Head to Head: Anchor Liberty Ale vs. Terrapin Rye Pale Ale
Welcome to another Head to Head challenge. Today we have two American Pale Ales. Both are from America. The first is a beer that has been around for a long time in the craft brew world Anchor Liberty Ale from Claifornia. The second is a Pale Ale with a twist, the Terrapin Rye Pale Ale from Georgia.
As usual the tasting was done blind and to style.
Price: Winner – Terrapin
Terrapin – $8.99 (6 pack 12oz bottles)
Anchor – $10.99 (6 pack 12 oz bottles)
Appearance: Winner – Anchor by a head
Terrapin – The rye pours yellowish amber with a decent sized slightly off white head. The head leaves a bit of lace but diminishes substantially.
Anchor – This pours the same yellowish amber with a very large and frothy slightly off white head. The head leaves very nice lace and lasts for a good while.
Aroma: Winner – Anchor
Terrapin – The rye has a very light aroma of cereal.
Anchor – The anchor has a good aroma. There is a definite malt aroma of straw and molasses. There is also a bit of fruit and spice although these are very faint.
Taste: Winner – Anchor
Terrapin – The flavor starts with a small amount of bitterness but then the Rye becomes the main flavor. You can definitely taste the rye although I would say this does not take it out of style.
Anchor – The initial flavor is of moderate bitterness. The malt sweetness makes a bit of an appearance but it is definitely the hops that are in charge.
Body/Finish: Winner – Anchor
Terrapin – The body is perhaps a bit light for the style and the finish is short.
Anchor – Has a light to medium body and a average finish with some nice bitterness.
Overall: Winner – Anchor
In this competition it is easy to see why the Liberty Ale has been around so long. It hits all the right buttons and comes across as a better beer than the Terrapin. It has a good aroma, nice taste and is easy to drink without being bland. This is all in line with the style guidelines.
The Terrapin is refreshing and does have some rye character, which is noticeable, but it does not really add to the experience. I have a Terrapin Rye Squared and a Founder Red Rye sitting around so will probably do a tasting of all three to see how the addition of rye can influence the beers.
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