Anchor Steam Beer - Anchor Brewing Company

denflyr

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I have to admit a sin...

As much as I like craft beer, I have never had this beer up till this point. I wish I had had it earlier!!!

Overall a very drinkable beer.

Poured out an amber color in a pilsner glass. Not much of a head or lacing.

Nice flavors and a good mouthfeel. Not much of a hop character. A solid malt backbone, but not in a sweet way.

Reminded me a Alaskan Amber which is one of my favorites. So I will be getting more Anchor Steam. A solid beer that is a great drink on a hot Houston afternoon!

Serving type: can

08-18-2008 00:54:59 | More by denflyr

Burkbom23

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light amber color, crystal clear, good ammount of bubles. A fair whtie head that fades to a film rather quickly. Initial yeasty aroma followed by a biscuty fresh bread smell. Really bready malt taste. Feel like im in a bakery with fresh loafs coming out of the oven. Some spice. Lingering maltiness on the palatte after you swallow. Subtle hops in the background even it out a little bit, but certainly tilted towards the malt backbone. Solid medium mouthfeel, good carbination, feels lively in the mouth. Real crisp finish. This would make one hell of a session beer, SO drinkable. Good gateway beer for the BMC crowd also. Awsome lager.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 00:50:03 | More by Burkbom23

mactrail

California

3.1/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The color is the classic dark amber in the mug with a modest head and a little fizz in the mouth. Slight grainy nose. Thin, dirty caramel is the main taste. Overall this is malty, tart, and somewhat murky. It's reminiscent of a Belgian minus the yeast. A touch of hops. Sort of earthy with bitter tones.

On tap at Comstock Saloon in North Beach. I've had it in the bottle in San Francisco as well and I just find this to be uninspired and not very drinkable, regardless of it's glorious history. It was more respected in the 70s when there were so few interesting beers to compare it to.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2013 19:55:47 | More by mactrail

BeerAficionadoMCMXC

California

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance is amber, but who really cares about the color of the beer so much when men can't differentiate between colors very well. My apologies to the women. The smell is impressive though. It's nutty, caramel and has notes of ripe banana esters. The taste has notes of vanilla and some nutty tones, but it is balanced by a hop finish, balanced and appetizing. Mouthfeel is medium to medium full. Overall, this beer is a high quality low alcohol beer and is great for people who love their malty taste and low alcohol percentage. It seems to catch up to all of us in the end.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 07:14:08 | More by BeerAficionadoMCMXC

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.79/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A-slightly hazy amber color with an off- white head and decent lacing

S-malt, slight caramel, pine, earthy

T-nice malt, slight caramel sweetness, pine, nice bitter finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, crisp and clean

O-nice crisp session beer for warm summer days

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 13:20:59 | More by MDDMD

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: 1/2" white head over cloudy amber liquid.

S: grass, oranges, honey.

T: Honey, orange, grass, herbs.

M: medium viscosity and a medium level of fine carbonation.

O: very subtle, but not very exciting. I have a feeling I should be enjoying this beer more than I am because of its history. But then again, the Bavarian purity law is also a part of history and many unexciting beers as well.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 23:30:52 | More by DaftCaskBC

joaopmgoncalves

Portugal

4.18/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: It was low carbonated and it had a small beige head. Copper coloured.
Smell: I didn't get that much of its smell but thought I caught some cherries.
Taste: It tasted a bit like toasted caramel and anything else I quite can figure out, but it excels at flavor.
Mouthfeel: It has a strong body, it kinda felt heavy in my mouth. At the end of the sip it was a little bit dry.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 23:33:50 | More by joaopmgoncalves

Richiebaseball

Georgia

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

The color is very rich, a copper color. This beer retains the head very well.a nice earthy smell. The slight piney smell certainly comes through. This is a pretty smooth drink with just a hint of aftertaste. I can see this being a sit around and drink a few with friends kind of beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 21:56:35 | More by Richiebaseball

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

4.01/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The color is light cooper, with a slight off-white, bubbly neck that retains well. The body is clear, and emanates caramel very strongly, as well as earthy and piney tones. The light body brings caramel/toast nodes, with apparent hops. You can notice a discrete fruitness in the background (mango, bananas). The finish is strong, exposing so well the hops... It's a good Lager, with a more malty profile, and a slight background fruitness. Great beer - I like it!

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 03:21:24 | More by HabiMendes

mjurney

Texas

4.88/5  rDev +25.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Appearance:
Amber color, clear. Lots of fine bubble rising up. Thick rocky head.

Aroma:
Sweet malts, some caramel, faint fruitiness.

Taste:
Bready, caramel, toasted, grassy. Some fruitiness. Hop bitterness is medium, mainly spicy-herbal, a little citrus. Sharp finish, yet very clean. Body is medium, crisp, smooth, semi-dry, well carbonated.

Overall:
One of my all time favorite beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 20:27:04 | More by mjurney

tectactoe

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I've had this numerous times, just never really got around to taking notes on it. Seems like they have this all over the place in downtown Detroit on tap. Had this particular one at Park Bar. Pours a muddled copper color with lighter hues around the edges, closer to a rustic amber; half clear and half hazy. Slightly gray-tinted head turns to a skin and leaves some small dripping of lace on its way down the glass.

