Anchor Liberty Ale - Anchor Brewing Company

jkdrummer

Washington

4.65/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep yellow steady carb and a head that doesn't quit.

Citrusy and fruity aromas that really are noticeable.

Sweet with strong APA characteristics with the hops taking center stage. Dry aftertaste.

TO me, this is the one of the best APA beers out there. You've got to love the honesty and consistency of this product. Perfect any time. Highly recommended.

Jk

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2008 00:19:48 | More by jkdrummer

FireStarter6

Ontario (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Comes in a fat 650ml brown bottle. Round label featuring a pair of wings and an anchor.

Pours out an amber-hued gold with the tiniest bit of haze. Medium sized white head that settles down to half its original height and retains as a thicker looking foam.

Smells of strong hops. Zesty, citrusy.

Mmm... Very nice hops. Zesty, of citrus and fresh pine and mint. Smooth, mild malt background. A touch of fresh honey in the finish. Lovely taste. Like a good IPA, but slightly milder, and more defined.

Mid-strong, yet smooth carbonation.

Overall, what a lovely hop-heavy ale. I really enjoyed this one. Lovely, strong, well rounded taste. Its wonderful to see such a great beer come out of America, from a small brewery still making its beer by hand. Never had a better American beer than this one. Cheers to them for brewing it, and to anyone who picks up this beer and tries it.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2010 07:13:40 | More by FireStarter6

BeerAficionadoMCMXC

California

4.65/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

It appears a golden color with good head retention. The aroma is belgian-esque with a hoppy and cereal smell. The taste begins with the belgian flavor, a kind of estery citrus perhaps. It is followed by a light and hoppy finish. A well balanced ale as the body remains medium to light. I'd drink six.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 02:21:29 | More by BeerAficionadoMCMXC

cracgor

Texas

4.63/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours out an orangish color with a nice creamy little head. The beer is a little too hazy, maybe from the refrigerator, who knows. Smells nice and citrusy. Has a great cascade hop smell. The beer tastes perfect. Exceptionally well balanced. The hops have a nice fruity, citrusy flavor. A nice sweetness. Not very bitter. The kind of beer I could drink all day. Mouthfeel is crisp and clean.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2006 19:12:28 | More by cracgor

bobhits

Kentucky

4.63/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Just wow....how did I go this long without trying this stuff? Maybe the packaging turned me off or something.

A. Big white head and a lightly on the yellow side amber color. Not many bubbles in there. Nothing special here.

S. There is a some malt (kinda of a bready smell). There is a nice citrusy fruity aroma as well. I just can't put how much like this to words.

T. Citrus. Hops that are on the sour side if that makes sense or maybe there's another flavor in here. Finishes with some sour flavor and some bready malt touch. This is a very unique taste unlike anything I've had, and it's just an APA?

M. Though you can't see bubbles, but there is plenty of carbonation. Odds are this is thicker than it feels because of the carbonation effect, but still wonderful.

D. I really could down a 6er of this. It begs to be consumed.

This is truly a special beer. It's too bad the bro's consider appearance so highly. This is without a doubt a solid A beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2008 00:23:32 | More by bobhits

YankChef

Louisiana

4.63/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12 oz. bottle poured into hennepin glass

Appearance: Golden, very light amber orange. THin clingy white head that can create some nice lacing

Aroma: Sweet and juicy with a little bit of rose water. Really in your face nose that is just outstanding.

Taste: Fresh and crisp tasting with some peach and maybe a little orange, crisp bitter hop bite, not the hoppiest IPA out there, but very full flavored.

Overall: A classic of the style and one of the first american IPA'a. A clear standard for the style and very enjoyable, maybe my favorite nose on an american IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2008 03:46:50 | More by YankChef

cdizinno

South Carolina

4.63/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Presentation: Poured into a pint glass from a 12oz short brown bottle.

A: Hazy light amber color with a nice creamy white 1-1/2 finger head.

S: Floral and citrus hops in the nose. Some grains too.

T&M: Medium bodied with a light malt sweetness. Mild balanced hop flvors are mixed in with the malts. Citrus fruitiness and bitterness. Finishes dry with raw hop coarseness, hop oils and some grain flavors.

I used to prefer the Anchor Steam, but this stuff is way more refreshing and drinkable. Excellent APA!

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2010 22:52:37 | More by cdizinno

rjplumer

Rhode Island

4.63/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Has nice fruity like aroma that grabs you. It has a nice head that lingers for quite awhile. Has murky honey like amber color with very active bubbles. The taste at first is a bitter but then subdues and goes down smoothly. I would definitely buy this one again.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2010 16:04:13 | More by rjplumer

nomad

Kansas

4.6/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured an almost translucent light orange with a subtle golden-yellow hue - an interesting color. Also had a rocky head and a little staining. Smelled of fruity hops in a clean but not just anti-septic way. Also detected grapefruit and a tiny bit of pine and florals.

