The Chopper
Anchorage Brewing Company

Canned 2/3/23

I’ve only had 1 IPA from Anchorage before, everything else was either a Stout, