Whiteout Wit - Anchorage Brewing Company

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shared this one while hanging out by the pool in Florida with the aasher wedding party! Poured a slightly hazy pale yellow with a one finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount very slowly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, wheat, wood, spice, tart, and earthy funk. The flavor was of sweet malt, wheat, funk, earth, and wood. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. There was something a little offputting on this one. Most of the things I have had from Anchorage have been spot on, however the addition of Brett to a Witbier might have been a little much for my palate as they didn’t blend as well as some I’ve had in the past. Still fairly tasty, but nothing standoutish. Worth trying, but that is about it.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 10:39:16 | More by thagr81us

Ryan011235

Ohio

2.08/5  rDev -47.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Poured into some manner of glass on Super Bowl Sunday 2012

Thanks to nickd717

Hazy, cloudy gold. There isn't much of a head, but there is some lace.

Aromas of lively brett, lemon cookies, wheat crackers. Tart. Tastes like stale oak and brett funk. Vapid, unpleasant dryness. Lemon zest and bland spice. Thin feel with ample carbonation (do the math).

Overall impression - I don't care for this at all.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 00:43:37 | More by Ryan011235

avalon07

South Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a pale yellow color and a cloudy texture. There was a huge, creamy, long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A nice sweet, engaging aroma of lemon, spices, and malt.

T: Tasted of citrus (lemon), light hops, malt, peppercorn, with a slight grain presence. The flavor here is alright, but a bit on the thin side.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a silky smooth finish. Light-bodied.

O: This is another beer that seems somewhat uneven. Not bad, but not as good as others of the style (e.g., Allagash White). Still, drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 01:27:33 | More by avalon07

Reaper16

Alabama

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle -- Batch #1, May 2011 -- served into a tulip glass

Pours an extremely light yellow color. I've seen sparkling wines darker than this. It's kinda ghostly how it looks solidly pale-yellow but also fairly clear at the same time. Not much head here, maybe a finger at the very most before settling down to .40 fingers. Little splashes of lace. It strikes me minutes after typing the preceding text that this beer's color puts it into the Hoegaarden school of witbiers. So there's nothing unprecedented or off about how pale it is.

The aroma, however, is quite unconventional for a witbier. For one, there isn't any orange peel aroma. Instead, Whiteout Wit opts to use lemon peel as its additive citrus component. There's the requisite pepper here, and really not any other distinguishable spices. No clove. Maybe some coriander. What's coming across much more strongly is the Brettanomyces. It's not barnyardy, not really, but it's Bretty in that Orval type way: unmistakable and kinda musty, but not overblown. There is some astringency here, and it might be coming from: 1.) the hops, 2.) the yeast, 3.) the barrel. Probably a bit of each. The aroma is so well-blended that it's hard to pick out individual things. That's a good attribute, by the way.

The flavor is similarly clean but it doesn't have as much of a flavor impact as the nose would indicate. In this respect it is a sibling of Anchorage's Love Buzz Saison (which I reviewed a couple of days prior to reviewing this beer). In fact, I'd venture to say that Whiteout Wit isn't a witbier at all, but instead a Saison. It's light and yeasty (the Brett is so nice here without dominating), and very fruity. That lemon is strong. There's lemon peel, there's lemony hop notes (Sorachi Ace is mentioned on the label, so, yeah, this beer is lemony), and there's a vague white wine characteristic too (the beer was aged in [presumably California, given the oak] Chardonnay barrels). It's an easy quaff but it has many layers to it. A lovely, lovely beer.

It's light and dry in terms of mouthfeel (as you'd expect from a Bretted beer). Maybe a touch too prickly, but that's just picking nits.

Overall, this is a fantastic beer. Witbier, Saison, Belgian Pale, Wild Ale...whatever you wanna' call it, this is refined and delicious. I wish I had more bottles of this. The only sour and/or funky witbier that's better than this is 2011 Boulevard Two Jokers.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 02:49:29 | More by Reaper16

quirkzoo

Colorado

4.4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear yellow with 2 fingers of thick white head that leave a nice cap. After a while the clumps in the cap look like a pellicle.