Taste was a mix of tasty bitter, a nascent fruitiness that grew in strength, and an ambered malt flavor. Had a somewhat chewy bitter finish, of a very bitter grapefruit sort but not overbearing. A surprisingly session-styled ale with a solid bodied mouthfeel. A true rarity: a mild American pale ale. A good thing though, and it went well with cheeses that have character.

For me, the definition of "go-to beer." Cascade goodness!

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2003 14:22:01 | More by nomad

CSimon

Virginia

4.6/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Anchor Liberty is a great beer.

However, there is a catch.

While many IPA-style beers improve with age, I have found that the quality of Liberty tails offf fairly rapidly.

It is rare that I have ever had a bad Liberty on tap. Almost always it is lively hopped, a beautiful pour, unbelievably drinkable (great for long, late nights at a pub), and just plain damn good.

On the other hand, out of a bottle, 50% of the time it has been great, and the other 50% . . . .well, not great. Rotten weeds and next day frat-house keg beer come to mind. I don't know the reason for it, and have often wondered. But, if you get a stinker, Liberty can suck out of a bottle.

Of course, if you get a good one, it's nearly as good as on tap.

So seek it out on tap. And, if you buy it in a bottle from a source that you don't know well, you're rolling the dice. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing . . . .

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2005 23:56:22 | More by CSimon

leokbelo

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a golden copper with a 2 inch head that after a while dissipates into a nice inch lacing. Great piney scent, citrusy, gotta love those hops. A little grapefruit on the tongue, malty and delicious. Hoppy finish. Highly drinkable and highly recommended. Wow, what a great APA! Took me a while to review it (don't ask me why). Great session brew and from now on, a regular on my fridge!

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2010 02:24:06 | More by leokbelo

the42ndtourist

Ontario (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a slightly amber tinted golden, with a light white head that fades to a thin covering layer. Aroma is interesting, hops evident with light perfumes and a good dose of spicy hops. Taste is also quite interesting. Regardless of reputations, this is my first time trying Liberty Ale, and it leaps out to me as exactly what an APA should be. Flowery hops merely flesh out the spicy hop flavours, with quite a bit of sweetness to keep that all in check. Light (in a good way), refreshing, and ever so good. A fabulous beer, and a permanent fixture at the LCBO, so I have a new option for backup for when I can't find anything new.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2003 20:40:34 | More by the42ndtourist

Ardon

Ontario (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark amber appearance with a nice smooth frothy head. Mild malty aroma, very earthy smell but with a sweet balance. Soft malty taste on the pallet with a long bitter hop finish. Slightly sweet with that same earthiness as in the smell. Fantastic balance of malt and hops. I used to think this was a good session beer, yet now, like Anchor Steam, I find it very filling, like a meal in a glass.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2003 01:04:51 | More by Ardon

RushLimbmalt

Minnesota

4.58/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is a very good pale ale. It is a light orange color and has a creamy white head that leaves tons of lace on my glass. It has a nice citrusy aroma and a ton of malt in the nose too. The flavor is very crisp and the floral hoppiness is nice and sharp, but does not linger long in the aftertaste. A very drinkable pale ale from a world class brewer.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2004 01:10:44 | More by RushLimbmalt

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I was excited to see this offered as a sixtel at Paul A. Smith's in Pottstown. Even more excited after having one!

A: Poured with a UUUGE ED, and had a burnt yellow complexion.

S: Light, piney-hopped floral scent... enticing!

T: Wow, this is a fantastic pale ale. Complexity was apparent, as I noticed a bready/yeasty flavor up front, tightened up by a very well balanced piney hop tang in the finish.

M: Relatively dry, and refreshing - exactly what you would hope for in an APA.

D: Nice drinkability, with just the right balances of ... well, everything! Not too much of any aspect.

I'd highly recommend this fine APA! (and very glad that I have 5 gallons worth to enjoy with friends in the coming weeks!)

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2007 15:41:41 | More by BeerImmediately

roddwolff

Mexico

4.58/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tasted 10 february 2010, at 12 pm, while watching the game of FC Bayern for the DFB Cup. Once served in a pint glass. Look: Amber color, a finger of foamy head, wth good lacing; Smell: Citrus hops and fruit essences, predominant guava and orange, slightly malt cookie; Taste: Pine-Wood and earth hops, plus a cookie-scented malt, the fruit essences of the smell lost; Mouthfeel: Dry, woody and very bitter, medium to robust body, almost creamy, low carbonation; Drinkability: Excepciontal American-freedom beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2010 21:27:32 | More by roddwolff

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appears a slightly hazed light gold with a fluffy white head that seems to stick around forever. Solid tubes of lacing ate left around the glass.
Smell is of vanilla, citrus, ripe fruit and orange candies.
Taste is of the aromas with a perfect balance of hops, fruity flavors, and citrus.
Mouthfeel is medium full bodied from the yeast strain, creamy, and excellent in terms of being rounded.
A true classic beer... Can't believe I've never rated this before!

