Galaxy White IPA - Anchorage Brewing Company

vfgccp

New York

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

A - Big, loose bubbled head with ok retention and lace. Hazy, banana yellow body.

S - Light sourness, pear, white peach, french oak, chablis.

T - Distinct brett sourness, tart apple, white grape, oak, orange extract. Excellent balance.

M - Nice smoothness. Medium frame.

O - A great take on a white IPA; the brett adds a nice layer of complexity while still keeping the balance in check. Stellar execution.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 21:16:27 | More by vfgccp

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

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

Jmamay22

New York

4.34/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The beer pours a pale golden yellow with an extremely large craggy white head that refuses to die down leaving thick gobs of foamy rings. Smells enjoyably of musty yeast, apple, pear and coriander. 

The hops provide a spicy flavor that is less prominent than in the nose. With the coriander prominent in the finish. The yeast that has a musty barnyard character comes and goes prevalent midway through tasting and again on the finish. There is a consistent fruity flavor throughout of crisp apples and pear. Mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium, but very lively due to the great amount of carbonation. 

A very unique beer. It is difficult to say what the aging in oak wine tanks has done, but there is a greater complexity present that I have difficult picking out the individual favors that may be due to the aging. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 23:01:39 | More by Jmamay22

Kaibosh

British Columbia (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: slightly cloudy. Golden. Persistent white head.

Smell: Yeast. Floral.

Taste: more wheat beer than IPA. Taste is good, but an IPA?

Mouthfeel: lots of carbonation for a bottle aged beer. Quite thin on the palate.

Overall: a tasty beer. A Belgian style wheat beer. Not so much of an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 06:33:05 | More by Kaibosh

CanuckRover

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very (very) pale gold with a snow-white head. Looks just about perfect. Head gets nice and comfy and sticks around for awhile, whiting out most of my glass with thick lacings.

Unbelievably fresh zingy aroma. Big hit of lemon zest and coriander complimented by mild fund and lively yeast. Just beautiful.

Sharp bitterness up front. Settles to some lovely fruit flavours, mango comes to mind, though I'm guessing if I had ever eaten a cumquat that would be more apt. Bitterness kicks up again near the finish, just to let you know its there. Dry finish and all yeast and restrained funk.

Wasn't sure what to think of this one at first, but a few sips in and I was really digging it. IPA is a bit of a misnomer here, this is sort of an Imperial Wild Wit or something like that. Seek this one out.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 00:04:27 | More by CanuckRover

Vonerichs

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bright orange and hazy color. The head is extremely thick, tall, and frothy. Great retention.

The smell is lemon, the funky barnyard/horseblanket scent that is brett, and citrus.

It's an extremely interesting beer. The cirtrus notes and lemon compliment the funk of the brett. There's a peppery finish.

Mouthfeel is clean with good carbonation. Slightly sweet yet bitter.

This is a fantastic beer with plus points for being highly original. A definite must try.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 02:49:51 | More by Vonerichs

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

Greywulfken

New York

4.4/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: straw-colored ale with a big fluffy head

S: grassy and herbal

T: dry pale malts, minimal sweetness, medium bitterness; lemony citron and brettanomyces musk: astringent and dank at the same time; some herbs and pepperiness

M: clean, crisp, musty aftertaste; dry, slight tart astringence

O: I thought this was really good beer - has a lot going on, and I like the effect of brett in beers.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 17:49:21 | More by Greywulfken

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a clear golden yellow color with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down fairly slowly leaving behind some thick lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of citrus and tropical hops with some Belgian yeast esters, light fruit, pepper and other spice, oak, and some funky Brett.

T - Starts off with some citrus and tropical hops with some grapefruit flavor and some spices and Belgian yeast esters. Through the middle some oak, funky Brett, and bitterness come through alongside a bit more yeast esters. The finish is a mix of citrus and tropical hops, light spices, funk, oak, and some bitterness.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a dry, bitter, and lightly spicy finish.

D - Very drinkable. Really nice White IPA. The spices and the Wit yeast really compliment the Galaxy hops nicely. The Brett also adds some nice complexity.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 06:31:35 | More by ngeunit1

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Rich bretty IPA, complex and tasty.

