

The taste is identical to the nose.... Lots of upfront citrus like lemon/lime and orange.... Very bready with slight pine.

It feels slightly less than medium-bodied with moderate carbonation.... It's a very smooth and crisp beer.

Overall, this is a very easy drink with good flavor and balance.... Not my favorite, but I'd certainly enjoy one again.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 19:15:04 | More by DannyHartman

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a clear yellow color with a nice looking white head on top. Some scattered retention and lacing. The smell of the beer is decently balanced between aromas of malt and some hops. The taste of the beer is grainy with a subtle bitterness in there, mostly corn and malt upfront. The mouthfeel is of this is light bodied, crisp and dry in the finish. Overall this beer was decent, not something I would have to buy again but I would drink it if it was offered to me.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 22:08:23 | More by Knapp85

draheim

Washington

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz into a tulip. Pours a clear golden copper w/ a thick fluffy white head, moderate carbonation, big sticky chunks of lace cling to the glass.

Aroma is grainy, grassy, a little lemony. Floral hops. There's a vaguely dank, wet-basement quality in the nose that I can't quite identify, but it's not entirely pleasant.

Taste is pale biscuity malt, delicate floral hops, and a lemony twang. Crisp, light, and drinkable.

Mouthfeel is clean and refreshing, thirst-quenching.

Overall a really tasty, drinkable APA.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 04:47:48 | More by draheim

tronester

Oklahoma

4.35/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear golden, with a super dense, rocky, off-white head. Aromas of citrus rind and a little hay. The flavor begins with a nice lemony sweetness, followed by some sweet bready flavors, followed by a piney, grapefruity finish. There is almost a hint of watermelon in here as well. Mouthfeel is rich, pretty active carbonation. Overall a superb beer from Anchor. For some reason I always really love their Pale Ales/IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 23:48:24 | More by tronester

tjsdomer2

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Solid golden yellow with a nice carbonated layer of foam. Lacing is pretty good too.

Smell: Very herbal. There's basil with some medicinal traits that I can't quite pinpoint. A bit like licorice or star anise?

Taste/Mouthfeel: I love the flavor. It's sweet with basil-like herbal notes and something I did not expect...sweet onion! There's seriously some onion flavor in here, and I actually really like it. It provides sweetness and tartness and accentuates the lemon pepper notes as well. Mouthfeel is good, but pretty flat in the finish.

Overall Drinkability: I did not expect a lot of things that I found in this beer. It was excellent.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 22:55:34 | More by tjsdomer2

brureview

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bought a bottle at Trader Joes. Wasn't sure about the quality, but worth the try.

I was pleasantly surprised.

Not much of an aroma, a big head, and a pleasant , although not outstanding, light tea color.

The carbonation was quite good- not too much, and working well with the style of the beer.

The finish carried the beer: refreshing, slightly bitter( but not imbalanced) lemon, pepper,and zesty.

A very good ale and worth trying. Works well with dinner. Higher quality beer than many of the offerings from the macro-micros.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 23:09:49 | More by brureview

blackcompg

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from their 12oz bottle...

Appearance - Poured 2+ fingers of foaming eggshell foam (tons of carb in the body), Body is a clear light golden amber, incredible foamy lacing, 2 fingers of head remaind to the last quaff!

Smell - Fresh baked bread, light citrus of grapefruit and lemon, nice floral hops.

Taste - Really nice balance of white bread, slightly sweet malt, dry breadcrust, light lemon, and grapefruit peel - dries to grapefruit in the finish with slight minerals.

Mouthfeel - Light side of medium, carb is heavy side of medium with alot of edges, a fantastic and smooth drinker, this ale is very refreshing and crisp with a dry finish.

Overall - Really nice flavor in this apa, high drinkability, very sessionable, this would be the perfect apa for a warm summer evening. Definitely recommend.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 03:29:30 | More by blackcompg

oberon

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a standard pint glass a slight chill hazed light to medium golden with a nicely defined one finger clingy white head atop.A decent shot sharp citric hops in the nose with some underlying dryer crisp malt in the background.A tad thin and sharp in the mouth not anything of major concern.Flavors of resin and grapefruit rind mainly stick out,mild biscuit sweetness but mainly a dryer crisp malt base.A solid pale ale,its got good hops and is pretty easy going down,a good football beer here I think.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 20:13:38 | More by oberon