Chainbreaker White IPA - Deschutes Brewery

WissBrauSean

Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

It pours a full straw color, hazy with a white one finger head that fades to a ring with a little center cap and has light lacing.

The aroma will tantalize your love of citrus. Most notable is the Belgian yeast when it's cold and then notes of lemon, sweet pale malts, floral notes from the hops and some breadiness come out as it warms.

This being called an IPA may mislead you. If you are after over the top hop then this is not it. Just a warning. It is, however, very Belgian witbier-like with Pacific Northwest hops for mild bittering and aroma. I get honey from the pale malts and a big lemon taste out of it the most. Hints of spice from coriander are mild and the wheat provides a really creamy feel to it. There is only mild hop bitterness along the ride and not any more overpowering at the end than the beginning but they are floral. The finish is interesting and dry. Well Done!

The mouthfeel is definitely creamy and mildly sweet and fuller than you would think for a beer this pale! Carbonation is lively and lends to the peppery dry finish well.

Overall I think this beer is incredible! It may be lacking on the IPA front a bit and calling it an IPA may lose it some points in judging, but seeing that this is a fairly new style I think you have to be a little open minded in judging it. It gets a solid 4 out of 5 from me! So it's lacking a little in the hop department, and lacking a little head as well as the high alcohol content coming in just below 6. Those are the only bad points, if you can call them that.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 22:35:07 | More by WissBrauSean

mooseo

Pennsylvania

3.74/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle into tulip.

A - Hazy light yellow/gold with a small creamy white head.

S - Lemon, bready malts, light citrus, pine, Belgian yeast.

T - Lemon zest, orange, grassy hops, hay, sweet bready malt. Coriander and Belgian yeast add a nice spicy element that is noticeable throughout. Finishes grainy and grassy with a very slight hop bitterness.

M - Smooth, creamy, light bodied. A bit too thin. High carbonation.

O - This is a pleasant, refreshing beer to have in the spring or summer. It's more of a straight up Belgian wit than an IPA, although hops are definitely present. Pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 18:26:32 | More by mooseo

iSip

Colorado

4.09/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deschutes Chainbreaker IPA: These mixed styles are all the rage. Belgian IPAs and Whitbier IPAs.... I am all for it if the result is good!

The Chainbreaker looks like a Whitbier, light straw color, slightly hazy, very carbonated and topped with a pure white foam that laces well. The aroma has the citrus base to it, and a bit of flowery hops come through. Flavor wise, there is honey, lemon peal and a touch of hoppiness. Much more a Whitbier than IPA. It works for me, as I am a fan of whitbiers. Very good.

Give it a try if you like Whitbier, if you are an IPA head, you will be disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 00:19:56 | More by iSip

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.73/5  rDev +28.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: White with a light yellowish hue, good retention & lace.

S: Lots of lemon with hints of grapefruit & pine. Smells like an IPA.

T: This 'style' is often muddled, but the flavours here are really complimentary. It's a great wheat beer, without the spice, lemon is upfront, with some underlying grapefruit and pine. Solid bitterness.

M: Well-attenuated, light to moderate body has a crisp, dry finish.

O: Maybe it's just a fruity IPA with a bunch of wheat thrown in, but it really works.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2013 22:52:36 | More by Derek

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I can't tell you why, but I couldn't get enough of this stuff while out in the Bend-Portland corridor a couple weeks ago. The gimmicky things usually turn me off. But this just won me over immediately.

A: fairly cloudy grain-grassy yellow... one can almost see texture (with)in the liquid... decent foam on the pour, but it mysteriously checked-out each time

S: a European spiced holiday cookie/baby-cake(sweet zwieback?)?...hops are on the nose, but they're muddled with the alternative spicing and the mild and inviting fermenting-dough yeast.... rising above mellow, alive

T: not quite a Wit, not quite an IPA.... maybe a slightly off-spiced, marginally earthy-floral hefeweizen or a lemon shortbread cookie.... delicately richer in fresh-baked white bready malt.... bright, feathery sweetish-flowery hops tingle on the perimeters on the palate, mild spicy.... the tasty malt carries on through, residual sediment-ester interplay

M: almost medium-bodied - doesn't have a dextrin-derived substance to the feel - maybe an almost unfiltered, yeasty texture, washes away with some retard... satisfying, organic heartiness

O: fantastic in my eyes and on my tongue.... won't blow you away, but it has an indelible overall quality - when you see it - you have to have one.... i don't know....

