Midnight Ride

Anchor Liberty Ale:
I open this beer at midnight in keeping with Liberty Ale's tradition. Originally brewed on April 18th, 1975 to commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of Paul Revere's midnight ride, Liberty still rings the bell of freedom. Even though Anchor is on the wrong coast, I pretty much love everything they make. Liberty Ale isn't their ultimate effort, but it's pretty darn good.

Ok, listen up: We need to talk for a moment about bottle vs. glass. We will have an open town hall meeting on this very topic in the future, so be on the lookout. But here are my thoughts: I like to sip a beer out of the bottle first before deciding on whether to pour it into a glass. True beer lovers acknowledge the difference since the amount of air in the beer, the olfactory system's access to the aroma, and several other factors come into play here. How much hits the tongue? What part of the tongue? And when?

Anyway, I'm not afraid to drink any Anchor brew out of the bottle. Sometimes I actually prefer it (as with the Steam). Liberty Ale is much drier and much hoppier out of the bottle. Poured into a standard pint glass, the flavors soften and open up. It's a little maltier and smoother, and therefore easier to drink. Beginners should pour it into a glass. If you're more of a hop-head, drink out of the bottle. They're not so different that I'll review them separately, but just be advised.

This beer is not blah. It has an American ingenuity to it that will make you proud to drink it. And at a fairly mellow 6% abv, you can treat yourself to a few. It would be dynamite at a barbeque.

My love for Anchor and their Liberty Ale's patriotic genesis should push me to stand with hand over heart and pledge allegiance to it. Anyone with some fermentnational pride would do the same. Liberty Ale is better than a lot of beers, but it falls a little shy of national holiday material.

DO try a sixpack before jumping into a case.
DON'T stop drinking or the terrorists will win.

Anchor Brewing Company Liberty Ale:

Representation: .8
Accessability: .8
Style: .75
Personal Preference: .75

Total Score: 3.1 Flags