Beer Review: Anchor Liberty Ale

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: Six percent

Appearance: This beer was a pretty shade of orange. It was an attractive combination of orange and mango, to be more exact. There was a initial layer of vivid white foam for the brew's head. A little bit of weakness was evident by the extreme lack of lacing, but there were a few noticeable carbonation bubbles. Still, these bubbles didn't appear to provide for any decent texture later in the process. There was also the slightest of hazes in this.

Smell: The aroma of this brew was very fruity, overall. Still, it was citrusy and floral. It had an easy-going hop nose. Amazingly, my sinuses weren't destroyed! The smell of this reminded me more of a fruit beer than an IPA, which I liked.

Taste: This was very balanced. There was a hint of citrus and fruit up front before getting some hop bitterness on the middle and back portions. A tasty cracker/bread flavor accentuated the finish. A touch of paleness was the explanation point at the end of each sip. Very smooth.

Overall Rating: 

I don't want to make a pun given the name of the beer, but this is best described as what I'd call a "free IPA." It's not totally dominated by hops as many of the style are nowadays. The flavor is all there, but I'd like a little more feeling and texture to it. Not a lot of carbonation and the head was hardly present in this beer. I still enjoyed, though.