The Tide And Its Takers - Anchorage Brewing Company

Arbitrator

California

3.63/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

From notes. Batch 1.

A: Pours a murky straw yellow body with rocky off-white head. Good lacing.

S: Lemon, vanilla, soft oak notes (French oak?), mild brett (hay, minerals).

T: I don't pick up much in the way of tripel qualities; this doesn't have the phenolic pepper or broad swatches of fruity esters you'd get from, say, La Fin du Monde. The flavor is tightly concentrated around lemon and vanilla with a touch of pear. They're still nice, just not that developed. The aftertaste is minerally.

M: Effervescent but creamy. It finishes very smooth. Great mouthfeel.

O: I'm happy to have tried it, but it's not something I'll pick up again; at $15, it's not worth the premium over a standard tripel.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 02:02:24 | More by Arbitrator

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Liam for sharing this one.

Hazy pale blonde colour, ring of white head, lots of lace left behind here. Smell has lots of musty/funky brett up front, lemony and fruity citrus notes come through as well, malt and some buttery oak, yeasty and funky throughout. Big brett and vinious oak on the palate, funky and fruity, lemon, green apple, belgian yeast, some milder spicing for a tripel, a little bit of bitterness on the back end as well. Medium carbonation, medium-full body, nice feel. This is amazing stuff, very enjoyable and something I would love another chance at having.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 16:51:31 | More by peensteen

popery

California

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours pale gold with a smallish white head. Slight haze, probably just from some of the lees kicking up. Really nice bretty sour aroma. Lots of light stone fruit - apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums - shot through with funk and sour notes. Grass, pepper, earthy Belgian notes. Lots of oak. Taste starts with more fruity sweetness but quickly dries out and picks up spicy and sour flavors. There's a bit of booze to it. A little too tannic for my taste. The oak is strong. Funky, sour finish. Feel is light, but a bit boozy. A very good beer and an excellent and interesting take on the style. Unfortunately, it's a little too strong for the sourness, and the oak is just a bit much for me. Still, it's always great to try an Anchorage beer. Nothing but hits from that brewery, so far.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 04:29:11 | More by popery

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle purchased from K&L Wine Merchants in Redwood City, CA. In fact, this is now available in Sydney, but I'm pleased to have carted it back to Australia myself. Shared with @tobeerornottobe and @LaitueGonflable.

Pours a mild, slightly hazed golden colour, with a magnificent crown of pure white, shiny froth. Lacing is spectacularly intricate. Body is solid, but pleasingly fluid. Carbonation strikes out with vigour through the body, but it's surprisingly fine throughout. Overall, good looking beer.

Nose is obviously bretty, as are all Anchorage's brews, but here there's a more rounded, slightly fruity straight Belgian yeast note to it. This melds with a surprising but pleasant earthy grain character that lends a touch of savoury to the brew. Almost has a hint of smoky barbeque to it in a strangely oblique way. Overall, very nice stuff indeed.

Taste is lighter, but with a direct, slightly biting fruit to it, almost like a capsicum sweetness. Plenty of smooth oak here on the palate, definitely giving some chardonnay characteristics. There's a bit of astringency on the back, partially from acidity and partially just from the straight Belgian yeast strain (which I assume was used in concert). It's very nice stuff. Feel is particularly good. Smooth, but unobtrusive. Great stuff.

Yup, another masterful addition from Anchorage to their already masterful range. The chardonnay I thought was subtle, but it turns out to be the defining factor of this beer the more you drink. It's a very interesting result.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 02:10:38 | More by lacqueredmouse

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from MasterSki, thanks Alex! 750ml Batch 1 (October 2011) into a tulip.

Golden orange with a voluminous white head. Sticky lace and moderate retention. Nose is floral, citrus, zesty, bretty, light oak sweetness and some grass. Taste is citrus, floral, bretty, citrus zest again. Quite complex. Lightly bitter, effervescent carbonation and medium light body, Delicious and complex, I could have this in my glass on any warm day (or any day of the year, really).

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 21:35:57 | More by liamt07

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle was poured into a large Duvel snifter. I got this bottle from volunteering at the Extreme Beer Fest back in February. Batch 1/Oct 2011

Appearance: This beer poured a crazy two finger puffy head that has reduced to half it's size. It is a hazy golden yellow with some clarity and signs of carbonation coming up through the glass.

Smell: bready, tart, sour, vanilla, buttery, oakey, spicy, earthy, yeasty esters, lemon, citrus, and a bit of funkiness too. Tripel meets a sour.

Taste: Awesome. The Brett and the chardonnay barrels blend everything well. Picking up some apple, pear, and Belgian candy too. Alcohol is even hidden well too. A little bitterness in there too.

Mouthfeel: Soft, silky smooth, medium bodied, medium carbonation, and easy to drink even with the presence of Brett in the beer.

Overall: A nice twist on the tripel style that is growing on me. Wish I held onto the bottle a bit longer. Oh well. Still awesome after sitting in the bottle for a year. Now I have to be on the lookout for their other brews too.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 02:40:23 | More by Flounder57

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy, pale golden orange color with a one finger frothy white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Decent retention with streaks of soapy lacing left behind.

The aroma of this beer is pretty complex with hints of earthy hops, sweet citrus, oak barrel and funky wild yeast notes bouncing off of each other. The barrel presence is prominent with toasted oak, vanilla, spice and white wine notes followed by vinous and tropical fruit, resinous pine and musty funk. As it warms, the wild yeast comes to the forefront with musty brett and a subtle lactic character that compliments the hop profile. The Chardonnay/white wine notes are also pretty strong with grape must and other light fruit notes. This slightly overpowers the hop profile but there are still hints of pine needle and tropical fruit.

On the fuller end of medium bodied with soft carbonation and a prominent barrel presence that adds complexity without interfering with the hops and wild yeast notes. Some charred oak along with vanilla and buttery white wine flavor which is countered by a dry, bitter pine presence and a strong, musty brett character. The wild yeast provides some dry, earthy funk that compliments the resinous hop flavor and gives balance to the tropical and vinous fruit sweetness. Underneath the barrel and wild yeast, there are hints of citrus peel, apple, pear and alcohol but the high ABV is well masked making this complex beer pretty quaffable. There is a lot going on here but the wine barrel, earthy hops and funky yeast notes are almost perfectly balanced resulting in another excellent beer from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 10:35:44 | More by corby112

quirkzoo

Colorado

4.48/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

batch 1, October 2011 bottle date

Pours a bright orange-yellow with 2 fingers of fluffy white head that remain as a thin cap even 6 hours after the initial pour (I slowly worked my way through the whole bottle in an evening.

The smell is brett funk up front lots of hay and oak with a medicinal, herbal quality to it, very "musty basement" in overall aroma. Some bright citrus notes behind that. Smells slightly lactic sour but not overwhelmingly so.

The taste is wonderfully balanced. The brett is definitely the star of the show but it is not overpowering. It is slightly bitter, with some bright citrus to balance it out, just a touch sour.

Mouthfeel is just right, light without being spritzy. The 9% is well hidden, it drinks much more like a 5% gueuze than a tripel.

Overall this is a great beer. If I had to find a fault with it, it would be that from memory I can't really tell the difference between this and the anchorage wit that I had a while back. There is nothing in this beer that screams tripel to me. With that said, if you like brettanomyces, this is like a nice complex gueuze, only not as sour.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 06:04:18 | More by quirkzoo

dansmcd

Australia

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a light cloudy orange with an airy white fluffy head.

S - Typical tripel aroma. Slightly funky yeast, accompanied by stonefruit and sour rockmelon.

T - A touch of acidity and sourness, with the fruit and yeast that are prominent. Peppery finish.

M - Light body, plenty of flavour and lip smacking tang. Good complexity.

