Bottle/Tap: Bottle, pint +6
Do not let the name deceive you; this is no small beer. What the name refers to is a brewing tradition where two beers would be made out of the same mash. You’d have your first large batch and you use what was left to create a smaller batch of beer, a younger sibling if you will. This beer is the younger sibling of Old Foghorn Barelywine and you can tell. I picked this up on a whim and I had to read a little bit about it before I almost threw it out. Let me explain.
Since I didn’t know what to expect, I tried to keep an open mind. The aroma was subtle and bitter and the taste was bitter in a burnt sort of way. I had a few swallows before I read the label a bit closer and realized that it was supposed to taste this way. When you hear people order a ‘pint of bitter’ this is as close to that style beer as you can get. Since it was made from the leftovers of a barelywine there were plenty of bitter and burnt notes all around.
At first, I didn’t like it very much. The beer had been sitting in the fridge and I took it out then poured it in a large glass and thought it looked like a regular pale ale. This ‘small’ beer packs a big taste and that was apparent as soon as it touched my lips. When I got over the bitter taste I noticed that there was a dry aftertaste as well. This was one of the strangest styles of beer I’ve ever encountered, ranks up there with the sour ale, however I thought it was pretty good.
Tags: Anchor Brewing, Beer, photo, review