Lots of funk up front, very woodsy, I get a lot of chardonnay like oak on the nose with a bit of tart lemon behind that. Some spicy Belgian yeast.

Taste is similar to the aroma with a bit of a coriander aftertaste. This one was much more tart then I was expecting and I really liked it. Very well balanced flavor with just the right amounts of tart, funk, oak and spice.

Somewhat thin, very dry, very easy drinking.

Overall this is a really good beer. The brewer comes with an impressive pedigree and I am excited to try more of their beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 15:22:30 | More by quirkzoo

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a clear golden-yellow with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of lemon zest and sweet wheat with some funkiness, barnyard smells, and some brett. Hint of green apple sourness and oak as well.

T - Starts off some barnyard funkiness, brett, some green apple sourness, a bit of wheat, and some tart lemon zest. Through the middle, some light oak flavors come through with a hint of spices alongside some mellowing tartness. The finish is a mix of wheat, tart lemon zest, funky brett, and a hint of oak.

M - Medium-light bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a tart, dry, and crisp finish.

D - Very drinkable. Really nice complex witbier beer with the Brett flavor really blended in nicely. Super crisp and refreshing as well.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 04:03:20 | More by ngeunit1

jsanford

Georgia

3.33/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours a hazy gold with a thin white head that fades to a densely-packed ring of tiny bubbles.
S - Big, funky aromas of lemon juice, white wine grapes, French oak, earthy Brettanomyces, and spicy coriander. Very Russian River-esque in the aromas, a lovely blend of funk, sour, and bitter.
T - The taste doesn't even begin to live up to the nose, sadly, with mild flavors of grain, pepper, perhaps a touch of lemon, and slight Brett flavors. The wine character is subdued, the Brett is subdued, and this honestly comes across a bit watery. Wow, given the level of enjoyment I've had from the three other ABC beer I've had, I'm hoping this is an "off" bottle.
M - Mouthfeel is light and spritzy, with a thin body and the aforementioned watery mouthfeel. Carbonation is ample, but maybe just a touch low. I will say this is easily the most drinkable of the Anchorage brews I've had, but I'd give up drinkability for the signature complexity any day.
O - Quite a disappointment for me. Just no where near as flavorful as I'd hoped, and the watery body doesn't help. I'll look for a second bottle in the future in the hopes this was a fluke.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 01:43:01 | More by jsanford

DovaliHops

California

4.28/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Batch 1. Pours a very hazy, bright golden straw color with a medium white head that diminishes quickly. Scent is...HOLY SHIT... pardon my French, but that was the first thing I thought. This thing is BEYOND funkier than I was expecting. Definitely the funkiest aroma of all the Anchorage beers...I hate to say it, because I like the aroma, but it reminds me of farts. At first, you get a stinky "fart-like aroma" with a hint of bile. Then I get some delightful brett funk with lemon and citrus. Very crazy, yet favorable aroma. As it warms, the Chardonnay barrel really comes through Taste is initially light and crisp...refreshing...like a classic witbier or berliner. A lot of wheat flavor with lemon and some tart, brett flavors. Nice chardonnay flavor. Tons of barnyard and some floral flavors. Finish is packed with pepper and light hops. Mouthfeel is light-bodied, crisp, and refreshing. Overall, I could see the aroma of this beer turning people off...but I'm a man who loves some funk in his barrel-aged wild yeast beers. Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 06:44:44 | More by DovaliHops

emerge077

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pale pastel straw gold, steady plume of rising champagne streams in the center. Two fingers of creamy white foam rise up and settle, leaving a sticky collar of lacing behind. Pouring the yeast clouds it up a bit,

Big Sorachi Ace aroma, lemon and eucalyptus, fruity with some hints of coconut. Pretty unique and exotic for a Wit, and not especially funky from the Brett, but there are signature traces that come across as wet hay and a slight sweet mustiness.

Lightly tart and quenching, finishes dry. Lemon pith, herbaceous notes from the hop varietal, smooth with a light spiciness that lingers, but subdued in the background. Citrus and wheat, tangy and quite drinkable.