O - Kind of a hybrid sour- tripel, but really good and exceptionally refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 08:13:42 | More by dansmcd

Greywulfken

New York

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: hazy gold beer body with a finger or two of ivory froth - poured slowly on first drink to keep yeast out; drank from my Duvel tulip

S: some of the dankness of the brett, some brighter grassier notes; little bit of wood and oak

T: an interesting beer - barrel aging has imparted a wine-like flavor over a lot of the beer-ier notes of the musky brett and orchard fruits; leans toward dry, not sweet - I must confess I personally prefer a little more sweetness in a tripel

M: medium-to-heavy body; brisk carbonation; slight coating aftertaste - the brett effect; a little tart/tacky; crisper astringency than most of the tripels I've had

O: this is unique among tripels - I've had the bourbon barrel-aged tripel, the sweet fruity tripel, the tripel brewed with rice, etc. - but it seems the combination of brettanomyces yeast and barrel-aging produces a very distinct beer, which reminded me of an American wild ale blended with a Belgian strong pale ale - this was a rugged beer. You have to try it - but how you'll feel about the chardonnay barrel flavors with the brett influence is probably a matter of taste. I liked it, and while partial to the Curieux-, Karmeliet-, and Westmalle-style tripels, this beer definitely has an elegance of its own.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 17:58:03 | More by Greywulfken

ADZA

Australia

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Been looking forwards to this one as i do love a nice brew aged in chardonay barrels and it pours a hazed golden hue which leaves a creamy two finger head and lacing everywhere very nice looking,the smell is barnhouse funk,sweaty socks,floral hops and fresh mandarins,the mouthfeel is medium bodied,oily and a touch dry with tastes of bready belgian malts,funky barnhouse sour yeast,peaches,floral bitter earthy hops,brett,mandarins and finished with a funky sour dryness and overall its a nice drop with a beautiful touch of Brett to give you that funky sour dryness and with the weather like it is today its definately i could drink more than one bottle of cheers.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 08:04:23 | More by ADZA

macrosmatic

Florida

4.83/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Reviewed from notes. Poured from bomber into a CCB snifter.

A: Hazy, dark golden yellow, with one finger's worth of white head, and good visible carbonation.

S: Lemon, biscuit, and Brett barnyard funk with some citrus hops. I get an overall vinous impression.

T: Citrus/lemony barnyard funk with biscuit malt sweetness and some fruity esters. Some Belgian yeast character as well as some dryness from the tannin components. The finish is similar to that of a chardonnay with a little more attenuation, and maybe some bitterness from the hops.

M: Medium mouthfeel to maybe a little heavier than expected for style. Alcohol is noticeable but doesn't detract at all.

O: To say this is a complex beer is an understatement. There's a lot going on here, and it's all very, very good. It's a sipping & thinking beer, not one to have while you're mindlessly eating peanuts at a ballgame. But a wonderful beer, and I'm very glad to have had the chance to try it. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 00:19:17 | More by macrosmatic

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.85/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in
a snifter

Appearance: Really looks beautiful right from the start, cloudy amber with a white head that rises to maybe 1/3" that is just right.

Smell: The smell is good I am not sure if this is what you want to smell though, feels like gouda cheese with hints of lemon.

Taste: Hardcore lemon peel, with hint of grapefruit this beer is good and but is hard to love like other tripels that I have had. It is bitter but sharp.

Mouth: Ever-sticking taste that crunches to gums. yeast is in full effect.

Overall: This is good beer, but it is very different. I have had many tripels this one stands out in many different ways. With it's yeasty taste and everlasting taste of lemons you get the feel of what complex is. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 04:13:18 | More by BlurryVisi0n

zaphodchak

Virginia

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy gold body, thinnish white body. A bit of lacing.

Some funk, a bit of booze, and a trace of Maytag bleu, and a lot of Belgian yeast.

Really interesting character. A bit of the bubblegum from Sorachi Ace. Some leafy (arugula?) bitterness, and some decent funk.

Nice smooth mouthfeel, bottle-conditioning is evident.
Awesome bottle-conditioned mouthfeel.