The aroma is pretty bleak and mild; but relaxing and calm may be a more appropriate description. Musty hops, seemingly of the Noble variety (perhaps Saaz?) with a slight touch of leafiness to accompany the musk. Faint grains are the backdrop for the hop play, yet they remain fairly quiet and never interrupt. Very light citrus zest on the tail end. Warming doesn't reveal any more aromas; this beer is pretty simple and straightforward.

The taste begins with a small mouth washing of light biscuit malts and heavy grains; a substantial hop bitterness hits the palate quickly up front and fades away during the remainder of the sip. Citrus zest, lemongrass, and a faint herbal tea leaf flavor comprise a good majority of the rest of the flavor. The finish contains some heavier lager yeast, leaving a crisp and mouth-coating finish; light bitterness and an even lighter fruit zest. Thin bodied with a different mouth feel - borderline "creamy" considering the style and thin body. Lots of carbonation.

Easy drinker; relaxed, mild, and highly quaffable. Nothing tremendous in terms of flavor or aroma, but then again, nothing off-putting or offensive, either. I respect the originality of the style but I think I prefer "Steamy Windows" from Liberty Street over this one, despite its history as the precedent-setter.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2013 16:08:04 | More by tectactoe

RuEXP1

Illinois

3.59/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Served from 12 oz bottle into standard pint. pours a dark golden color. Little to no head when poured with a medium/heavy amount of carbonation, and a light amount of lacing.

S - Smells of fruit, maybe melon? Not to strong of a smell so it's tough to tell. Hops/malt come through as well.

T - Tastes of malt and some burnt caramel. Has a slight bitterness to it as well.

M - Has a nice tingle from the carbonation. Medium bodied beer that stays crisp the whole way through.

O - Solid beer that really embodies what a pilsner should be. I would say with this beer there is nothing 'new' about it. They set out to make a really solid beer and they did just that.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 04:04:33 | More by RuEXP1

machalel

Australia

3.26/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Dark amber with a strong beige head that settles down to about 5mm and lingers for the whole glass. A small amount of thin lacing down the glass.

Aroma: The first thing that came to mind was pineapples and rockmelon, but this was followed by some malt and graininess.

Taste: Initially, I actually could taste pears, but this disappeared after a few sips. The rest of it was a bit citrusy (grapefruit & lemon rather than orange) and a bit sharp. Some wholemeal bread and black pepper in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation, medium body. A little sharp and 'zingy' on the middle of the tongue, but not in a bad way. Finish was a bit dry.

Drinkability: Well this was my first California Common, and I wasn't really sure what to expect. Overall, I think that it is a nice drop, one that would go with a lot of different styles of cuisine, but I'm not sure if I would buy it to savour on its own merits.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 08:56:25 | More by machalel

ranger7

Texas

4.16/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a Samuel Adams etched glass.

A - Amber and gold glow with a very minimal bright white head.

S - Smells a bit sweet, kind of like honey. Maybe a little bit of hops bitterness.

T - A slight tang of hops, but mostly a soft, sweet taste. Nicely balanced.

M - Hardly any carbonation, which is good.

Summary - Anchor Steam is really a great beer. It's hard to explain, but it is just so smooth and balanced and drinkable. There is just the right amount of hops and sweetness. Possibly one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 03:00:19 | More by ranger7

estlinska

Arkansas

4.11/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a standard shaker from the bottle on 4/5/13. The color is a nice bronzed amber color with deep orange hues to it. It has a very active head of off-white bubbles and promises to be pretty active on the tongue. I've recently become a fan of the Northern Brewer hops and they definitely work well on the nose of this beer. The beer is very much full on malt and caramel with that distinctive lager yeast smell of fresh baked bread. The Northern Brewer hops play well to the background with good woodsy and minty smell to the background. The taste is fairly mild, but like expected, very active. It's a good malt and caramel backbone with that great scrubbing of the Northern Brewer hops giving that woodsy taste and a touch of lemon rind maybe to it. The mouthfeel is very full bodied and again, very active carbonation. This is a great session beer and very good overall. Without much surprise, it is the standard in my mind of a Steam Beer (I refuse to use California Common lol).

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 22:26:02 | More by estlinska

TheMarkE

California

3.54/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Amber, decent head, good lacing.

Smell: Grains and yeast.

Taste: Mild. Malts and a hint of spice. Salty and sweet.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, crisp, and dry. Slight salty aftertaste.

The Verdict: Not bad. I know it’s highly regarded by many, but it’s a bit too mild for my taste. I did enjoy it, but not enough to go looking for it.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 02:47:06 | More by TheMarkE

NiceTaps

New Jersey

4.01/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap in a pint glass.

A- Dark amber color, thick white head that will not quit and leaves decent lacing. Bubbly carbonation and radiant color enhance the look.

S- Bready, yeasty, caramel malty, and some fruity hops.

T-Pale malt and caramel backbone with some tart California lemony hop flavor. Earthy and pungent.

