Chainbreaker White IPA - Deschutes Brewery

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

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

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.7/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

on tap from notes:

A -Bright yellow hazed body with a fluffy white head. Nice looking beer with impressive lacing.

S - Musty wheat, bright citrus, lemons, spices, coriander, bright floral notes.

T - Lemon citrus rushes the palate, green peppercorn and spice, mostly coriander, malted wheat background, some grassy bitterness, lemon pith runs strong throughout. Finishes clean with a crisp citrus zest.

M - Medium full body, the wheat creates a creamy body, moderate smooth carbonation.

A very bright and refreshing IPA. Smooth wheat backing with snappy citrus bitterness make for a crisp drink.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2013 00:31:54 | More by StaveHooks

Treebs

Illinois

3.94/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Had on tap at Wild Monk. Served in a shaker pint.

A: Pours a clear gold color with a frothy white head forming on the pour. It recedes slowly with some nice retention. Sticky sheets of lace are left down the glass.

S: Tangerine and fruity yeast. A little bubblegum sweetness from the yeast and a touch of stone fruits.

T: Sweet biscuit malt. Clean. Some stone fruit esters and a little bubblegum yeast. Orange pith and some citrus zest round it out.

M: Light bodied with a sweet, malty finish. Medium carbonation level with a drying finish.

O: The zest complimented the esters from the yeast. Easy drinking. I would definitely have again even though I'm not the biggest fan of this style.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2013 14:05:28 | More by Treebs

constantine_272

Oregon

3.91/5  rDev +6%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: Extra pale yellow with a slight green tinge that looks a little unappetizing. Cloudy. White foam with low retention that left a lot of little foam dots.

S: Yeasty and banana sweetness. Notes of grass and straw.

T: Strong Belgium yeast flavor mixed with semi sharp hoppiness. Hints of grass and straw again. The citrus in the hops rounds it out well. The hops and the Belgium yeast play off of each other nicely creating a very unique flavor profile.

M: Above average here. Thin in a refreshing way and not a flavorless way. Finishes clean unlike other Belgium style beers. An ideal replacement to the typical light beer in the backyard on a warm spring day... If you like the Belgium yeast that is.

O: Great beer. If Deschutes offered only seasonals, I'd wouldn't feel bad about losing the regular lineup. Nicely balanced. Very refreshing. I'm partial to citrus forward hops and the Belgium yeast only enhances the the lemony taste.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2013 02:16:15 | More by constantine_272

demuzik

Oregon

3.83/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hardly an IPA by the numbers (5.6%, really guys?), this is what I figure Blue Moon always wanted to be when it grew up... flavorful, balanced, and enjoyable.

A thick white foamy head thanks to the wheat involved; citrusy hops that please the palette and a mouthfeel that is creamy in the typical Belgian fashion. Appearance is a hazy orange that hints at the spicy citrus going on inside.

Other than the misleading name, I find this beer to be a good contender.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2012 00:54:52 | More by demuzik

Thorpe429

Illinois

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

On tap at Churchkey. Pours a hazy straw-yellow with a good white head and some nice lacing on the way down. The nose carries some light witbier spice alongside nice American hops. Beautiful notes of citrus and tropical fruits come through alongside a nice backbone of wheat. Flavor has a nice body with good wheat presence and a nice Cascade and Citra punch. Extremely drinkable. Light body with good carbonation and a moderate bitterness. Excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2012 19:10:13 | More by Thorpe429

kojevergas

California

3/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served on-draught into a New Belgium stem-goblet. Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a one and a half finger beige colour head of decent cream, nice thickness, and good retention. Colour is a pale semitransparent yellow. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Straw, lemon grass, lemon, floral hops, and clean fragrant pale malts. Pleasant and appealing. A mild strength aroma.

T: Clean malts, lemon, floral hops, hints of other more vague citrus notes, and some cream. Simple, but clean and balanced. Enjoyable but lacking the subtlety and complexity I expect from Deschutes. Well built for what it is.

Mf: Smooth and wet. A bit undercarbonated. Too light and fleeting.

Dr: Drinkable but underwhelming, especially considering the brewery. I like it, but not enough to get it again. Deschutes does far better brews.

