Anchor Brewing Co.: Liberty Ale

The birthplace of liberty (my dear Philly) is not the birthplace of liberty ale. But they do sell Liberty Ale out here (at least at the pizza place down the street they do), so I figured I'd give it a review.

Liberty is a pale ale. But it's not nearly as citrusy as Sierra Nevada. There are some faint fruit notes, but the hops are the taste that come in boldly (and with a faintly earthy taste to them). There's a little bit of malty sweetness evident here when you get through the initial hop burst, but--true to the American pale style--they are pretty mild. Furthermore, the beer has a very light flavor, which means that the sweetness is pretty much gone in a flash. A bear hint of oranges (I think) lingers on the tongue, along with a substantial dose of hops hops hops.

What makes this beer pretty remarkable is that it can be so light bodied and yet so flavorfully satisfying at the same time. It's damn cold outside, and this is definitely a summery beer, but in retrospect I'm glad I didn't go for a stout. Sometimes a bold enough summer beer is exactly what a dreary winter night calls for.