Bitter Monk - Anchorage Brewing Company

chodinheaven

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big foamy white head on top of a hazy yellow beer with orange highlights. Looks like a wheat beer really. The head dissapates slowly, leaving patchy rings of lacing with it as it goes. Chardonnay is definitely present in the smell, with a sharp note that reminds me of fresh tangerines at first. The wine smell masks others, but alcohol comes through softly. Floral hops faintly work their way to the top as well. Interesting smell for a Belgian IPA. The chardonnay really takes the stage here.

Lots of flavors hit all at once and then the complexity lingers on. The chardonnay barrel aging definitely had an effect on this beer, giving it some wine like characteristics that play pretty well with the three yeasts and intensly bitter citrus and piney hops. The citra hops are the most evident of the three used, giving an orange citrus flavor that is distinct from the chardonnay and slight resiny hop taste. This is one of those beers that you can just tell a ton of ingredients were put together to make a pretty cohesive and complex brew. It is rich with flavor and there is never a dull sip. The backbone that levels all the flavors out evenly is the biscuity maltiness found smack dab in the middle of it all. Its not as noticeable due to the plethora of other and more intense flavors, but its there, and it holds this beer together. Surprisingly not as boozy in the taste as I had expected so this one will sneak up on you at 9% and very drinkable. The bitterness threatens to take over on each sip, but the malts, chardonnay flavors, citrus, and three unique yeasts hold out and make a name for themselves. That characteristic double IPA flavor of hops is definitely there though, and a major player in the complexity of this beer. There is a smokiness to them as well that could be part of the oak barrel aging. Between the bitterness and the sweetness from the orange citrus, this beer has a unique balance to it. Its extremely bitter on the back and sides of the tongue and then lingers forever, but there is a certain sweetness that the chardonnay and the citrus bring to the beer that compliments that sharp bitterness. The mouthfeel is crisp and clean with a little wine-like bite that finishes the character off. It finishes dry but lingering, a good combination that led to reapeated sips.

Unique beer. Worth a shot if you have a spare 15 bucks or so. Great to share, celebrate with, or just enjoy being challenged with in your spare time. I will most likely be checking out Anchorage's other offerings if I can find them. This was a pretty impressive first.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 05:24:27 | More by chodinheaven

jethrodium

California

4.28/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle. Pours a hazy golden amber with a two finger pillowy white head that sticks around for a while and leaves a large amount of lacing on the glass. The aroma is strong brett funk, some lemon zest, mango, grapefruit, and pineapple. Pretty awesome. You can definitely tell there is some citra used. The initial taste has a hint of sweetness with some funky oak flavors and lemon zest. Then the pineapple and mango come through. The finish has a good bitterness with some brett funk. The finish is quite dry. Overall a really smooth beer. Medium bodied. Medium carbonation. Awesome beer. It was a bit pricey ($14 for 750ml), but I think it is definitely worth trying at that price. Reminded me of a hopped up version of Orval.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 21:00:02 | More by jethrodium

Neffbeer

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Portsmouth Tulip

A: A light murky yellow body accompanied by an orange hue greats my glass with no discernible clarity. The mountain of dry hops is at fault I am assuming. There is a two finger white head that hangs on for a long time and slowly forms chunky mountains. It left behind a bunch of lacing along the sides of the glass as well.

S: I can seriously smell the beer from a couple of feet away. There is tons of citrus in the nose in the form of oranges, grapefruit, and mangoes. The brett kicks in pretty strongly as well with some must and funk. As I keep smelling it the oak barrels push through with an element of white wine.

T: The flavors are really intense as the hops kick in first with a zesty onslaught of citrus. Mid palate the oak really grabs hold and brings the vinous qualities with it. It finishes quite bitter and dry with a wave of brett-filled funkiness.

M: Spritzy and light it reminds me of a saison in feel.

O: Quite the unique beer and probably the only 'IPA' I have had that actually improved with barrel aging. I'd buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 23:12:28 | More by Neffbeer

DaveHS

California

4.33/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours hazy light amber with over 2 inches of fluffy eggshell white head. Leaves rings of complex lacing down the glass and a thin cap of foam floating on top.

S-Bright, citrusy hops, brettanomyces funk,pineapple, lavender,pear juice.

T/M-Tasty, chewy brettanomyces barnyard funk is nicely complemented by the citrusy, lemony hops. Dry, simple malt profile has notes of buttery pie crust. The finish is dry, with bitter earthy hops.

