Brewery: Anchor Brewing Company
Location: San Francisco, USA
ABV: 5.6%
Version 355ml bottle

Anchor Porter was launched in the early 1970s and is made with only natural ingredients, including a generous helping of fresh whole hops. It gets off to a good start with its pitch black colour and decent head, along with initially loads of bubbles from the natural carbonation which soon settle down. The smell is as expected, that lovely aroma of all good porters, combining malt, chocolate and coffee with some biscuit and a touch of liquorice. First taste is of a delightful chocolate maltiness, with those aforementioned hops quickly coming through to add a little bit of zing to the proceedings, with just enough added to keep the flavour on the right side of pleasant. There’s also a touch of smokiness from the roasted malt hiding in the background. Mouthfeel is a bit thinner than I like from a porter, and the finish is a bit short-lived, but it’s still very drinkable and worth sampling.