Anchor Liberty Ale - Anchor Brewing Company

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.48/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Into a pint glass. Clear, medium straw color with two fingers of foamy head. Head held through the entire pint. Quite aromatic in the pour.
Nice smelling bouquet of citrus and spruce.
Big bitterness upfront, mellow sweetness in the middle, pine bitter finish and aftertaste.
Silky crisp texture, low carbonation.
Cannot go wrong with this one. It's the benchmark of its style and of craft beer in general.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 17:09:45 | More by Fatehunter

DannyHartman

2.98/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

As I pour a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass, a healthy and massive head appears atop a beautiful deep golden brew.... That's where this beer climaxes in my eyes.... From there, it's all downhill....

The smell is mostly that of citrus like orange.... Some floral notes, and only the slightest note of spicy hops.... For an "I.P.A.", the hoppiness in the nose is greatly lacking....

I take a sip, and I experience even more disappointment.... Mostly tastes of orange, lemon, a little spice, and just the slightest bit of hoppy bitterness.... Again, not what I expect in an "I.P.A."....

The mouthfeel is.... Wait.... There is no mouthfeel.... This is as watered down as a Budweiser....

I can promise that once this 6-pack is done, it will have been the last time I have this brew.... I prefer the original Anchor Steam.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 18:15:04 | More by DannyHartman

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

355ml bottle poured into a pint glass. ABV 5.9%.

A - Poured a slightly hazy deep gold with orange hues. 2cm reduced to an everlasting 5mm head with some lasting power. Plenty of lacing.

S - Hops upfront with citrus, spicy notes, and some grass. Malts in the background.

T - Malty honey like sweetness, citrus, lemongrass, some spiciness and nutty notes. Lasting bitter finish.

M - Medium body, creamy, tangy, dry finish.

D - Pretty good. I like it more now that I've developed a palate for IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 02:03:53 | More by decimator

Living816

2.9/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer touts itself as being brewed since 1975. In this case, that's not a good thing. Sometimes things are vintage and sometimes they're outdated. This is the latter case.

It's a supremely underwhelming production from a brewer that ought to know better. The smell is slightly hoppy, the hop character profoundly lacking and underwhelming. It tastes like a dry hopped Anchor Steam. In other words, nothing special. Anchor Steam works because of its amazing simplicity. For an IPA, that's not a good thing.

It finishes with a horrible astringency. There's a bizarre lingering bitterness that doesn't belong.

This was an average beer that, in 1975 may have been an IPA. Today, it's scarcely a pale ale in character. Not recommended at all for those who like an American style IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 00:47:36 | More by Living816

tsavatar

Romania

4.23/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First time taste of Anchor's Liberty Ale. Bought from my friendly local beer specialist.
Poured into a Val-Dieu chalice for presentation. Thin head, quickly disappeared into a small foamy film, ale looks light copper in colour, a bit on the murky opaque side.

Smell is refreshing! Citrusy with a strong overnote of spicy hops from the dry-hopping. Hint of caramel and more citrus come out progressively as the beer starts to warm.

A bit on the watery side the Liberty Ale is still quite pleasant on the palate, the amountof carbonation just right.

Taste is refreshing, strong yet very pleasant, a hop symphony. Hoppy citrus, spice and Some sweet malts as it warms. Bitter-dry and full of character it is still a tad too watery to be amongst the best in its class.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 15:31:20 | More by tsavatar

matttttYCE

Arizona

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Plenty of foamy white head, about two fingers worth. Sticky lace. Lovely clear amber colored liquid.

Lots of floral, citrus, and minty hop qualities, bitterness, fruity esters, some sweetness (honey-like), and biscuity malts.

Sweet balanced maltiness backs up the fresh and hoppy floral, citrus, herbal, light tropical fruit, and minty hop qualities, with a decent bitter bite and some esters and light caramel and honey sweetness. Great taste.