O-This is the second Anchorage beer I've had now, and it's another winner. I'm liking what these guys are doing.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 01:24:42 | More by DaveHS

metter98

New York

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is cloudy yellow in color and almost resembles a variant of lemonade. It poured with a finger high white head that has good retention properties and consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: There are moderate to strong aromas of sourness in the nose along with some hints of citrusy hops.
T: The taste is quite sour but is also very balanced with the underlying malts so it isn’t overpowering. It is also complex with flavors of citrus and grapes.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate with a moderate to high amount of carbonation. There are some hints of dryness in the finish.
O: This beer is very well balanced and the sourness and complex flavors make it a very interesting beer to sip.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 21:22:06 | More by metter98

drabmuh

Maryland

4.47/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a New Belgium beer glass from a 750 ml bottle. At the time of this review, this is the #17 beer on the "Top Beers - New" list on beeradvocate.com and the #4 Top Belgian IPA on the best of styles lists, it deserves it, the only barrel aged IPA I've had that I find palatable.

Beer is amber / dark yellow with a mild haze, nice white head, good retention, nice lacing, moderate to high carbonation.

Aroma is funky and citrusy from the hops, some oak sneaks through, the Brett is really pronounced in this beer.

Beer is medium to light in body and has this great midpalate arrangement of hops and yeast character, mild funk, some oak on the back, moderately dry finish, a great beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 13:16:39 | More by drabmuh

smakawhat

Maryland

4.53/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass. Batch #1 July 2011.

Minor pop off the bottle. One of the best forming heads I have ever witnessed. Perfectly uniform bubbles of white everywhere. A clumpy retention head sitting on top of a pale amber to glowing brass yellow twenty four carat gold edges with lots of rising carbonation present. I don't know what perfection is.. in many ways it is an anomaly. But this here looks like just a flat out perfection presented.. the head formation is what got me.

Nose is like a bretty grapefruit citrus ipa saison hybrid. Slightly vinous and green grape smelling. Great fantastic nose. Hop angle does not seem obvious, after some time funky sense wears off and becomes more citrus dominant, feeling mildly sour.

Taste is like drinking orange bretty bubblebath, and a mix of huge hoppy pine blast in the aftertaste. Drying hop rooftop feel, with medium texture just down the middle for thickness. Texture is almost vinous but taken over by pleasant hop dryness. Hot punching yeast all throughout.

One seriously slamming beer from this brewery what can I say. They are making some dam good beer up in Alaska.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 00:25:53 | More by smakawhat

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up at Connecticut Avenue in DC. Served in a Mikasa tulip.

Pours a moderately-hazed apricot-orange with a killer white head that lasts nearly throughout. As it slowly recedes, there's plenty of lacing left in its wake.

The nose is extraordinary from the start. Lots of fresh fruit notes. It immediately reminds me of Super Friends with the combination of tropical and citrus hops plus the nice Brett twang. Beautifully intertwined. The flavor continues on from there with the same hop notes plus a bit of pineapple and grapefruit. Light funk underneath the hits, providing a nice dryness to the finish, which goes along quite well with the hoppy bitterness.

All in all, really a fantastic beer. I quite liked Whiteout Wit, but this beer really went to the next level.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 11:09:55 | More by Thorpe429

Verecund

North Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Opened on September 29, 2011. Was pleased to see that this hit a local shop - in good quantities - because Anchorage Brewing Company starting up was one of the things I was most looking forward to in the beer world for 2011.

Pours a slightly hazy bright gold with a substantial head of four fingers. Very pillowy, with large bubbles clinging to the side of the glass. Okay lacing.

White wine vinousness, prominent citrus (lemon, lime) notes, brett c., faintly earthy and woody. Very clean and appetizing. There's just a hint of sweet and bitter grapefruit in the background, reminding me that this is a Belgian IPA.

Pithy citrus and grapefruit bitterness washes over my palate. (Where was this hiding on the nose?) The lemon-lime sourness takes a backseat, but it's there, especially on the front of the palate, if you're looking for it. The brett has already dried this out, so the mid-to-late-palate really shines, screaming [pithy] grapefruit that transitions to a more citrus profile on the finish.

Medium bodied, medium-high carbonation. Some warming heat. Fairly dry, though there's a tiny bit of sweetness on the front palate.

This is a fantastic Belgian IPA. I still can't believe the contrast between the nose and taste, but both deliver in their own ways. I anticipate good things from this brewery. While I'm curious how the brett will treat Bitter Monk, I would drink now to experience the bright citrus/grapefruit bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 23:43:06 | More by Verecund

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

At Max's today.

