Humming Ale

Anchor Brewing Co.
San Francisco, CA

Available: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY

Anchor’s Humming Ale was first brewed in San Francisco on August 13, 2009, 113 years after the founding and thirty years to the day since the first brew in Anchor’s new brewhouse.

ABV: 5.9
ABW: 4.7
Color: N/A
Bitterness: 47
Original gravity: N/A

An exceptionally good-looking ale: generous cap of white foam, bright golden liquid beneath, tempting to the eye. The nose is snappy with peppery hops and a crisp sweetness, like barely ripe pineapple. The clean and fruity beer plays on the tongue like an otter; this is a joyous beer, one that rewards deep gulps. I sometimes wonder if Liberty Ale backed Anchor into a fizzy, bitter corner; I love it, but it barely escapes being two-dimensional. Humming tastes like a way out; hops for fun instead of earnestness.
- Lew Bryson

From the first I heard of this beer, I thought the name was a bit odd, even if it is an “ancient term...shrouded in mystery,” as the label states. The beer, however, is not odd at all, with a bright golden hue and a most perfumey aroma imbued with notes of orange blossom and fresh lemon, gooseberry and vanilla sugar. The body begins with a gentle, caramelly sweetness before turning bolder with flavors of faintly nutty, citrusy hop and some green-ish vegetal notes, ending in a lengthy bitterness. Perhaps a bit light-bodied for its hops, but also a laudable curry beer.
- Stephen Beaumont

Lew Bryson
Lew Bryson writes about beer and whiskey from his home in southeast Pennsylvania. He has a family and two dogs. That's all you need to know.

Stephen Beaumont
Once described as “beerdom's Brillat-Savarin,” Stephen Beaumont is the author of five books and countless articles on beer, spirits, food, travel, and how it all goes together.

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