M- Great body for a 4.9 abv beer, nice crisp carbonation, too. There's some teeth to it, bite but not overly bitter. Dry malt and yeast finish.

O- Unique as a lager/ale, truly craft. Enjoyable very time.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2013 02:11:51 | More by NiceTaps

CrazyDavros

Australia

2.53/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.75

Pours dark amber with a large white head.
Nose shows grainy malt, cardboard notes, soft spicy hops and a bit of wholegrain bread.
Slightly better flavours, more malt. Other than that, not much difference.
Body seems watery.
Not sold on this at all.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 22:49:29 | More by CrazyDavros

Waypoint

New York

3.46/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A :Good light brown color nice carbonation.

S: Light malt aroma.

T: Mild flavor low amount of hops

M: Medium body smooth to swallow

O: A nice easy drinking beer refreshing but no wow factors. I liked the beer but I think that there are way too many other beers out there that are much more interesting.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 02:29:49 | More by Waypoint

AmitC

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The old legend of craft brewing.

Poured from the atypical bottle style of Anchor brewing co. into a snifter. Amber color. Almost negligible head. Decent lacing. Some bubbles.

Aroma is of slight malt and some caramel. Some minor grains and hops are apparent too.

Taste is a lot like malt liquor with some qualities of a lager. Slight graininess, a decent amount of malt flavor and a nice balancing act by hops. Finish is a lot grainy and dry.

Mouth feel is light to slightly medium bodied. Low to moderate carbonation. Very light with no warmth and astringency.

Style Rate: 4.25
Personal Rate: 3.5

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 02:35:33 | More by AmitC

capnamerica

Arkansas

4.29/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Anchor Steam

A: This was the most disappointing aspect of this beer. Great copper/rust color but little to no head.

S: Very malty with some slight caramel in there as well.

T: Amazing taste. A great balance of combining both salty and sweet flavors. Let the beer sit and warm just a bit and these flavors increase quite a bit,

M: Sticky and medium bodied.

O: Highly recommended. Definitely a great find if you can catch it on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2013 00:44:34 | More by capnamerica

sommersb

Tennessee

3.99/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Tasted On: 02-20-2013
Freshness: Bottling code 2SJ (09-10-2012)
Packaging: 12 oz. brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Signature glass
Purchased: Single from Whole Foods, Nashville

I don't care for Anchor's bottle dating system. I guess its better than nothing, but is so cryptic it's useless when I'm in a store. I probably would have passed on this sample since it is 5 months old...

Pours a clear copper color, with a good sized off-white head. Both retention and lacing are good.

Aromas remind me somewhat of a pilsner, with sweet pale malts and earthy hops.

Taste is clean and lager-like; the caramel maltiness is balanced by woody/earthy moderate hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel is crisp and highly carbonated with a lager cleanness, finishing with a moderate wood and earthy bitter note.

Overall a good thirst-quencher; tastes much like a pilsner and seems well-made.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 20:07:29 | More by sommersb

jamiejohnson

California

4.45/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I genuinely love this beer. Super session craft brew that's smooth and super tasty. But to be honest I'm rating it so high because of the pioneer factor. I'm 55 yrs old and to anyone else who endured the fizzy 70's and 80's, especially in a rural area like where I grew up - you know what I mean. Fritz and Homebrew Charlie P saved the day and instigated the craft beer gold rush. Nowadays there's literally thousands of excellent brews out there. Thank you so much Anchor Brewing

Way back then
I drank pee
Anchor Steam
Set me free

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 05:09:30 | More by jamiejohnson

Alextricity

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Enjoyed straight from the bottle at Green Dot Stables in Detroit, Michigan.

Anchor Steam is a beer that I've wanted to try for awhile now, but just now decided to finally order one and get my first taste. I had never had a beer of this style before, so I was actually surprised. With the ABV and the name "Steam" beer I was expecting a light beer that was light on flavor and pretty much a slightly better version of an adjunct lager... it's better than that. The smell is of malts with a fair amount of hops. The taste has mild hops on the front, with a malty and bitter finish. I was not expecting this beer to taste the way that it did, but I enjoyed it. I had Black Crown by Budweiser just last week, and honestly, this tastes like a craft version of that beer. It has a similar malt aftertaste with a trace of wood, but with a bit less sweetness and more bitterness. Clearly, this beer is MUCH better than Black Crown will ever be, but that's a beer a lot of people are familiar with that I would compare this one to.

Would not exactly be my beer of choice (There's nothing offensive about it at all and it's a solid, craft beer), but it's a very respectable beer with a lot of history behind it.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 04:52:54 | More by Alextricity

Mike151014

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

poured into pilsner glass from bottle at about 38 degrees.

L- Amber color with slightly amber tinted head, two fingers, which hung around for most of the drink. Moderate lacing not much carbonation.

S-The malty hops are the first aroma, followed by a sweet tinge of caramel. Other than that there wasn't anything that stood out. Don't let the smell fool you, this beer is very good.

T-Again the hops are the first thing I tasted, a delicious brew all around. The after taste left a sweet caramel note that hung around for a bit.

F-Feel was a little flat, and dry.

O-Very well done you can taste the quality.

poured from a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 23:42:09 | More by Mike151014