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2013 06:42:51 | More by Bouleboubier

dc87

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A - pours a beautiful cloudy yellow with a 1/2 finger head

S - yeast/lemon

T - a quietly hopped up wheat beer. Bright and citrusy, but disappointingly underwhelming. Bitter aftertaste which quickly fades

M - Pleasant - crisp, clean, light carbonation

O - A fresh, drinkable summer session beer, with a slightly weak and underwhelming flavour

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 03:50:24 | More by dc87

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.91/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Definitely looks like a witbier, almost milky. Nice foam that turns into sudsy lacing. A tad thin, but there are plenty of yeast particles and carbonation floating around.

Smell: Banana and cloves. Rather subdued, with a hint of lemon in the finish. Not has much bite as I'd like in an IPA.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Sour banana with a malty background. There's also enough bitterness from the pine. Active, light-medium bodied mouthfeel.

Overall Drinkability: This beer definitely found its niche. A nice wheat-IPA hybrid. Might be a bit too much for your average wheat drinker, and a bit too light for IPA lovers.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 02:33:00 | More by tjsdomer2

BryanCarey

Texas

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Chainbreaker White IPA pours to a yellowish color with a frothy head of white- colored foam that leaves little or no lace as you drink. The beer has a cloudy body due to the sediment at the bottom of each bottle and it offers a fragrant nose that combines scents of citrus, lemon, floral notes, wheat, and coriander.

This beer offers a taste very similar to its scent. The flavors of citrus fruits, wheat, yeast, and light coriander are the most obvious, but search a little deeper and you may notice other flavors present such as honey, bread, pine, and light spice. The beer is somewhat bitter, but is actually very snappy, crisp, and refreshing. There is a slight sharpness in the finish, but it is short lived and the flavor quickly returns to easy- drinking mode in seconds.

Chainbreaker White IPA is a tasty beer from Deschutes Brewing and it seems like it would be right at home served next to the pool on a hot summer day. It is reasonably complex, but still light and refreshing and it’s the type of beer that most anyone will find at least likeable enough to drink on occasion.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 04:23:04 | More by BryanCarey

Durtdiggler

Illinois

2.2/5  rDev -40.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured into snifter glass. Nice yellow hue, big head with a lot of retention. Beer is clear and inviting and that's where it ends.

Aroma. Big banana peel estery with hop resin and wheat malt. Funky.

Taste is like a Belgian blonde cross IPA. Just tasted wrong to me.

Didn't get much past beyond the mouthfeel and dumped it.

Probably not my style and I appreciate the willingness to be creative but I could not get through this beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 01:22:11 | More by Durtdiggler

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.31/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Pale yellow, cloudy. Decent head at pour disappates to just a rim and not much lacing on the glass.

S: Orange peel, lemon, floral, some spices.

T: More wheat than IPA - the hops are hidden signifcantly behind the fresh wheat flavor. When detectable the hops are mostly of the floral variety.

M: Light, citrus, good summer beer. Appreciate the different spin on an IPA.

O: Good change of pace for a summer brew. Wish I could get a bit more of the hops coming through as they are dominated by a fresh healthy wheat.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 23:18:55 | More by Oakenator

hopsputin

California

3.94/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

a: very pale, hazy light yellow/gold color with a 2/3 finger white head. its a very pale looking beer

s: citrusy wheat, slightly grainy, maybe some earthiness in there. definitely some sweet lemon and orange zest, just a hint of spice near the end

t: its interesting. tastes like a watery wit up front. bananas, citrus, some floral flavors. those fade into a bready flavor with a sweet malt-like backbone. these are followed by pepper spice and earthy hop bitterness to finish this off.

m: light. even with the carbonation, this is still a light mouthfeel that definitely feels like a warm weather drinker

o: Deschutes is one of my favorite brews, and while this definitely isn't one of their best brews its not really bad in any way. it's pretty light, and not too complex but not bad in any way

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 22:11:33 | More by hopsputin

jschwanke84

Oregon

2.08/5  rDev -43.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25

Poured from bottle.