Light medium body, light and smooth carbonation (but not too light), creamy consistency, and a light, short finish that's accented by light hop notes like citrus and mint, bitterness, and some sweetness.

First of all, this is an American IPA? What? Really? Cause I swear before it was a Pale and referred to as Liberty Pale Ale. Either way you classify it, a damn good beer, but I'm rating this as an APA, because that's what I think it to be. And as an APA it's in the top of it's class, for my money. One of the hop components I believe is shared with Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA and it just makes these two beers both quite memorable for me. It's like a a citric mint charcoal bite and aroma and something else that I can't quite pit my finger on. Whatever it is, this is what turned me on to APAs and IPAs and was the beginning of my love for both. Awesome beer! Give it a try if you like anything even relatively hoppy.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 03:31:51 | More by matttttYCE

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

First had: pitcher shared by the folks from Anchor, at Capone's, Norristown, PA

Poured a clearish pale copper color with a thin wispy white head. Very little detectable in the nose, mild citrusy hops and grainy malts. Taste was similarly muted, especially for an IPA, especially for an IPA being showcased by the brewer himself. Very light flavor, pale biscuity malts underneath a citrusy but subdued hop presence. Body is light, the beer, while lacking in flavor overall, is smooth and quite drinkable, but just too bland and thin compared to what I like in my AIPAs.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2012 15:40:44 | More by Rifugium

MadScientist

New York

4.13/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This pours a medium gold with very good clarity. The persistent off-white head of rocky bubble falls to a 1/4 of an inch but is easily roused.

S: Moderate citrus hops and a grassy dry hopped aroma along with a floral alcohol note dominate the aroma. There is a moderately-low biscuity malt aroma with a light note of caramel. There is also a yeast ester of oranges that start very low bt becomes more apparent as it warms.

T: A moderate flavor of citrus hops with a moderate hops bitterness dominate the flavor. The moderately-low malt sweetness has a light caramel flavor. The balance is mostly bitter with a dry finish and a lingering aftertaste of hop bitterness.

M: This is a medium-light bodied beer with moderate carbonation. There is no warmth and a little dry hopped astringency.

O: This is an IPA with American hops with excellent balance of flavor. I generally seek out hoppy IPA but still enjoy this beer from time to time. It's a great example of the style but most would think it's more of an English IPA with American hops.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 01:37:44 | More by MadScientist

imasloth

Texas

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pale yellowish orange with large cream-colored foamy head. Thick lacing- left rings at each level of beer.

S- Complex- hints of citrus and pine hops. Some sweetness. A bit medicinal in an aloe way (good here).

T- Bitterness upfront with citrus and pine following. Sweetness remained but always behind the hoppiness.

M- Medium-bodied, smooth with light bitter feel.

O- Good. I really liked this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 00:05:19 | More by imasloth

IronLover

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Honey yellow in color with a deep haze. Poured with short frothy foam that quickly reduced to a wispy cap. Resinous citrus orange and light pineapple hop aromas with biscuit and honey aromas beneath. Medium bodied with slightly subdued but tangy carbonation. Citrus orange bitterness up front and into the middle. Tangy hop bite thru the middle that introduces pine hop flavors to the finish. Sweet malt, biscuit and honey flavored backbone throughout. Finishes with lingering pine hop bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 01:23:46 | More by IronLover

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bright amber colour with a huge foamy, bubbly white head that stays very well and consistent for a good couple of minutes.

A good mix of pine hops and tropical fruits and citrus. The smell was a little more subdued than I was expecting but it was still a nice aroma. I enjoyed the orange notes and touches of grapefruit.

Slightly bitter to begin with, mixing pine hops and lighter grapefruit flavours than most American style IPA’s I have tried. The tropical fruit notes and hints of orange zest where nice as was the subdued citrus notes.

Smooth & medium bodied with a well balanced mix of fruits and medium carbonation and a great, refreshingly fruity taste with hints of bitterness right at the end.