Presentation: 750 ml brown, caged and corked bottle. Screen printed label with a green and white design of a blizzard of hop cones framed by grey bars with the details of the brew and face of the brewer. Side paragraph offers a description of the brew, and serving indications, back narrative exposes intent, and background. Notes 50 IBUS, bottling Batch #1 Jan 2012, and 7% Alc. by Vol. Served in a tulip glass.

A -Lightly hazy pale gold pour, rich frothy head, medium retention, fair surface memory and some touches of lacing.

S - Rich nose with plenty of funky brett notes, citric, and light fruity touches...

T - The flavor shows off and expand the notes with the breathy funk, hint of spice and tropical sweetness in the backbone, earthy feel in the hop profile with a hint of wood.

M - Light body with high carbonation, relatively dry finish with a pleasing lingering sense.

O - Very rich flow, quite a nice brew.

Notes: Nice flow, same issues as before with the pricing but the quality is memorable. Really enjoying these brews.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 21:50:17 | More by Daniellobo

SHODriver

California

4.45/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: 750ml corked and caged bottle. Pours a light hazy yellow with a huge 2+ finger white head that is slow to recede
S: smells of citrus, spice, and slightly grassy
T: pale malt up front slips to a bit of peppery spice and fruitiness and then a huge layer of hop presence with some herbal flavors and some citrus. Corriander intermingles a little bit toward the end. Aftertaste is oily hop goodness that disappears quickly
M: fairly light on the tongue but has good viscosity as well. Sot carbonation from bottle conditioning is prickly at times but normally very smooth
O: a very tasty convergence of the IPA and Witbier styles

UPDATE: if you want to let this one sit for about 6-7 months the brett will come out to play with some nice barnyard and funk. the hops aren't quite there anymore but still provide a nice bitterness. the nose on the beer has gone nuts in that time as well with some sourness and funk.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 04:14:53 | More by SHODriver

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

4.45/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed "fresh" from tasting notes.

A. Semi hazy pale straw color with a monster four finger head that lasts for a minute and a half, leaving behind amazing sheets and curtains of sudsy lacing. Slightly more retention time and I would have awarded a perfect five for appearance on this one!

S. The first aroma that came to mind was a freshly cooled lemon custard meant for a pie. A split second later I got hit by a wave of the trademarked Galaxy passionfruit aroma coupled up with a side order of Brett Funk and the black peppercorns. The coriander aroma....gets sort of lost in the shuffle for my nose until the beer warms up quite significantly, and even than it is a very meek level of coriander that gets bullied around and obscured by everything else quite a lot.

T. Belgian Brett funk and wet tart wheat, hay, grassy herbal tea-like hopping combined with an appropriately IPA-level of citric peel and rind bittering. The oak and peppercorns team up to form a spicy dry incredibly long finish that blends in with the pithy bitterness that stays with you long after the citrus peel drops away.

M. Medium body and somewhat medium-heavy carbonation. My only real nitpick with this brew is that I would dial the carbonation back just a tad, as it made me feel somewhat bloated even while sipping. Just a bit too effervescent.

Holy hell this was a great beer, and it's going to be hard on my self discipline to wait and see how the funk levels develop in the other bottle I have in the basement.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 15:33:14 | More by WastingFreetime

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 3 from Aug 2012.

A: Hazy, light straw, HUGE white head, good retention, amazing lace.

S: Very Belgian aroma: Horse blanket, corriander and tropical fruit; citrus rind, lemon grass.

T: Definitely some leathery funk, but it's not as pronounced as the aroma. Tons of vanilla in the flavour, wheaty biscuit, tropical fruit, slight pepper, hints of corriander, yeast sediment has a healthy, doughy flavour. Good bitterness, alcohol is really subtle.

M: Highly attenuated, moderate body is really carbonated, with a crisp, dry finish.

O: A gold standard for this new style?

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 02:56:43 | More by Derek

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.48/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml C&C bottle opened on 2-23-12.
Batch 1

A - Pours a very light orange-yellow with a huge fluffy white head. Great retention and lots of lacing.