The beer pours a solid gold color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is, well, bitter... I really get a lot of dry citrus in this beer and not much else. As the beer warms a bit, I also pick up some white pepper and light pine, but the citrus really dominates. On the palate, this is a very serious Belgian style IPA, with a lot going on. There is honey, butter, vanilla, considerable dry citrus and orange zest... maybe some light cherry as well. Also, while there's some initial sweetness, that's quickly pushed aside, and I then get considerable bitterness in the long, dry finish. Mouthfeel is fairly full, with a long, light sweet, but ultimatley very bitter finish. I almost feel as if I pick up a little heat from alcohol in the finish, but there is so much bitterness from the hops, ultimately I can't really tell.

Very impressiive Belgian style IPA. I still prefer the mischief from bruery, but this is right up there.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 22:27:13 | More by johnmichaelsen

flannelman808

California

4.7/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Update-Great not epic-
This is loosing much of the citra contribution as it's aging. What is left behind, while good, is more akin to a belgian strong golden and not a belgian/american dipa. Still complex, still quite good, but not the mammoth it is for the first month or so. But who knows, in a year maybe this Mother goes sour. boom goes the dynomite.
...but the first 1-2 months are the truth.

A: Pale murky orange colored brew, topped with a near true white head. Perfect sea foam lacing clings to a glass it should not be able to. Retention is quite good as well.

S: Oh my god. This smells amazing! Grapefruit and other citrus (tart tangerine) notes are very pronounced, Sour grapes and just a hint of oak follow. The nose suggest that this stuff could be sour.

T: This is BY FAR the best beer of it's style available today. A fruit salad of bitter citrus rinds blend into a spicy complex and astringent mix of flavors. The oak is present in a drying sense which is always a good thing. Flavors which just boarder on acidic accompany the lot in an a way which compliments everything else. The finish is extremely long (and remarkably bitter).

M: Long finishing sticky and carbonic.

O: I'm stunned by this beer. It is truly a beer to search for and an instant classic for me. I dare say I wouldn't mind aging a bottle for a year or more as well to see if that brett changes things things over time. Epic.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 22:15:35 | More by flannelman808

Monkeyknife

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle a hazy nectarine-yellow with two fingers of rich and rocky off-white head. Tons of lacing left behind.

Aroma of Juicyfruit gum, Belgian yeast, white wine, lemon and fresh earth.

Much like the aroma, tastes of Juicyfruit gum, tart lemon, white wine, Belgian yeast and a hint of spiciness. Finishes with a light medicinal tang. The 9% alcohol is well hidden in this one.

Lighter bodied and dry with a sharp carbonation.

I loved this beer. A lot of character and personality in every sip. Anchorage Brewing is doing a lot of things right.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 22:02:08 | More by Monkeyknife

brotherloco

California

4.43/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750ml C&C bottle. Batch #1 - July 2011. Served in a tulip.

Pours a cloudy gold with a giant pillowy 3+ finger white head. Good bit of lacing.

Aroma is a blend of citrus, white wine, and brett notes. A real floral and grassy character in the background.

Flavor tilts towards a light sourness that dominates the citrusy hops. Fruity middle that is medium dry. A very pleasant bitterness comes on in the finish and dissipates quickly, leaving a sharp tart aftertaste. Maybe a sting of booze in the finish but overall the alcohol is buried.

Medium bodied with soft natural medium carbonation. Amazing mouthfeel and incredibly drinkable.

Certainly the most unique DIPA I've tasted. Flavor is much more rounded out than a typical hop bomb. The hops are certainly present, but collaborate with all the flavor brought on by the brett and multiple fermentations.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 02:30:35 | More by brotherloco

hopsbreath

Oregon

4.7/5  rDev +8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up at Beaumont Market in Portland, Oregon for $13. Taking my time, and pouring by parts into a Meyer's Duvel tulip, I managed to drink the whole 75cl bottle over the span of a couple hours. I didn't see this information in the other reviews so here's some bottle flash: "Ale brewed with Apollo, Citra, and Simcoe hops. Dry hopped in the barrel with Citra hops. TRIPLE FERMENTED - First in the tank with a belgian yeast, second in french oak chardonnay barrels with brett, and finally in the bottle with a third yeast for natural carbonation. Batch #1 July/2011"

A: Slightly hazy guava in the glass, huge rocky white head, lots of clumpy lacing. Are you not entertained?! About as appetizing as a beer can look. 5/5

S: Brighter citrus consisting of lemon and lime, some nice wood, Brett earth in full display, and a definite grapiness. I honestly didn't know that this was done in wine barrels before the pour, so I checked the label to see if Nelson Sauvin hops were used. Nope, French Oak Chardonnay. The wine is easily appreciated. 4/5