High C

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2012 20:50:43 | More by kojevergas

DocJitsu

California

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

Pours a hazy pale golden wheat color with a soapy, white head. Aroma is lemony citrus and notes of Belgian yeast. Light, crisp, wet mouthfeel, with a mild carbonation burn at the finish. Flavor is comprised of Belgian yeast, lemon, and a bit like a pilsner, a little like a white Belgian, and some like a pale ale. Decent, interesting, beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2012 03:38:03 | More by DocJitsu

iD9

California

3.63/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours with a solid, two-finger head of stark white. A bright golden color white light, straw-white tones on the outside. Has a pleasant unfiltered look to it with moderate carbonation. Could use more lacing but otherwise no complaints.

Smell: Wheat and hops up front on the nose. Mild notes of piney hops on the back end and lemon in the mix which round out a pleasant earthy aroma.

Taste: Earthy taste with wheat dominating the pallet. The citrus compliments the esthers of a (possibly) belgian yeast. Touch of hops on the back-end but not overly dominant.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light: This brew is crisp, light and refreshing. Could be just the thing on a hot summer day. Wasn't quite what I was looking for but it'll do. Not bad at all.

Overall: A solid beer rounding out another good offering from Deschutes Brewery. Not quite my ticket, a little too earthy (reminiscent of a farmhouse ale or saison) but well done.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2012 23:02:27 | More by iD9

theuberbrit

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled this at the Blind Lady Ale House in San Diego, CA along with some great pizza. It may be sacralige, but I'm generally not a huge fan of Belgian style beers. There's some sort of strange sweetness I find off-putting. Luckily, you won't find any of that here.

This is a very refreshing beer. It's crisp without being too light. And the added hops (at least I'm assuming they added more hops to fit the IPA style) give it a nice amount of bite. It goes very well with pizza. Another fine specimen from Deschutes.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2012 21:51:13 | More by theuberbrit

DannyHartman

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I really enjoy this beer.... Everything about it is pleasant.... It's the first "white" I.P.A. I've ever tried.... That, in itself, is unique.... It doesn't have the usual hoppy taste that most I.P.A. beers have.... Instead, it has more of a crisp citrusy taste with notes of citrus in the nose of the beer.... Perfect amount of head and body.... Overall, it's a truly enjoyable beer like most beers I've had out of the Deschutes Brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2012 15:39:05 | More by DannyHartman

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A- Hazy, pale golden. Pretty nice white head on top of it with decent retention. Some lacing.
S- Smells quite hoppy. Fruity, slightly citrusy, a touch of pineapple. Not as much "white"ness as I would like, but still good smelling.
T- The white ale part of the beer comes through here. Bready, a touch spicy, before some nice fruity hops come through. Nice balance of flavors.
M- There is a bit of an odd chalky mouthfeel in the finish. The carbonation is not quite sufficient.
O- It's a good easy drinking example of the style. Worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2012 19:35:26 | More by jsprain1

DonDirkA

Arizona

4.08/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nose is yeasty, bread notes, lemon and slight tangerine. The taste is very white. Bread flavors, lemon, yeast and there is some cirus hoppiness in there that actually compliments the beer very well. Think something similar to Lost Coast Great White with a wedge of orange in it. A white IPA is actually a really great idea as long as the hops used are citrusy.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2012 06:07:26 | More by DonDirkA

brentk56

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: The cloudy goldenstraw liquid arrives with a modest cap on tap; not much in the way of lacing

Smell: Bubblegum and citrus

Taste: Bready, with bubblegum and citrusy flavors arriving by mid-palate (lemon and orange pith/peel); a yeasty Belgian character builds, after the swallow; the finish has a pronounced lemony character

Mouthfeel: Medium body with spritzy carbonation

Overall: A refreshing summer beer; nicely balanced between the two underlying styles

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2012 15:47:03 | More by brentk56