S - Strong hop tones - grass, pine, floral and lemony. Some slight pepper.

T - Very hoppy, not much of the spice comes through.

D - Light body, no sourness.

O - Light and hoppy, and AMAZING!

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 05:15:27 | More by HuskyinPDX

litheum94

California

4.48/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Whole foods.

Hazy, opaque golden yellow body. Frothy, bone white head leaves a protective cover and some killer lacing.

Corriander spice and funky Brett aromas. Distinct French oak aromas and citrusy hops.

Corriander spicing and some creamy wheat. Big, funky bite from the Brett, gives it an earthy flavor. Oaky, white wine tones. Big hop flavors on the finish; citrusy and bitter.

Excellent, funky take on the style. Another great one from Gabe.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2012 20:27:11 | More by litheum94

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml corked and caged bottle poured into tulip 29/9/12

A hazy golden yellow with not many visible bubbles but there’s lots of them in there because I’m having trouble fitting it in my glass. The massive loose soapy head retains very well taking its time to fall leaving just a few random patches of lace

S lots going on with this one, I’m getting the coriander no problem, the Brett’s hard too miss, faint peppercorn but I can’t remember smelling a Kumquat before, it’s a mix of mango, passion fruit and orange marmalade. Earthy notes and oak with some vinous notes I can’t quite place, tropical citric hops round out the mix. Everything just blends together so well and I can’t think of how this beer could smell better

T a step back from the nose this only tastes awesome, spice comes out stronger with more earthy vinous notes, the funky Brett and fruit works well, I could drink this all day…or at least until I couldn’t move

M over carbonated and foamy, a swirl produces a two finger foam after the original head fell, I could do this several times, no heats a plus but quite airy, a mild bitter bite and just a fine tannic like grit

O very pleased with this one, a nice blend of fruit, hops and a very interesting yeast profile and a spicy kick. This one has a little bit of everything and its working well no matter how you look at it.

I’m stoked to drink this one and could take down another 750ml no problem. The Brett’s already strong and I’m going to find out how funky this will get, I’m going to buy another to drink now and lay one down for fun

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 19:35:36 | More by wordemupg

beer2day

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased at Bottle Rev in Raleigh.

Light, nearly white, yellow color with billowing white head, 2+ fingers worth. One of the palest, lightest micros I've seen. Excellent retention and fine lace. Hard to get past the pale color, though.

Nose is dominated by brett with light grape and floral hops underneath. The wine barrel lends a nice touch. Spices are light and add to a tart, brett finish. Plenty of brett flavor here.

Body is just right for the style, but a bit on the fizzy side. Just a tad bit too much carbonation for me.

Overall, a strong entry in the field.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 02:01:37 | More by beer2day

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle into tulip. batch #2 APR 2012.

A: very pale straw yellow body. bright white head. lace everywhere. great retention. carbonization racing to the surface. perfect.

S: straight funk on the nose. barny and bretty goodness. bright. wild flower honey. the hops try and make their presence known, but struggle to behind the barny Brett.

T: the Brett flavor is strong. tart and refreshing. there is a linger of citrus flavor, lemons and limes, helps to remind me this is an IPA as well as a funky brew. finish of mild grain chewiness is dried out by acidity.

M: champagne-like in its carbonation. medium bodied.

D: very tasty stuff. glad the Brett characteristics are as prevalent as I was hoping they would be. also, I would like to say this is one of the most appealing looking BIPA's I have seen ever. kudos to Anchorage for doing a stellar job with the bottle conditioning here.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 01:32:31 | More by Jimmys

smekermann

British Columbia (Canada)

4.49/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Man, this was a surprisingly great beer. I was, as usual, apprehensive going into it, just because "white IPA brewed with brett and wine yeast" sounds like a recipe for disaster. Any number of things could go wrong and you'd end up with a drainpour on your hands. Anyway, that wasn't the case, and this beer is pretty damn good.