Interesting and quite complex. Lots of stuff going on, but it just barely escapes being an 'everything bagel'.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 01:56:43 | More by zaphodchak

davewlfpckfan29

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this from a friend in Vermont.

Right from the start the smell of the cork has me very interested. That sour smell is very nice, one of my many favorite things about this beer.

Light color, looks like a tripel.

It smells more sour than it is. The taste has a lot going on. Very herbal, with a hint of sourness (brett) and then some oakiness from the barrel, and the alcohol taste is present as well.

Awesome warm feeling after drinking just one glass of this beer. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to try an Anchorage Brewing beer, I look forward to trying more from them.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 05:31:17 | More by davewlfpckfan29

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

What's old is new again as the brewers of Anchorage Brewing Company create classic tripel ale flavors but give them a twist, like the assertive grassy hop taste and the often shunned brettanomyces bacteria. However, its precisely these characteristics that were likely held in Belgian ales of a years gone bye.

A decant of bright honey-gold coloration is cast through a screen of yeasty haze. A meringue looking foam stance caps the beer with high persistence and strong lacing patterns along the way. This is one sexy beer!

Floral honey notes are cut short by a sharp whiff of dried oak, cedar, frankincense, and butter. Dried limes provide a citrusy note while apples deliver a pleasant sulfur, cider, and white wine character that bridges very well into the hop scent of fresh cut grass and muddled tea-like herbs.

Flavors follow similarly, but with more heft from the arid taste of bready malts, confectioner's sugar sweetness, and pleasant butterscotch. Caramel apples, green berries, white grapes, and a sea water type of brine come to mind as the early sweetness transcends toward an earthy mid palate. Yet the finish favors the vinous taste of dry white wines, oak, and grassy/herbal hops.

I love it when Belgian tripels deliver the musty-fruity-spicy flavors of saisons, but with more body, creaminess, and fullness that's expected of tripel ales. And this one does just that with its full cream and butter upstart but relaxes to shed its near-champagne carbonation during mid palate for an off-dry finish of acid, mild astringency, and ethanol warmth.

I absolutely love the restrained earthen character of Anchorage Brewing Company's ales. They know how to create distinctive ales that adhere to the style's prescription very well while injecting the rustic and artistic attributes that separate them from the pretenders in the Belgian-style beer market. Great job again!

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 07:04:30 | More by BEERchitect

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Golden slightly cloudy body with lots of lace. Funky and spicy, a little wood and tart fruit. Nice triple,white winish, not getting much Brett flavour or impact. Above normal mouthfeel. John's bottle that was drunk in a hurry this hot summer's day.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 20:45:10 | More by northyorksammy

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a golden color with a big white head. Aromas of straw and grass with a definite oak and white wine note. There’s a mild fruity tartness to the nose and just a hint of funk. The flavor has a surprising touch of bitterness, but perhaps it’s just tannins/astringency? White wine, light fruits, and a subtle lactic tartness to go along with the bready malt flavor and soft sweetness. Good, but Love Buzz is still my favorite thus far from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 20:53:17 | More by womencantsail

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Batch #1 - October/2011. Poured in to Bruery tulip.

A - Slightly hazy golden orange colour. One finger of bright white head.

S - Tart, sour and some funk up front. Plenty of oak along with some lemon zest and bready malt aromas.

T - Bready malts up front with Belgian yeast and lighter clove flavours. The brett notes enter in the middle adding the perfect amount of sour and funk without dominating the beer. The finish has lemon zest and a nice dry tartness. Plenty of oak throughout.

M - Medium body with a massive chew. Creamy. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 16:01:11 | More by TheSevenDuffs

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Batch one. Bottled on October 2011.
I liked the label. It reminds me of Stone. There is tons of writing on the bottle. This writing is poetic versus the dickery found on Stone bottles.

I poured this tripel into a chalice. There was about two fingers of really airy foam on this golden beer.

Off the top you really pick up the sour from the Brett. I also get the wine presence from the chardonnay barrels. There is also some lemon in the Sorochi hops.