Whiteout is in the same vein as Calabaza Blanca, Two Jokers, Whaleback White and other "sour wits" out there. The Sorachi and Brett make for a unique cocktail...

Sounds: SPK - Metal Field

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 01:02:40 | More by emerge077

ADZA

Australia

3.48/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an apple juice hue which leaves a wispy fast vanishing one finger heaad and little lacing,the smell is typical brett along with must,spice and barnhouse funk,the mouthfeel is light bodied and thirst quenching with tastes of citrus zest,apple juice,white grapes,a slight mustiness,a touch of funk and finished with white grape dryness and overall its alright and nice for a hot summers day but would not buy again in a hurry.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 05:20:09 | More by ADZA

raveskdr

District of Columbia

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cracked open a bottle during Parks and Rec, bought at The Wine and Cheese shop in St. Louis. Split 99.9/,01 with my puppy Dozey.

A - Beautiful orangeish yellow vibrant color. Fluffy white head that laces perfectly.

S - Smells like moderate brett and wheat deliciousness. A bit of fruitiness in there as well.

T - Wow. Up front is that brett funk along with some great wheat and spices. The flavors are all in perfect balance. Really wonderful. You get very, very slight wood notes from the barrel.

M - Drinks extremely easily. The brett doesn't linger on the palate. A good, moderate amount of carbonation.

O - A really, really nice beer. Just slightly under what I get from Fantome Saison. It's right in that ballpark. I really wish I could have tried Bitter Monk fresh, but now that I tried this, I'm gonna find a bottle with the faded hops and see how it goes.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 03:18:37 | More by raveskdr

gatornation

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

from a corked and caged 750ml bottle

Batch 1 may 2011

A- pours a pale yellow color with loads of carbonation and a brilliant white 1 finger head that dissipates to a fresh collar some lacing evident

S - ripe tart fruits with brett , and an aroma of lemon biscuit a touch of spice and wine/oak

T- was tart lemon with a sour fruit funk up front that lingers in the mouth, Yum its funky and tart and fresh with a slight hop infusion that lingers

M- tart and crisp ,funky and creamy with a touch of sorachi hops a touch of buttery chardonnay is present from its time spent in the barrels

O- a well made wit with brett, light malt light hops, barrell aged, another great brew from anchorage

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 18:54:25 | More by gatornation

Gobigvt7

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle into a goblet

looks even more fizzy and yellow than the beers normally categorized by fizzy yellow beers. almost bright yellow, not a hint of tan or amber, and a thick column of champagne bubbles from the bottle middle of the goblet, supporting an ample head. None of the "white"ness that usually accompanies a wit.

smells sour! yogurt lacto, grape skins, lemon zest. Not a lot else.

much less sour than implied by the nose. definite brett funk. After this, it gets a little weird. Coconut, whiskey barrel (yet aged in chard barrels?), and only a few traces of belgian wit spices. Some bready and bourbony aftertaste.

Very very light on the palate, high carbonation, no sweetness. Very low/no alcohol taste.

I LOVE every other beer Anchorage has made so I'm surprisingly underwhelmed by this offering. Needs to be more sour to keep up with the others (for sure) and could really use either some complimentary hops or more wit spices in addition to more souring.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 05:43:40 | More by Gobigvt7

impending

California

4.23/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A-

750ml into a tulip. Pours a slightly hazed pale yellow, pure white head, ok lacing.

Aroma is delicious with front and center brett surrounded by sweet citrus, ripe light skinned fruits and spices.

Sitting on the tongue the flavor coats, swallow, the aftertaste instantly evaporates parting with the tiniest of pleasant reminders. No floral perfumy aspect. Nearly zero bitter.

Perfectly balanced brett. Light crisp refreshing. Excellent hot summer afternoon brew. Never would peg this as a wit.
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 00:45:56 | More by impending

augustgarage

California

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a caged-and-corked 750mL bottle into my Hoegaarden tumbler.

Inital pour is a clear very pale Stil de grain yellow with a lasting cap of soapy vanilla foam. Good retention, full fluffy lacing.

