Having never drank a barley wine before, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I picked up a six pack of Old Foghorn. I knew that Anchor’s other offerings, like their Steam beer and their Porter, were delightful, so I figured this might be worth a taste. It turned out to be a great selection. Old Foghorn pours out into a brownish amber color, and looks a little murky, showing that it hasn’t been filtered beyond oblivion. This left me with the impression that it should have a fairly robust taste, and it didn’t let me down. The taste was malty, with some fruit overtones in it, maybe raisins or grapes. The 8% ABV is noticeable at first because it is so different from other styles, but you quickly get used to it and can enjoy the rest of the flavor. The beer goes down exceptionally well for being so strong, which makes it highly drinkable. I’d recommend this as a first barley wine for someone interested. It didn’t turn me off from the style, but it also left me wanting to try others. Overall I’d say it gets a B+.
