Galaxy White IPA - Anchorage Brewing Company

drgarage

California

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured in SFBW Chalice

A: Hazy pale straw with a huge head that sticks around for a long time and leaves a lot of lacing behind. Looks a lot like a witbier that's been seriously messed with. Which this is.

S: Huge Galaxy hops. Citrus, resin, humidity, herbs. And then big brett funk.

T: Galaxy huge here, too. A lot of citrus and wet hops. Lots of resin. Tastes like Cuba. Improves pretty much by the sip. Lots of peppercorn spice and coriander. A bit of very tart citrus, hard to say if it's from kumquats or the Galaxy. Rating this a 4.5 for its style, which is better than the vast majority of IPAs and the vast majority of wits. Is it a new style? Maybe.

M: Soft carbonation. Drying, like a lightly oaked chardonnay. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the sensual feast here.

O: My favorite Anchorage beer since Bitter Monk and maybe my favorite overall. I can't believe this beer isn't getting any hype. At some point, Anchorage will be recognized for its greatness, and people won't complain about the price, they'll offer their whole cellars to get their hands on it. What Gabe's doing is virtually unprecedented outside of Belgium. Can't wait to see what he does next. Can you say Quad?

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 06:36:14 | More by drgarage

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4/5  rDev -1%

05-18-2013 23:58:52 | More by Photekut

BMMillsy

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -19.6%

05-16-2013 00:02:02 | More by BMMillsy

klythjohan

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

05-15-2013 01:21:20 | More by klythjohan

JeffNev

Nevada

3/5  rDev -25.7%

05-12-2013 00:37:36 | More by JeffNev

SFACRKnight

Colorado

2.9/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Poured from a 750 dated aug 2012. No gushing, but a lot of pressure behind that cork.

Poured a hazy straw color, lots of head here, cresting the top of my new belgium globe. Pretty standard look for a wit.
Smells like brett, citrus, and galaxy hops. Lots of hops. I'm amazed the hop aromas lasted a year like this. I get more brett funkiness and hops than anything else here.
First sip, galaxy comes through strong with some brett leather. I hhave never gotten the leather flavor of brett untill now. Once the hops and brett die down I get some kumquat, not getting the spices or barrel though. Having a hard time getting through this beer. The after taste that lingers in my mouth is cloying, and a little overwhelming.
Medium mouthfeel, but leaves an oily feeling behind along with the cloying aftertaste.
Overall, I came into this beer pretty excited. I dig hops, brett, and witbier. This one just didn't come together well. The barrel is hidden by the bold hopping, as is the wit yeasts and spices. The brett comes through, as does the kumquat, but none of these flavors are in harmony and treat the pallate more like a battlefield than anything else. Glad I tried it, but won't be goiing back for more.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 15:00:13 | More by SFACRKnight

shand

Florida

4.49/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Just a bit of gushing when popping the cork... Galaxy White IPA pours a hazy golden color with an absolutely massive head even when poured extremely slowly. The aroma is funky and fruity, with pepper and sweet oak jumping out. Lots of complexity, plenty of fleeting notes to discover shoving your nose into this. Judging by the label, this was always going to be an interesting beer to begin with.

Nearly a year past bottling date, it's taken on a distinctly saison-esque flavor profile, with the pepper and brett really doing a number on things here. There's also a solid hop presence still lingering, providing a fruitiness and a nice background bitterness. It's an extremely dry beer, with the brett and hops contributing strongly to that. So much going on here that it's really not worth picking apart in the review, each sip reveals new facets. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, highly carbonated, and (as before mentioned) very dry. Overall, Anchorage's Galaxy White IPA has held up very well a year past bottling. It's very interesting, extremely complex, and very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 20:21:51 | More by shand

Jordantb313

Colorado

4/5  rDev -1%

05-08-2013 01:40:12 | More by Jordantb313

dalepryor

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-07-2013 20:45:21 | More by dalepryor

rodrigueZflyingf0x

British Columbia (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-06-2013 23:32:20 | More by rodrigueZflyingf0x

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

05-06-2013 12:59:11 | More by SkeeterBoganski

MasterSki

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Batch #2, cellared for about a year I guess. Purchased at West Lakeview Liquors and served in a plastic cup.

