#312: Anchorage Brewing » Whiteout Wit (Witbier)

Anchorage Brewing » Whiteout Wit (Witbier) | ABV: 6.5%

It's next to impossible for me to pass on buying a bottle of Anchorage Brewing beer. In Vermont, I bought one of each release in stock. On my first Let'sPour transaction, I grabbed two of everything. But, back in December in Philly, I painfully passed on picking up a bottle of Whiteout Wit, instead opting for Black Butte XXVI, Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad, and a slew of other non-NYS distributing release, while attempting to stay in budget for the weekend amongst PA's towering craft beer bottle prices.

Amazing enough, upon the return home, there's Whiteout Wit staring back at me at Fingerlakes Beverage. Transaction complete.

Never ones for a simple recipe, this Anchorage witbier is brewed with lemon peel, black peppercorns and coriander, then fermented and aged in French Oak Foudres with wit yeast and Brettanomyces. It's is elegantly paced, with a definitively bright champagne-like nose, threaded with lemon zest, mild Brett funk, and subtle pepper spice aromas.

Onto the palate, it's quite clean, again presenting champagne-like qualities. Dry and zesty flavors dance with minerally and light lemon notes, with a subtly growing funky, tarter underbelly.

Overall, Whiteout Wit a great introduction to Anchorage's line of wild beers and entirely enjoyable. It's not their most adventurous offering, but is a worthwhile clean, light-yet-complex winter offering, just don't overpay.

#292: Anchorage Brewing / Jolly Pumpkin » Calabaza Boreal (Wild Ale)

Anchorage Brewing / Jolly Pumpkin » Calabaza Boreal (Wild Ale) | ABV: 7.0% | IBUs: 40
Anchorage has been delivering some of my favorite beers around, so I pick them up as often as I can when traveling. Oddly enough, it looks like they have landed distribution in Upstate NY, so while I picked this particular bottle up in California, it's available locally, for the moment.

Brewed with grapefruit peel & juice and peppercorns, Calabaza Boreal hits the ground running with a godlike nose of oak and lemon candy emitting from a perfectly hazy straw body crowed by a pure white head.

Prickly and juicy, pink grapefruit and lemon zest flavors are plentiful, backed by a full bodied notes of oak. The lively peppercorn spice never reaches overwhelming or "spice beer" levels. There's a touch of booze heat in the back, alongside understated earth & funk.

As with many Anchorage offerings, it's stunningly tart and drinkable with on-going complexity.

#240: Anchorage Brewing Co » Bitter Monk (Belgian-style DIPA)

Anchorage Brewing Co » Bitter Monk (Belgian-style DIPA)
ABV: 9% | IBUs: 100 | Rating: 9.5/10

I absolutely love Anchorage Brewing. Their brews consistently make my favorite beer. I picked up several while in VT (no NY distro...) and have been letting that wild yeast do it's thing. This DIPA in particular is at least 8 months since purchase.

Bitter Monk kicks off with a big, fragrant nose of lychee, Brettanomyces, pineapple, and orange. It's mostly transparent straw-colored body is crowed with a fading, lacy bright white head.

The taste is tart and packed with a puckering funk. Fantastic combinations of flavors at every turn with an arid finish. Champagne and chardonnay (the latter really shines later in the bottle) notes bloom above sweet threads of lychee and white grape. There's a firm hop bitterness in there too that builds with spicy esters that rise in the chest.

A standout, oak-aged, wild DIPA worth seeking out. Recommended.

The Vermont Haul...

My partner and I spent the weekend up in Vermont visiting The Alchemist, Hill Farmstead, Zero Gravity, Fiddlehead, and Rock Art breweries amongst a slew of pubs and tastings. Lots of posts from the trip coming soon.

In this picture:
- 2 cases of The Alchemist's Heady Topper
- Rock Art's Imperial Pumpkin Stout (aged, brewed with spruce)
- Harpoon's Imperial Pumpkin Stout
- Deschutes Brewery's Class of '88 Barleywine
- Anchorage Brewing Darkest Hour (Belgian-style stout in white oak, whiskey, and pinor noir barrels), Anadromous (Black Sour), and Bitter Monk (Belgian-style Double IPA in Chardonnay oak)
- Hill Farmstead Grassroots' Arctic Saison (collab with Anchorage) and Sankt Hans
- plus growlers of Fiddlehead IPA, Rock Art Saison, and Hill Farmstead's Everett Porter

Whew!

