365 different beers from 365 different breweries in 365 days with random musings on beer, food, music, sports, dogs and anything else interesting along the way
Beer #705 Galaxy White IPA / Anchorage Brewing Company, Anchorage, AL
Previously from this brewery: Love Buzz Saison, and my 366 Challenge 'Beer of the Year' award winner, Bitter Monk
Tonight's review is a beer I purchased a while back, a bottle of Galaxy White IPA from Anchorage Brewing Company. After the cork nearly exploded out of the bottle, this beer showed off an dark straw color with a monstrous, lingering white head. Like being back in Belgium, only I didn't need a passport. Your nose finds a somewhat tart aroma of citrus fruit, and there are ample flavors of lemon and orange citrus and some mild earthy oak, along with a pleasing tartness (this beer is brewed with Brettanomyces). It has a dry, peppery spice on the finish. My brain is a bit fried, so forgive me if I'm not properly conveying just how incredibly delicious this beer tastes. This gets a Top 25 spot, without a doubt.
The stars are out
I'm not going to say how much I paid for this case of beer, but let's say that I could have bought this case or six cases of Miller Lite 30 packs. I chose wisely.
Thing to Think About Today:
Keeping it simple here tonight - with a beer from the galaxies, I wish you a good evening with some Across the Universe; this version of the classic Beatles song is from the soulful Rufus Wainright.
Day #411 Chester County Bitter / Sly Fox Brewing Company, Phoenixville, PA
Previously from this brewery: Grisette and Phoenix Pale Ale from me, and Ichor from Marci
Once again, after a short delay it's time to get back into Blog Named Brew awards ceremony mode, and tonight I'm handing out my most coveted prize, Beer of the Year. One of the most enjoyable parts of undertaking this adventure and subsequently writing about the experience has been sampling an enormous variety of beers, from breweries quite literally around the globe. From previous experience, I could have predicted a few beers that were going to end up on my Top 25 list for the year, but more often than not I was blown away by something new or unexpected. I won't recap the entire Top 25 here, but allow me to point out the beers that were hands down, far and away, THE best beers from the entire list of 366. The exclusive and amazing nominees for Beer of the Year are:
All of these beers stand head and shoulders above the crowd and are winners in their own right, but in the end, there could only be one to cut down the nets, or hoist the trophy, or do a victory lap, or whatever sports analogy you want to drop in here. And that beer is.....
Bitter Monk, from Anchorage Brewing Company!
In the spirit of full disclosure, I wrote that last sentence, stared at it, deleted it, and wrote it over again about five times. I had Sang Noir in there, I had Heady Topper, I had Dale's, I had the Duchess in there. But in the end, I chose Bitter Monk. Any of the beers I just named could have been the big winner, and I would have been 100% comfortable with that decision. Considering that I'm going back to memories and notes from beers drank over the past year (and then some), there's more art than science in this decision. Maybe in year two, I'll apply more science, but until then, join me in congratulating Anchorage Brewing for an amazing, outstanding beer.
Now that I'm salivating thinking about all of the killer beers I've had over the past year, I'll go ahead and drop today's review in - Chester County Bitter, from near-by Sly Fox Brewing. In the glass, this beer has a pleasant apricot color with a fluffy white head, and was poured from the hand pump. The aroma is light, with good malt and hop presence. When you take a sip, you notice the creamy texture first, and then find some light lemon, toffee and caramel from the malt, and then a decent bit of hops and pine. A very nice beer from an old friend.
That just looks delicious
If you visit Sly Fox in person, they have a large number of beers on tap which are not (as of yet) distributed in cans. So... you should go ahead and visit.
Thing to Think About Today:
I took the afternoon off to get a new battery put in my car. Not exactly how I wanted to spend my afternoon, but it beats jump starting my car every morning. I was about due for a new one, but the Arctic weather in our neighborhood these days sped that timeline up greatly. Courtesy of the nice people at Berger Family Dealerships, I'm back in action and ready for whatever else Mother Nature throws at us for the remainder of winter. To celebrate my car again having power, we close with The Power, by Snap. Stay warm, my friends, stay warm.
I seem to be all about the Saisons lately. Today's beer comes from Anchorage Brewing Company. Note that they still don't have their website up but hopefully that will happen soon. Gary gave some good background on Anchorage here so I'm not going to repeat that part.
Not only is this an awesome Saison, it's a Saison with brettanomyces. And it's aged in Pinot noir barrels! It poured into my glass revealing a beautiful shade of amber. A good swirl revealed the scent of the Brett and the Pinot noir barrel. This Saison is highly carbonated and had a loose head.
Was it the mere thought of love from the beer's name and the rose themed label artwork that had me thinking I may be tasting roses? Perhaps but I also got citrus and pepper with a bitter bite. But even with all that going on, it finished smooth. If you're curious, the ABV is 8%, which is pretty much my average. This could be one of my top 25 beers.
As I mentioned before, I write my review before visiting any sites that would give me a more professional review...keeps me honest. How psyched am I that the description on Beer Advocate describes it as an ale brewed with rose hips, peppercorn and fresh orange peel???
I'm off to watch the BCS Championship game. And I already know what I'm drinking...but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the big reveal!
Beer #18 Bitter Monk/ Anchorage Brewing Co, Anchorage AK
There are definitely places on earth where great beer just seems to natually come from. Obviously I'm fond of Belgium, but here in the States there are a ton of great breweries in places like Pennsylvania, Colorado, Michigan, California, and Oregon, to highlight a few. And just maybe you can add Alaska to that list. Alaska?
When you think of Alaska, you instantly think of salmon, grizzly bears, cold weather, reality shows about sketchy crab fishing boats, and amazing beer. Mmmm... crab legs. Wait, beer? YES.
Allow me to introduce you to the Anchorage Brewing Company. Based on a recommendation from a bartender at Teresa's Next Door, I tried the Bitter Monk, which is triple fermented - once in the tank, once in a chardonnay barrel (with Brettanomyces), and once in the bottle. My uncultured palate probably can't taste the impact all of these stages make on the flavor; all I know is the finished product is damn spectacular. Cloudy, golden color with an even mix of hop taste and sour citrus notes. You can definitely taste the sour from the Brett throughout, along with some oak from the barrel aging. Plus, the label features some creepy old Dungeons and Dragons guy; not the typical monk from the monastery but I'm not complaining.
A newcomer on the beer scene (their website says, "Official website coming soon"), Anchorage hasn't yet hit their first birthday and they're already making a huge name for themselves. This beer is almost guaranteed a spot in my Top 25 ranking this year. Don't take my word for it - Draft magazine named Bitter Monk as a Top 25 for 2011 as well. If you're thinking about trying this brewery, also give thought to the Love Buzz Saison, another fantastic offering. Can't wait to sample all of the wares from this new but impressive brewery. Proof that great beer can come from just about anywhere.
Thing To Think About Today
As I type, I'm listening to some Talking Heads, one of my all-time favorite bands. An unusual mix of pop and punk, the Talking Heads were one of the most prominent bands of the 80s. If you're like me and you grew up at the same time MTV did, you've definitely seen their quirky videos - I can't see a movie with John Goodman without thinking of Wild, Wild Life. As I can't decide between songs, here's two from the Stop Making Sense concert movie, filmed in 1983. A must see for any fans of great, cutting edge music. I'll leave you with this: I would kill a drifter to see this band re-unite for just one concert. I mean it.