A - The cork comes out with an explosive pop, but this thankfully didn't gush. Giant white foam that eventually settles to a lingering thick cap and splotchy lacework. Hazed mango-orange body.

S - Loads of brett; mostly tropical, but a tad dirty and musty, with light hay, grass, and medicinal notes. Still, it's mostly fruity brett mingling with fruity hops and the kumquat addition. A bit of coriander and peppercorn mixes nicely with the spicy Belgian yeast.

T - The taste is more Saison-like, with hand lotion, stone fruit malts, tropical brett, kumquat, and mild medicinal notes in the finish. Surprisingly low bitterness for an all-Galaxy beer. Not a ton of oak character.

M - Super dry and champagne-esque, with zesty carbonation and a medium body. No alcohol, and exactly what I want from this style.

D - I'd like to try this again fresh to see how intense the Galaxy hops are, but even with age this is a really nice mix of hops, brett, and adjuncts. Nice to see that these Anchorage beers hold up over time too. Very enjoyable, but I expect nothing else from Gabe.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 20:13:36 | More by MasterSki

Liquoric3

Germany

3.25/5  rDev -19.6%

05-01-2013 10:48:11 | More by Liquoric3

sendbeer

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

04-29-2013 03:07:55 | More by sendbeer

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

04-29-2013 01:56:31 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

bschinelli

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from corked & caged 750 mL bottle into a tulip style glass.

A: A cloudy, hazy, pale yellow gold or light straw color with an overflowing amount of tight, white foam leaving a four inch head - an inch over the glass. In fact the carbonation continues to bubble under the head.

S: Funk dominates on the nose, you get the Brett with a little lemon zest and black pepper.

T: Lots of Brett funk with the lemon zest, pepper and now some coriander, overlayed with some oak tannins from the barrel. A very complex and interesting and flavor profile.

M: A champagne like light, crisp taste. I like a little more malt presence.

O: Why you would call this an IPA, I don't know, but it's an interesting, complex beer to sip on the porch when the weather changes. An excellent brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 20:43:05 | More by bschinelli

marc2010

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%

04-21-2013 20:46:32 | More by marc2010

Valleyview06

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

04-19-2013 20:25:21 | More by Valleyview06

jessicapreuss

Brazil

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

04-17-2013 02:29:46 | More by jessicapreuss

Invictus

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

04-15-2013 22:10:43 | More by Invictus

bigsquirrel

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

04-15-2013 19:52:10 | More by bigsquirrel

Davit

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

04-15-2013 02:07:38 | More by Davit

GPGURU

Louisiana

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

04-14-2013 01:19:04 | More by GPGURU

macrosmatic

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to jegross2 for this bottle. Reviewed from notes. Poured from corked & caged 750 mL bottle into an Upland pint glass.

A: Hazy light gold to almost lemonade in color, with a huge (about a third of the glass on initial gentle pour) white fluffy head, and lots of visible carbonation.

S: Funky Brett dominates over Belgian fruity yeast esters, citrus (potentially from hops), and coriander.

T: Follows the nose with some oaky dry tannins on the exhale along with the funkiness. It isn't particularly hoppy at this point, but it is about a year old.

M: Light body, bubbly champagne-like mouthfeel with the high level of carbonation. Alcohol is well-hidden.

O: With the bit of age this bottle had on it, I suspect that the Brett character has gotten more pronounced. This was quite enjoyable, although it isn't drinking too much like an IPA at this point. Two beers from Anchorage, and two big winners in my book!

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 01:09:14 | More by macrosmatic

hopkrid

Florida

4/5  rDev -1%

04-08-2013 01:59:28 | More by hopkrid