Pours a cloudy straw yellow color with a decent sized head that dissipates fairly quickly. Very reminiscent of a Belgian wit in appearance, unsurprisingly. Smell is lemon zest, a lot of brett funk and a bit of earthiness, either from the malts or from the yeast. It tastes even better than it smells, with that aforementioned citrus zest hitting your taste buds first, then some sourness from the brett and then what to me tastes like a fairly sharp, earthy and pretty dry pipe tobacco. It finishes on a dry, slightly sour, earthy note. Didn't really get any spices from it, although maybe that's what the pipe tobacco taste was. I didn't mind, since I've had plenty of spiced beer in my time and this is probably the first time I've tasted tabaccyness in a non-dark ale. Quite refreshing, really.

A really unique beer, in my opinion, and probably the first "IPA" I've had that might actually age nicely due to the brettanomyces and wine yeast. It'd probably develop into something completely different than what I've had today, but it would be an interesting experiment.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 06:46:32 | More by smekermann

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

DrFayhee

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer has a pale yellow, slightly cloudy color that almost makes it look like its glowing. A nice thick head gives it a stunning appearance. Very fruity aroma with citrus and herbal notes. Characterizing flavor for this beer is a real challenge because I've never had a beer that changes so much with almost every sip. This alone makes it exciting. It started out slightly funky and yeasty which gradually mellowed as honeysuckle and melon-y flavors began to peek through. I'd definitely love to try another bottle to see if there are differences between batches but unfortunately it's pretty pricey.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 02:56:37 | More by DrFayhee

scottfrie

California

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle into Duvel tulip. Batch 1, bottled 1/2012.

A: Pours a light lemon-golden with a huge, soft, bright white head that slowly faded into a very fuzzy and thick film that held great retention and left streaks of sticky lacing down the glass.
S: Holly cow what a nose. Citrus dominates with scents of kumquats alongside coriander, vinous (white wine-like) oak barrel, wit yeast and a complex blend of spices and earthy brett. This smells complex and inviting.
T: All of the different ingredients in this beer work really well together to form a fantastic brew! The oak and brett come out a little bit more than the nose, with the citrus coming through in the middle and finish. Peppercorns, coriander, Belgian yeast, and some earthy and farm-like brett are all noticeable, yet no one ingredient dominates. The galaxy hops provide some sweet and slightly bitter fruits in the finish, and the aftertaste is drying, vinous, and full of yeast.
M: Full bodied with frothy, full, yet soft, carbonation. Mouthfeel is full and bubbly but very smooth. Finish is drying and refreshing.
O: Almost as good as Bitter Monk. This brewery can do no wrong in my book. This beer is so complex and flavorful yet so smooth and drinkable. I could drink this all day. Thank you, Anchorage!

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 03:24:26 | More by scottfrie

NWer

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Popped the cork of 22 oz bottle & poured into my Russian River stemmed glass. Foamy head explodes filling the glass in spite of a very careful pour.
Head retains very well with nice lace as head gradually recedes.
Golden color.
First impression is of a typical Belgian IPA but then the nuances take over challenging the senses. Sweetness, spiciness, sour notes make for a very enjoyable experience.
A great sipping beer so bold I couldn't finish the bottle at one sitting. Rebottled into a swing-top bottle to finish at a later time.
I love a good Belgian IPA - quickly becoming one of my favorite styles and this didn't disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 02:09:45 | More by NWer

jtierney89

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Lots of yeast action in this bottle, the cork almost took my eye out and the head is insane. Lots of sticky spiderweb like lacing. This thing may never die. Extremely yeasty nose. Lots of earthy and farmhouse notes. Lots of spicy notes. Super hazy pale bright yellow color.

Very nice beer. Brisk effervescence. Bright citrus from the cumquats, Spicy coriander and pepper. Spicy citrus hops with a bit of pine. Drying hop bitterness that lingers. At only 50 IBUS its got a nice bitterness. Nice lingering sweetness as well. Rich and complex beer. The spice from the coriander and peppercorn go along well with the citric bittering galaxy hops. Touches of passion fruit and citric fruit salad. Deeply complex and highly drinkable. Lots of earthy yeastiness. Musty funkiness. Very awesome beer. I love it. Lots of passion fruit as the beer warms.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 23:49:09 | More by jtierney89