Another great beer from the Anchor brewery, probably not my favourite but still a classic right off the bat. The flavours all worked well together and struck a good balance. Good fruit notes that were refreshing and went down well.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 21:21:13 | More by flyingpig

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

4.23/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

355ml bottle. ½ Pint glass. Single brewer tasting session on agt´12. (Enjoyed many times in the past). Orangish amber color. Chill haze. White froth & firm lasting crown. Floral & citric hops, grapefruit notes, pine & some mildy toasted malts to the nose. Biscuit malts at first sip, light sweetness & hops showing a citric & floral touch whit aggressive bitterness. Medium to high body. Moderate carbonation. Oily texture. Coupled malts & hops in the middle with orange & grapefruit hues resolves in a dry bitter finish. Refreshing. Easy drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 22:28:21 | More by GONZALOYANNA

curasowa

New York

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Slightly hazy orange color, with one finger of head that fades slowly to a thin cap with chunky lacing.

Aroma: Lightly toasted malt, a little bready and hints of banana, orange rind and cinnamon.

Taste: Mildly astringent malt quickly followed by a nice bitter bite with a mix of earthy and piney hop notes. Residual malt sweetness is ever present under the bitterness, providing a nice contrast. The finish is fairly astringent with lingering bitterness.

The Rest: Body is medium to just on the thin side of this tasty IPA. This is a nice change-up from the typical AIPA, with the malt having a more prominent role in the taste profile. It has great balance with a lot of back and forth between the hop and malt characters.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 00:10:34 | More by curasowa

Jparker37

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into a sam adams perfect pint.

A - Poured to leave yeast in the bottle. Good clarity, light orange color. Pillowy off white head.

S - Awesome tropical/citrus hops. A touch of some herbal hops. Very mild caramel lays the path for some malt backbone. Some powdery yeast is a great touch.

T - Has a nice bready/biscuit malt flavor that lasts halfway through before the citrusy/herbal hops craftily jump in to dry it out.

M - Medium body, medium carbonation. Also, just the right amount of linger to the hops that make you beg for more.

O - This beer shows awesome craftsmanship. It's beautiful how the hops can be so present in aroma but in flavor let malt shine through and finish with a reminding amount of flavor and dryness.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 01:55:45 | More by Jparker37

BierStein711

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Why is this an IPA????

This is far from an IPA. Where is the hop???

On tap in pint glass

This tastes more like a Belgian Ale, no bitterness!!!! Where are the hops???

Mouthfeel: Watery

Smells, like sweet malt

I will not have this beer again. It does not fit its style at all.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2012 20:00:17 | More by BierStein711

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

**DISCLAIMER***
I gave it all 4s, but the words are more important. Ignore the numbers.

Ive heard such good things. Pour is a deep gold with a thick frothy head. This is the definition of floral hops. Base is slick and soapy, but the hops are light and dare I say delicate, but they work. Its drinkable, and the slightly sweet honey malt has a slight bite, but it works here. The floral hops are really good. Never thought id like them here, but I do.

Now this whole rating it as an IPA, either its old or the ABV is just over the line. This is a fantastic delicately balanced Pale, but nowhere near what an IPA should be.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 16:31:25 | More by VncentLIFE

beer_forever

4.8/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

the Holy Grail of any given week day. bitter, dry, strong, exactly what you want in the evening. couldn't drink more than a couple without eating a fresh sandwich (rye bread, veganesse, pepper, and tomato slices) but you definitely won't regret trying this. i usually don't go out of my comfort zone (too many disappointments, of course) but this time i'm glad i did :)

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 03:52:22 | More by beer_forever

Danny1217

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A hazy gold color with a nice foamy head with good retention. Smells of light fruits, caramel, honey, and some earthy floral aromas.
The taste is heavy on the malts (especially considering that this is considered an IPA.) Some sweet caramel, apple, pear, and a slight hop bite that leads to a crisp, dry finish. Somewhat light body with a lot of carbonation. Very drinkable.