It's a good concept and a few home brewers can pull it off, but they have to know how to make a good weissebier first, and Deschutes does not. This beer tastes like either a botched weissebier or a skunked IPA, I can't decide which. Perhaps it's an unholy union of both. The aroma matches the flavor. Good as neither an IPA nor a weissebier, Deschutes Chainbreaker needs to go back to the bike shop in which it was conceived for a complete overhaul.

I had high hopes for this and was very intrigued when I first saw it on the shelves, but it quickly disappointed. For how great most of Deschutes' brews are, this beer was a huge let down for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 04:08:47 | More by jschwanke84

jt31914

Michigan

3.74/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served from a 12 oz. Bottle.

A: Very very light. The beer is light gold in color - honestly it looks more like a belgian wit than a belgian IPA.

S: The smell is a lot of banana - smells slightly hoppy with a strong hit of wit profile. Nice smell - not sure It is what I typically expect of a belgian IPA but nice.

T: Similar to the smell. The beer is definitely belgian - not too hoppy; however, it has a nice clove/banana bread profile. A nice belgian, but not as strong as I expect of a Belgian IPA. Tastes more like a Belgian Wit or Belgian Pale if you stretch it.

M: Really nicely carbonated - easily drinkable and possibly the best part of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 22:45:34 | More by jt31914

mactrail

California

3.69/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

This is definitely some crazy stuff, and it's well worth trying just for the sake of an unusual flavor mix. This is one of the palest beers I've seen, almost greenish. Pronounced lemony aroma. Well-mannered foam and plenty of spritz on the tongue.

This tastes more like a Witbier dosed up with some hops and more citrus. The interesting tartness is almost in the range of some sours, but it lacks the vinegar edge. Quite lemon-lime flavored with an enduring sharpness. Maybe they just use a lot of orange peel, and the hops do the rest. The hops are listed as Bravo, Citra, Centennial, and Cascade. Thoroughly fascinating brew, but I don't need more than one for the forseeable future. From the 12 oz bottle bought at Baron's Marketplace in San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 05:52:58 | More by mactrail

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.21/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Palm tulip glass.
Pours a white gold with significant head.
Light aroma of hops, spice, lemon zest.
Modest carbonation and mouthfeel.
Flavors of lemon zest, grassy hops, light malts, spice, herbs, walnuts, minerals, honey. Overall very smooth and easy yet flavorful with modest complexity...almost like a wit beer with a touch more hops.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 03:31:46 | More by DenverLogan

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.79/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A-cloudy pale yellow color with a nice white hear and good lacing

S-lemon, coriander, grain, bread dough

T-bready malt, lemon, coriander, hint of orange, mild bitter finish

F-light to medium body with moderate carbonation, crisp and refreshing

O-easy drinking, great summer beer

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 23:05:18 | More by MDDMD

Tone

Missouri

3.89/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy, straw color. 1/2 inch head of a white color. Good retention and great lacing. Smells of hops, sweet malt, floral hops, yeast, slight herbal, and a hint of spices (clove?). Fits the style of a Belgian IPA. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with a low carbonation. Tastes of hops, slight floral hops, sweet malt, yeast, hint of spices, and slight pale malt. Overall, good appearance, feel, and complex aroma, but the body is slightly deflating.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2013 14:22:11 | More by Tone

bambam2517

Arizona

4.09/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A cpl pints on draft paired with some hot New Mexican chiles, adovado pork style.

A - Frosty pale yellow body with a decent amount of bright white head, good lace retention.

S - Lemongrass and coriander.

T - Very bright and refreshing, really mainstream lemony flavor with some coriander herbiness on the back end. Slightly peppery also.

M - Very fresh and tight carbonation initially, then settles down on the tongue and finishes wet. No lingering aftertaste, pretty light.

O - This is going to make an excellent hot weather quencher. Since we have that in spades here in PHX, I'll be going through alot of this i'm sure...

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2013 05:15:07 | More by bambam2517

malty

Michigan

4.19/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Best by 5/9/13

Gifted to me from a client who happens to live in Bend, OR. Pours a proper bright soapy lemon color with a fluffy ultra loose/airy 2" head that settles to about 1/2". Suspended yeast particles mix with unambitious uprising carbonation. Lots of craggy foam just from the 1 3/4" head settling.

