Review of Anchor Humming Ale

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Review of Anchor Humming Ale

18 May

Tonight, I thought I would tackle another beer from the Anchor Brewing Company out of San Francisco, California.

Every beer they brew is top notch in my opinion, however I found one the other day that I have never tried and I wondered how it would stack up against the others. It’s the Anchor Humming Ale.

From the website, anchorbrewing.com, we find this:

HUMMING is an ancient term, used centuries ago to describe both ales and beers. Although its origins are shrouded in mystery, it suits this bold hoppy ale, which we have created to celebrate the anniversary of our first brew at 1705 Mariposa Street. From that very day we were humming!

Anchor’s Humming Ale was first brewed in San Francisco on August 13, 2009, 113 years after our founding and thirty years to the day since the first brew in our new brewhouse.

Anchor is one of my favorite brewers, so I’m hoping that doesn’t change with this beer.

The Humming Ale comes in the traditional Anchor 12 oz. bottle and has an ABV of 5.9%.

From the pour I received a very nice orange color. It was hazy with some bright yellow highlights around the bottom and edges. An astonishingly bright white head that was both soapy and thick. It was long lasting and had some vast lacing too. It looks really good.

At first, the smell gave me some grapefruit and orange citrus. Neither were obnoxiously strong, but rather well suited and precise. A floral, somewhat piny, hop nose is noted along with a deep biscuit scent. The fragrance is balanced well, however it’s not as strong as what an IPA might be. The bouquet is solid all around.

As I took my first sip, I was greeted with the, previously mentioned, grapefruit tones. The bitterness is prodigious and able-bodied. Hearty enough for any hop fan in my opinion. The orange citrus is pushed to the side, more-so in the flavor, to let the biscuit-y malt come forth and join in the fun.

The mouthfeel was medium, smooth and crisp. It covers the palate soundly. The Humming Ale is mostly refreshing and dry, although I did find that it got a little bit watery towards the end of the drink. Still, for the most part, a nice showing.

This is a very nice, very solid, very respectable Ale. It had wonderful, bitter punches of flavor throughout the experience. Not to mention it was pleasing on the eyes. A great beer for when hanging around the BBQ or relaxing on a sunny afternoon. It was easily quaffable and fun to swig. It’s a brew that could be pondered if need be or just turned up and “downed” if that is your choice. I like it and I think I will pick up a six-er of this the next time I see it. Don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself and see if you like it.

Is Anchor a favorite brewery of yours?

Score: 4.1 out of 5
Grade: A-