The Brett. is immediately apparent in the aroma with a funky/earthy note which dominates the nose. Touches of lemon and coriander float in and out as well.

Again, the Brett. takes center-stage, pummeling the palate with a persistent "horse-blanket" flavor. Citrus and spice add complexity, but the base seems to be tart lasting funk. The barrel aging comes out in the finish with hints of vanillin joining up with a long grape-like minerality. Vague oat/malt in the aftertaste.

Light-bodied, somewhat creamy and soft with good carbonation.

Difficult to rate as it sort of throws the style guidelines out the window. If you like tart funky renditions of classicaly refreshing ales, this will be perfect for you, but I don't think these elements should dominate the base beer as much as they do here.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 01:20:02 | More by augustgarage

nrbw23

Ohio

2.03/5  rDev -48.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Shared by Ryan thanks man.

A- Pours a hazy straw gold color with a nice foamy white head. Head is gone pretty quick and leaves a few bubbles of lacing. Looks like your typical wit.

S- Alright I knew I was in trouble right here. Quite a bit of funk going on here. A touch of lemon, grass, light wood and more funk.

T- There it is almost Earth shattering funk. Very sour. A tiny bit of wit bier here over run with sourness.

M- Pretty light in body with a nice amount of carbonation.

O- Brutally sour to me. I can't handle this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 22:11:13 | More by nrbw23

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy straw yellow with a two finger tall fluffy white head and some discernible visible carbonation. The beer exhibited moderate head retention and lacing.

S: Aromas were mostly oak and lemon.

T: Flavors were a very slight amount of sourness up front and a moderate amount of bitterness in the finish. Nice notes of lemon and spices. There is a pleasant complexity to this beer.

M: Light bodied with not a lot of carbonation. Smooth and slightly dry.

O: While very enjoyable, not an easy drinker or very sessionable beer. The alcohol is well hidden and there is very little bitterness but somehow this beer felt a little like work to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 14:38:59 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is slightly hazy straw yellow in color and has a very slight amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high bright white head that gradually died down and left a thin ring of bubbles on the surface around the edge of the glass.
S: The smell has aromas of chardonnay from the barrel aging process along with some hints of lemon.
T: The taste has flavors of oak barrels and white wine along with notes of sources (from the brettanomyces) and hints of lemon citrus and spices.
M: It feels light-bodied on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation and a slight amount of creaminess.
O: This beer is an interesting take on the style—it’s not as refreshing compared to other witbiers but the brettanomyces and wine barrel aging give it unique flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 14:38:18 | More by metter98

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml corked and caged bottle into a couple of glasses. Thanks to Stakem for sharing this.

Pours a clear gold, with a ½ finger of foamy bright-white head. This has a really solid retention to it, maintaining that frothy ½ finger and leaving back thick swathes of lacing down the sides of the glass. The aroma smells of lemon zest and cheesy must from the Brett, while dry and oaky Chardonnay hangs on the edges with a bit of warmth. Sweet gains, spice, and a light fruitiness from the base Witbier sit along the back.

Even more of that Witbier character comes out in the taste, with notes of crisp wheat, spicy coriander, and a light fruitiness. The barrel and Brett take more of a back seat than they did in the nose, offering up more of a supportive mix of lemon tartness, earthy must, and dry oak. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a mellow and easy moving feel to the carbonation that still prickles the mouth with flavor a bit.

This was another interesting effort from Anchorage. Unlike the other two we tried here, this one seemed to put the base Witbier more at the forefront but it didn’t override the wild and barrel character, just allowing them to an extra layer of refreshing complimentary flavor to this.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 20:17:47 | More by Kegatron

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a strange)
Batch 1 May 2011

A- This beer pours a pale yellow body with a racing matrix of microbubbles and a thick bubbly head of snow white that breaks up but sticks to the glass in lumps.

S- The full brett aroma of decaying leaves and silage has a nice skunk funk that grows as the beer warms. There is a lemony funk that grows more into a lemon zest as the beer opens.

T- The dry white cheese rind flavor has some white grape juice hints and bright oak notes underneath. There is an apple pulp flavor that fades to a peppery heat in the finish with some coriander and lemon tartness that follows along.