Smells like Archway lemon frosted sugar cookies. Exactly. If you don't know, then you're missing out. Actually, it might make a damn good desert pairing. The hops utilized in this brew do give their own special nuance, making the lemon/citrus notes more punctuated. Smells very, very appetizing.

Tastes very much like it smells. Lemony, yeasty, coriander and some hops. Not bad for a springtime session brew. The wheat malt makes a crafty balance with the hops, in a subtle soft earthy kind of way.

Mouthfeel is light but with a good amount of yeasty traction. Less carbonation than a Hoegaarden, but still nice and quaffable.

Overall a tasty and well-made brew for those who'd like a bit of a hoppiness to their Hoegaarden experience. I admire the light use of hops, so that the Belgian yeast likeness remains on center stage. I wouldn't think twice of knocking down a few of these on a soft spring day.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 21:23:44 | More by malty

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The Chainbeaker needs to work on teh chain gang. This beer pours a cloudy yelloe with thin white head that is leavinjg a nice lace. The scent has a slight piney citrus hop mixed with belgium sweet malt. The taste is very similar to the scent with the addition of a pepper type spice that gives it a nice flare. The mouthfeel is light to medium in body with good carbonation. Overall it is an ok belgium style white IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 01:16:33 | More by WoodBrew

gpogo

California

3.55/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Light yellow body, lightly hazey. Lots of carbonation and a white head that goes away in short order.

A- Light sweet malt with a nice bitterness and light hop aroma. Muted belgin wit smells, citrus specifically.

T- Light sweet wheat flavor with a hit of bitterness. Lots of citrus flavor. Finishes with a tart flavor, but cleanly.

M- Medium-light body with high carbonation.

D- Very enjoyable beer. This example of the white IPA has grown on me.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 01:29:09 | More by gpogo

lstokes

Illinois

3.24/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

This looks pretty good on the pour--a light, hazy yellow with very active bubbles and an impressive two finger head which leaves strong lacing. Unfortunately, the smell is very grassy and grainy, and the taste is very sweet. Lemon, wheat, lemon. There's some lingering bitterness from the hops, but mostly this tastes like a wheat beer without the coriander spice/yeast. I'm mostly just getting sweetness along with a zippy carbonation--it's an okay beer, but probably not something I would try again.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 02:21:06 | More by lstokes

stcules

Italy

2.7/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Green gold appearance, scarce white foam, not long standing, too.
Orange peel and chamomile in the smell, then som citrus and lemony.
In the mouth again strong chamomile, white flowers. Then again orange peel and stinging hop.
In the aftertaste a strong green pepper, and a spiciness, even too strong.
Meh.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 20:01:40 | More by stcules

Dwtucker90

Texas

4.34/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Enjoyed from a 12 ounce bottle into a Deep Ellum DreamCrusher snifter glass.

Look: Pours a classic Belgian White look. About 1.5 inch paper white head. Very hazy, yellow-orange.

Smell: muted Belgian white smells with a very orange/citrus smell. Maybe some
Coriander? Along with some lightly citrus and floral hops.

Taste: the way it smells. Lots of citrus, fruity and floral hops. Absolutely delicious.

Mouthfeel: Excellent carbonation w/smooth finish.

Overall: Never had a "Belgian IPA" that went for basically a Belgian White base with a Northwest Pacific Hop profile. Really great beer from a great brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 00:36:56 | More by Dwtucker90

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.59/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle, best by 12th April 2013

A hazy yellow with a dense, white head with excellent retention and nice lacing, this beer looks solid. The nose is a blend of mango, tropical fruit and spices, with mild coriander, kaffir lime leaf, husky wheat and a yeast character that's rather muted.

This tastes like an average witbier that's been hopped. Opening with a refreshing blend of citrus and tropical fruit ( lemon, mango) hop flavors, there's some citrus peel, some spice (a little earthy/muddled) and some yeast. The wheat backbone here is disappointing. Lacking in structure, it is limp and lacks that bready, crisp and slightly dextrinous definition that great witbiers have. Instead, it is rather loose and soft. A little watery on the finish, this beer is crisply carbonated (a little too much IMO) and has lingering flavors of spice and tropical fruit. Bitterness is medium-low here. Decent.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 06:32:27 | More by DefenCorps