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2010 23:57:24 | More by weeare138

luvND

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a cloudy golden color. Perfect head, thick, white, creamy, invites you to drink it. Aroma is crisp with plenty of hop and some citrus. Taste is absolutely perfect for a session beer, plenty of hop with a smooth malt balance. The mouthfeel is like silk, this stuff just feels good on your tongue. Exceptional drinkability. I would have no problem making this my house ale. It's a nice session beer in winter and would make a great companion to any summer BBQ.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2003 21:38:21 | More by luvND

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A classic! It's slightly hazy (bottle-conditioned) golden-amber body is topped by a frothy white head that holds really well and leaves some very nice lace throughout the glass. Dry-hopped Cascades saturate the nose - perfumey, floral, lemony, and pine-like over some lightly caramel-tinged grainy malt. The hops are 'softer' from the dry-hopping, however, and not as 'sharp' as if they'd been added to the kettle. It's luxurious! The body is medium; and it's lightly crisp and then smooth and creamy in the mouth due in part to a very fine, natural carbonation from bottle conditioning. Cascades carry over into the flavor in a big way; wrapped in sweet, caramelish malt and backed by a firm bitterness. It's very well-rounded and nicely balanced, without the aggressive edge that many beers like this have. Absolutely worth seeking out!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2003 19:45:18 | More by NeroFiddled

Hobbz

Rhode Island

4.55/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Ahhh, my old fav, grassy-assed but respectful friend has paid a visit.

What can I say about a beer that was the first real one!? It's like the one-in-a-million chance meeting of the person/place/thing that changes your life and you realize you won't ever be alone any more (though you never were -- it just seamed that way)...

Finding this beer was not the one-in-a-million, but its effect on me certainly was. In this sense and more I ascribe it perfection -- on BA, I will play by the rules and not by my emotions!

This is a bold, assertive beer in flavor and taste. I absolutely love its balance. And yet separated out, each of the main components -- for example grain-bill and hops -- has its own discernable characteristics worthy of notice (grain bitterness with malt sweetness; oily hop bite yet with a strong dry, Cascade dry-hopping). This is THE flagship American pale-/India-pale- ale before all others.

1989 perhaps, in a small, long-forgotten East Village bar where the proprietor was proudly serving up ALL Anchor products on draft...you will never be forgotten.

(PS: in this review whatever unsappy, man-ridden facades I might chose have long lost out)

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2003 05:23:05 | More by Hobbz

TrevorGW

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

look- Beautiful copper color. A bit cloudy, which I appreciate.

feel - great because it is lightly carbonated but still gives the mouth that great sensation. Nice and wet, refreshing.

taste - great deep, soft hop flavor that doesn't kill the malt. The bitterness is balanced perfectly.

Great beer, which I slightly prefer to regular Anchor Steam. Thank god this beer is widely distributed!

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2008 18:29:43 | More by TrevorGW

xhcadamx

Maine

4.55/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - medium honey with a with huge long lasting white head and lots of lacing.

S - Cascde hops and a background of grain

T - this is a true masterpiece. It has the base recipe that all Anchor beers have. This isn't a bad thing. Perfect balance between malt and hops.

M - all of their beers are krausened which gains so much respect from me. take the tour it will change your life.

D - Anchor is in the top five of my breweries ever for good reason all their beers are approachable but amazing.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2009 04:39:50 | More by xhcadamx

CajunCavern

Louisiana

4.55/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle - Pours golden color with thick white head - I like a little foam. Good hoppy nose. Citrus, smack of grapefruit, hint of orange peel. Sourdough. Good balance of malt. When I get an APA like this one, and perhaps Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, I really am a big fan of the style (APA). Kudos to the brew master. This would go well with Mexican food and crawfish etouffee.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2010 18:55:44 | More by CajunCavern

Mark

California

4.53/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Light in color, strong in taste. The alcohol is very prominent. Excellent aroma, good mouthfeel, nice solid lacing. Taste seemed to change a bit as the glass was emptied. Very complex solid beer from the brewery that started me on the road to beer snobdom. As an update. The last few bottles have been very refreshing with much less alcohol strength in evidence. A real tremendous beer from the pioneers!

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2002 22:28:01 | More by Mark

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +15%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Liberty American Style Pale Ale is, without a doubt, Anchor Brewing's best year round offering. The wonderful hop bouquet is immediately noticed and appreciated when poured into the glass and unlike most American pale ales, the aroma lingers, albeit more subtlety as the brew disappears. The rich copper color shines brightly. I believe Maaco should offer this color in a car paint. They could call it 'Liberty Deep Copper'. It would certainly look great on my Jeep!

After taking the time to fully admire the fine hop nose and rich copper color, the next outstanding trait of Liberty Pale Ale one notices is the hop distinctive taste. The fresh whole hops are in abundance, yet not overwhelming. There's a crisp metallic sharp-edged bitterness with light citrus undertones. The sharpness diminishes slightly as you drink it down and the hop to malt difference becomes less exaggerated and more balanced and smooth. The medium to full malt body is lightly sweet with a hint of nuts. It seems to me that a lot of care has been taken in the malt roasting process. My hats off to the Brew Master.


Liberty Ale is truly a world-class Pale Ale!

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2002 10:52:33 | More by BeerResearcher