#065: Mikkeller » Invasion Farmhouse IPA

Gypsy brew masters invade Brett heaven...

The Brewery: Mikkeller (Denmark) brewer / Anchorage Brewing Company
The Brew: Invasion Farmhouse IPA
Availability: 750 mL
ABV: 8.0
Rating: 9.4/10
Location: Home

The Story? My mind nearly melted when I heard one of my favorite brewers would be brewing at one of my favorite breweries. Mikkeller's bold adventures with IPAs plus Anchorage Breweries' Brettanomyces expertise. This is either going to be a train wreck or a mind-bender.

The Beer? The eyes spy a finger of fluffy white head and a hazy, unfiltered body - reminiscent of a wheat. Drawing the glad in, there's a brilliantly bright citrus nose, filled with hot hop heat and that unmistakable mild funk of the Brett.

I can't wait... first sip and my palate is already bursting with various sour and funk spectrum notes and a firm taste of musty grapefruit married with mild hop heat. Initially, the brew is wet up front and moderately juicy. The grapefruit and other sour and bitter citrus nose are all fruit, not rind or pith-like. The inaugural glass finishes minerally with distinct, but subtle notes of pine needles.

As I continue through, the complexity of this one really takes off. It's a train to full-blown funk land. Earthy, farmyard elements dance with perfume, maybe lilac; but all is kept in excellent balance through the bold hop fruit and flavors flavors. This one is always on the verge of running off, but kept on course wonderfully. Unrestrained, but focused delivery.

Easy recommendation for any Brett enthusiast and any fan of similarly minded brews from Anchorage, Evil Twin, and Stillwater.

#034: Anchorage Brewing Co. - Galaxy (White IPA with Brett)

One of my favorite Brett beers...

The Brewery: Anchorage Brew Company
The Brew: Galaxy (White IPA bottled with Brett.)
Availability: Bottles
ABV: 7.0% | 50 IBUs
Rating: 9.5/10
Location: Home

The Story? Back in December, I was lucky enough to be invited to an annual beer tasting home party in Philadelphia through a friend. It was the best home tasting I'd been to by far and must have had $5,000+ in bottles, plus sever excellent home brews. Through many, many jovial conversations about and sharing of beers, I was introduced to Anchorage Brewing Co. - an brewery out of Anchorage, AK which bottles all of their beer with Brettanomyces. After their Galaxy White IPA and Lovebuzz Saison, I was hooked.

Only catch is that they don't distribute to NYS. Major bummer. So, several months of online watching and waiting I snagged two bottles the collection, waiting for the right opportunity to pop one open with friends...

But then, tragedy... one of the bottles exploded during the heat wave while I was on the road. Luckily, bottle #2 was well in tack and my partner and I decided better not wait to test the fates.

The Beer? Voluminous, lively white head which hangs around. Wonderful citrus nose with hints of spice. Cloudy, golden appearance.

On first sip, lively carbonation prickles the tongue. Very clean and dry with a nice bitter hop finish. Very elegant mouthfeel - top choice if you have champagne fan friends who are hesitant venturing into beer.

This beautiful White IPA is brewed with kumquat and peppercorns in addition to the Brett fermentation. The kumquat is very apparent in the bitterness. The Brett brings a dry, transparent nature - not so much on the juicy sour or funky or musty spectrum, but a thinned, rindy tartness. Delicate, but stands firm.

A few mouthfuls in, some more of the funky points of the Brett sneak in. The peppercorn is quite subtle and isn't as spicy as you may expect at first... but second glass in, the peppercorn spikes up and the kumquat becomes more present and robust. By dredge, some sweeter notes come into play.

One of my favorite Brett beers, though not quite as mind-blowing the second time around with all that anticipation, but I will buy this one again and again when I can get my hands on it again.