I feel more comfortable judging this as a pale ale, rather than an IPA. It is just too malt focused. However, it is still a very good beer. Very sessionable too. I could see myself drinking a six pack of this.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 19:09:54 | More by Danny1217

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Amber brew with nice clarity and outstanding head retention. Still sitting at a half-inch after fifteen minutes. 4.5

Malty backbone noticed first and quickly. Sweet bread aromas. Hops are floral and a tad citrusy. Balanced nose. 3.5

Floral/herbal hops with restrained bitterness. Caramel malt flavors bleed through with a few toasted notes. Faint pine in the distance. A little battery acid in the finish. 3.5

Smooth and filled-out. Subdued suds almost creams the feel. 4.0

Decent IPA, or APA, or whatever it is. Finally scored a fresh pour. Cheers! 3.5

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2012 03:58:53 | More by thecheapies

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Pint Glass

Appearance - Hazy orange/golden yellow with a soapy 2 finger head with decent retention. Good sticky lacing along the sides

Smell - Honey, yeasts, citrus hops, sweet malts, and barley.

Taste - Honey, yeasts, malts, biscuits and barley. Slight resin-like aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Very light bodied with a light carbonated feel. Feels pretty smooth on the palate

Overall - Nothing special, it's just a good yet simple beer to drink. However, don't pass it up should you be offered the chance to try it

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 01:56:31 | More by NuclearDolphin

Moondog

3.53/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Light amber, golden, lively, thick foamy head, lacing

S: Hoppy pine and citrus

T: Nicely balanced, light malt, bitter (not over the top), and a tinge floral, lingers and then finishes clean.

M: Lively beer, good carbonation.

O: Good introduction into American Pale Ale's. Solid beer for the buck.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 02:40:37 | More by Moondog

rangerred

Tennessee

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a slightly hazy light copper with a thick one finger head. Awesome head retention.

The aroma is full of piny hops with a little bit of citrus thrown in. Also a little bit of earthyness and wood.

The flavor is more pine along with a touch of citrus almost reminding me of lime. The hops definitely lean towards the earthy/pine realm. A little bit of caramel malt along with some wood. Mouthfeel is quite nice with lively carbonation.

Really a pretty good beer that to me is a little bit different than many other IPA's out there. This one seems to lean a little more British than American but it is definitely a beer everyone should try.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 23:58:15 | More by rangerred

goldendenizen

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: nice full light amber hue. Pretty!

S: Fresh SF beer, as Anchor is in Potrero Hill. Definitely has an odor that's emblematic of the taste. Strong hoppiness.

T: Love the natural carbonation (yes I count it as taste). Straw hoppy, less malt sugar taste which I prefer. Cross between an IPA and pale ale.

M: Great! Again, the natural carbonation is where it's at.

O: Support your local brewery. Fresh tasty ale which is a boon for hopheads without being a IPA or DIPA. Great session beer with great carbonation!

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 23:28:21 | More by goldendenizen

soju6

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy copper color with a good head that fades slowly to nice lacing.

S: Clean aroma of citrus and pine with some malt sweetness.

T: Taste starts with a bit of tart, malt sweetness and a bit of honey in the background. Nice bitterness and a dry finish.

F: Medium body, crisp and smooth. Nicely balanced.

O: Enjoyable beer. Another solid offering from the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 10:20:35 | More by soju6

stlunatic15

California

3.48/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance is dark golden in color, slightly thick - almost looks like an unfiltered beer. Standard white foam head.

Smell - small hints of orange & tangerine. Light scents of pine and trees.

Taste - Starts off hoppy with a bitter finish. No other tastes to be honest; tastes like a standard pale ale.

Mouthfeel - definitely lingering. I can feel the bubbles and carbonation around the outsides of my tongue. Not too thin but not too thick either.

Overall - Nothing special to me, personally. Easy drinking with still a lot of flavor, but not amazing to the point where I'd recommend it to others.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 03:36:34 | More by stlunatic15