T: Out of left field this suddenly becomes quite the DIPA. The nose promised a complex beer but the taste is pungent and aggressive with the hops right out of the gate. Big citrus and deep bitterness truly define tongue numbing. Only after going back for a sip or two can the earthiness and spice really be singled out and only then by thinking about it. I've used the term grapefruit frequently in the past when describing IPA's, but this is the truest representation I've ever had of eating a segment of the fruit, membrane and all. Even the long tingly bitter finish is intact. I think it's best to consider the taste as the sum of it's parts rather than individual components. The hops lend the great bitterness and citrus, the brett gives a true earthiness that can only be found in pith, the wine barrels further enhance the organic nature of raw grapefruit. I say again, this is grapefruit in a glass. As simple as that sounds, this is remarkable and unique. 5/5

M: Full, astringent, quaffable, and bone dry. 5/5

O: A stunner of a beer. The second beer I've had from Anchorage and the second home run as well. The brewer's talent seems incredible. The grapefruit segment I described in the flavor could be a happy accident but that just seems too uncanny to be chance. This beer was designed to be that way and that just might be the most impressive thing about it. I don't like Belgian IPA's. It doesn't matter this time though because Bitter Monk is in a league of it's own. Find me a valid comparison. I don't believe it exists. 4.5/5

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 03:33:27 | More by hopsbreath

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.13/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

25.4oz bottle poured into a Duvel Tulip Glass.
Batch 1

A - Pours a cloudy medium orange with a two finger yellowish head. Spots of lacing are left on the glass.

S - Yeast, citrus - mostly lemons.

T - Hoppy citrus, slight pine, and still some yeast in the background.

D - Tons of carbonation, lighter body.

O - Nice since the yeast wasn't overpowering. Another winner for Anchorage brewing.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 04:39:30 | More by HuskyinPDX

ChaseT

Oregon

4.6/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pale straw color with excellent head.

S: Citrus and barnyard funk.

T: Exceptionally interesting combination of bitterness, lemony citrus, and slight sour. High amount of bitter aftertaste.

M: Excellent.

O: Going forward, I don't think there are any other breweries whose releases I am more interested in and excited about these days. This beer is incredibly tasty and unlike anything else I've ever tried.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 03:26:40 | More by ChaseT

sprucetip

Alaska

4.18/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This brew is thick with yeasty haze, golden, and supports a prodigious white head. The foam is soft and pillowy on top, & consists of large bubbles below. The retention is exceptional, and it leaves healthy strands of very dense lacing.

A bouquet of interesting aromas hit me from a distance when I first popped the cork, which I welcomed as a promising sign. When I finally stuck my nose into the tulip, the complexity I had first sensed was not readily apparent. I was getting mainly some light horsey brett and some effervescent, sweet-tart candy and lemon. This gradually refined to still modest barnyard brett melding with a lemony tartness. With time it gets more and more complex. The hops are mainly piny at first, but the citra shines increasingly brighter as I sip. I feel the boozy heat when I really dig in, and after a swirl. But I don't really smell it, and what I notice is exacerbated by my aggressive sniffing. With effort I find wee nip of malty sweetness. The Belgian yeast gently adds yet another layer of depth. And the oak barrel too. I may even detect the Chardonay...The complexity deepens immensely while the 25 ounces slowly slips away. And it all works, the various elements compliment each other well.

The Bitter Monk is a bitter beer. Hop Heads who also enjoy their hops bombs funked-out with brett and barrels and Belgian yeast, will love this one. To me the nose was defined by the brett. The taste is more American DIPA. It just keeps getting better. The dominant piny hop flavor later blends with citric hops. The vaguely sweet malty body was more pronounced than in the nose. The original Belgian yeast also comes through more clearly. The finish is dry and comes with a lingering bitterness that some will likely find harsh, though San Diego-style IPA fans will enjoy. ... By the end, it's all far more balanced and the bitterness has mellowed.

There is plentiful carbonation, medium-full body, modest warming, and a dry and bitter finish that I am not wild about.

If I could change this beer, I would tone down the bitterness overall, and the dry/bitter finish. But it is called the Bitter Monk, so it is what is says it is. The abrasive and penetrating bitterness lingers. But the complexity and balance is admirable if not amazing. Unless you absolutely loath brett, belgian yeast, or grapefruit rind bitterness, it would be crazy not to try this. Shelton Bros distributes it, so it should be widely available.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 07:14:21 | More by sprucetip