TheRealBigC

Nevada

3.58/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Not bad at all! This one is a surprisingly light, crisp affair. While they market it as a "white IPA," I find that the "white" part overshadows the IPA. It's very much like a witbier ala Namaste or Allagash White, with just a small handful of extra hop character. It works pretty well.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2012 03:08:14 | More by TheRealBigC

womencantsail

California

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

Pours a cloudy straw color with a white head. Really dank, hoppy nose. Very citrusy, floral aroma, mild pine, an some wheat and bread. A hint of tropical fruit and grass. Flavor has a light tropical fruit note, citrus, grapefruit peel, and very faint bread malt. A little bit of wheat flavor, very citric, and just very light and refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2012 20:00:30 | More by womencantsail

UCLABrewN84

California

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Churchill’s Pub & Grille in San Marcos, CA.

Pours a slightly hazy yellow with a foamy bone colored head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, citrus fruit, citrus zest, spices, and yeast. Taste is much the same with a slightly soapy flavor as well. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is drinkable but it smells better than it tastes in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2012 01:33:19 | More by UCLABrewN84

TheCondor

Missouri

4.08/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This brew was served into a Deschutes snifter during the Base Camp festivities 2012 KCMO. I reviewed it and voice recorded my review on site. Pretty nifty way to do things. Paired with a pretzel roll with cheese. Yum.

Appearance - Poured an awesome yellow gold color with a massive fluffiness of a white head that reached over two fingers, maintained for some time, and left superb lacing.

Smell - The citrus and grapefruit aromas from the hops are at the forefront, but there are detectable levels of Belgian style esters in there, hence the "white" or "Belgian" IPA labeling. Also a touch of wheat in the nose as well.

Taste - Awesome. Bitter enough to be an IPA, wheaty enough to be an APWA, but also with the essence of a witbier. These three essences collide on the palate and are very well balanced between the three.

Mouthfeel - Clean, crisp finish with a bitterness in the aftertaste.

Overall - This is a quality brew. Highly recommended to try it, I will absolutely buy it and maybe feature it with some pretzel cheese rolls at a small tasting event. Why not?

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2012 02:02:41 | More by TheCondor

zeff80

Missouri

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

$2 pints at Sycamore in Columbia, MO for their Chainbreaker rollout.

A - Poured a cloudy, yellow color with golden highlights. A two-finger, rocky, white head of foam left sudsy patches of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled fruity and yeasty with a touch of wheat.

T - Good fruity bite from the Belgian yeast. Nice cracked wheat flavor with citrus notes.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - They've really combined an American wheat beer and a Belgian IPA. Really cool.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2012 03:13:13 | More by zeff80

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Served on tap into a pint glass at the Bend Brewpub

A- Poured a bright hazy golden color with a frothy head that left minimal lace

S- Some strong citrus and coriander notes, but not really any hop aroma

T- Big orange peel and coriander, pineapple, grapefruit, and a huge astrigency on the finish

M- Might be the most aggressively carbonated beer I have had, finished very dry

O- I loved the flavor of this beer and the astrigency, but the really high level of carbonation on this beer did hurt the drinkable though. I love IPA's and witbiers and I liked this blend of styles a lot.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2012 03:47:41 | More by Hoptometrist

drabmuh

Maryland

4.18/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On draft at Churchkey, solid beer, seriously. Really enjoyed it. Beer served in a tumbler of sorts. Beer is yellow with a thick white haze, nice head, good retention, nice carbonation, some lacing, looks good.

Aroma is hoppy, grassy, earthy hops. Mild citrus.

Beer is medium to light in body and hoppy, moderately bitter on the finish a nice beer to the end. I'd have this again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2012 01:07:42 | More by drabmuh

mdfb79

New York

4.1/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 06/07/12 notes. Had on tap at Churchkey in Washington, DC.

a - Pours a clear pale yellow color with one inch of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of citrus hops, pale malts, floral hops, light fruit, a tiny bit of spice. Very nice and hoppy.

t - Tastes of floral hops, citrus hops, herbal and earthy notes, fruity malts, and pale malts. Again, quite nice.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Very easy to drink, and no bitterness.

o - Overall a really nice, easy drinking Belgian IPA. Some nice floral and citrus hops to it, and no bitterness at all. Would love to have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2012 19:38:29 | More by mdfb79