The flavor is a bit of a challenge. There is a lot going on here. You really get the wine from the first sip. I also get the funk/sour of the brett. That blends for very good complexity, but also a pucker face. I continue to pick up the hoppy flavor.

I would let this warm, as it is very hard to drink at room temperature. Pick up a bomber and share it with a friend.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 23:47:59 | More by ummswimmin

ccrida

Oregon

4.85/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into my large Gulden Draak tulip, The Tide and Its Takers is clear gold with a big fluffy white head, rocky, with heavy lace.

Smell is lightly sweet fruity esters, pineapple brett, but with some earthy yeastiness as well.

Taste is very nicely integrated with all components showing, the lighter barnyard and stronger pineapple brett, the spicey, clean dry pils of the trippel and abbey yeast, and finally, the vinous notes of the barrel aging. This is a masterpiece of flavor depth and (relative) subtly.

Mouthfeel is dry, but slick, a little oily, with a medium light body and soft carbonation.

Drinkability is crazy high. A world class beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 02:44:54 | More by ccrida

Blissfullbrew

Oregon

3.78/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle

Pours hazy burnt orange with fading lacy white foam. The initial smell is that of bubble gum and champagne. The flavor is easy, with a hint of orange and alcohol. There is a spicy note on the back of the throat after the second sip. Very good flavor quality and overall example of an American triple. The chardoannay shines through fairly well but does not take away from the essence of the brett within. There is no cloying after-bite in this brew. Definitely will be drinking this one again.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 00:42:34 | More by Blissfullbrew

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

3.78/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle 9,0% ABV
Served lightly chilled in an over sized wine glass.
Batch 1
Bottled in: October 2011

Appearance: Moderately cloudy, light golden body, topped by a large fluffy white head that displays good retention and leaves some sticky patches of lacing on its way down.

Smell: Mmmm, this smells quite good. The initial nose is very earthy, with a distinct brett note. As the beer warms, the nose opens up, with golden fruit, sweet malt, lemon peel, musk, light barnyard, white wine, oak and dry grass all noted.

Taste: The flavour is not as interesting as the nose and the wine barrel is notably absent. Notes include: Sweet malt, apples, pears, an earthy character, light barnyard and some dry hay.
The finish is quite dry and ever so slightly bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a very high level of carbonation. The carbonation feels very Belgian, but is a little too much for me.

Overall: The Tide and its Takers is a solid beer, but is just not interesting enough. With the barrel aging and the brett, I expected the beer to be much fuller in terms of both complexity and power.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 16:56:18 | More by Thehuntmaster

wethorseblanket

California

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Corked and caged bottle. Batch #1.

A: Pours a hazy dry-straw yellow. A gentle pour yields a 1" rocky white head which leaves rings, stringers, and spotty lace. Lots of effervescence in the glass.

N: Funky brett yeast, lemon zest, floral, grassy, fresh hay, faint orange blossoms.

T: Yeasty brett with oak barrel and vinous notes. Herbal and funky. Slightly metallic tang on finish.

M: Medium body, semi-strong champange-like carbonation. Dry and slightly bitter yeasty finish.

O: Enjoyable. Liked the brett funk, of course.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 23:34:22 | More by wethorseblanket

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased at the Hill Farmstead retail shop. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a crystal clear golden pineapple juice like hue with a massive FOUR finger rocky head with a TON of effervescence. Like, too much bubbles man.

S - Very nice soft banana and belgian spice notes with this with a VERY faint brett.

T - Taste is quite nice as well. Good belgian yeast esters with nice light spices and more of the subtle brett. Its a good tripel, but, I'd like to see more funky/brett like I'm used to getting with Anchorage.

M - Mouthfeel isnt bad, WAAAY too carbonated at first, but it dies down quickly. Very, very light alcohol presence.

O - Overall this is a solid beer, not my favourite from Anchorage though. Used to alot more brett with my Anchorage beers

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 01:59:35 | More by rudzud