Anchor Steam Brekle’s Brown Ale

I left the studio after our last interview with Mark Hartell and was inspired to drink a brown ale.  Picked up this little 16oz of Anchor Steam Brekle’s Brown Ale for $4 or so at the grocery store and sat down to try it out.

This is an all malt, single-hopped brown, but it poured a bit more clear (ruby brown) and with fluffier head than the style usually shows.   The aroma is definitely malty–sweet roasted malts in particular–and there’s also a tinge of citrus that’s not normally reflected in the style. Definitely looking forward to drinking it!

It tastes similar to the aroma, though it’s a surprisingly light brown.  Not heavy, not thick, and not cloying, Brekle’s Brown was surprisingly refreshing. I picked up the roasted malts and found then to be a bit sweet, but the spice (including a dash of cinnamon) distracted me enough to keep me happy.

Definitely a drinkable session beer that I wouldn’t be embarrassed to bring to a friends house.  One word of warning: Though only 6%, this beer hit me hard.
Would I buy it again? Absolutely. For $4 it’s a great value from one of the West Coast’s oldest (and certainly most storied) breweries.