M- The light mouthfeel has a dry texture with a crisp fizz and no alcohol heat.

O- The brett dominates especially in the nose but that is a good thing. The bright lemony character is a bit flurried but everything seems to work together.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 22:07:05 | More by rhoadsrage

DanK4

Maine

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked up a 750 for $10 at RSVP

A: Very yellow-gold, almost like a champagne. Cloudy, but rich in color.

S: The smell didn't quite match the appearance for me- most likely due to the brett. It had a funk to it, but the citrus was still very prominent. I could sense the lemon, but no orange was really present at all.

T: Definitely a lighter Wit, very citrusy and drinkable- but I guess I was expecting something a bit different. I enjoyed the taste quite a bit, and it didn't linger on the palate but the brett left an interesting aftertaste. Also got a hint of a spice in it, possibly a confusion on my end, but I swear it had just the smallest bite at the end of the bottle.

M: Light and smooth, quenched and kept me thirsty for more at the same time.

While this is not what comes to mind (personally so of course it's subjective and you can dismiss this statement) when I think of a Wit, it still is a great interpretation and I would definitely have it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 17:02:21 | More by DanK4

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

$13.99 for 750ml

A: incredibly pale yellow color, slight cloudiness, thing but creamy head
S: mild nose, some brett noticeable and yeasty Belgian wit
T: light, refreshing with definite Orval qualities but not as complex, bready, grassy, lemony, well made, nice bitter finish but not over the top
M: light body and taste but very well-balanced and mellow

This is very close to a 4.5 overall.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 01:38:10 | More by wisrarebeer

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Dunt for providing me with a bottle of this as a generous extra in one of our trades. Poured from a 750ml corked and caged bottle into a snifter. The brew appears a clear light yellow with a white frothy cap. As it recedes, spotty lace sticks to the glass. A light swirl revives a finger back to the surface.

The smell is lemony with sulfur and hints of funk and cheese. Grassy to a straw-like grain smell is also present. The brett'd quality is present with some mild farmhouse character that helps to blend the transition of lemon/sulfur to the dry grainy character.

The taste includes mild bretty farmhouse quality with a hint of spicy clove. Lemon is present with a zesty quality overtop of mild wheat tartness that blends into a more solid inclusion of grassy and hay-like grain flavors. For the most part this brew is dry but at times some sips yield a minor indication of sweetness and a bit of tannins from the barrel aging. As the experience continues, there is a faint back note of juicy vinous notes that dry out and become increasingly earthy.

This is a light bodied brew with a modest level of carbonation. It is light and refreshing with an interesting arrangement of character. This brew starts off a little ackward but pulls itself together a bit as it warms up and breaths. Don't rush yourself through this brew, give it a chance without writing it of after a single tick, I mean sip.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 15:24:10 | More by stakem

crossovert

Wisconsin

2.13/5  rDev -46.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

760ml corked and caged brown bottle.

It pours a light clear yellow with a big foamy white head.

The smell is skunky amlost, definitely some sulphur notes, reminiscent of Meteor Wit. When you take further examination you get the brett. It is in there with the oak and wine providing some reprieve from the skunk. A lot of vanilla in there.

The flavor is more straight forward but odd too. There is a buttery maltiness that really mixes with the oak and produces this woody buttery pretzel flavor. There is bitterness here too that mixes with the brett and creates some astringency.

This beer is just a terrible mash up of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 23:41:42 | More by crossovert

KDawg

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

pours a clear and light yellow color. Poured from 750 into a hefewizen glass with a small head that goes away fast

great aromas of funk, lemons, varied citrus', and some bits of grassy/wheaty tones. It certainly shows the brett influence on the nose and while it's a bit conflicted due to the style, it's one that I enjoy

lighter bodied with a very nice feel. Lacking some depth, but very fresh with flavors of lemon zest, fresh citrus fruits

an extremely good wit. The brett on this does make it different. Since I generally love sour characteristics, it's fine by me, but this may not work for a lot of people. That said, this is and has been enjoyable with a real refreshing style

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 05:55:56 | More by KDawg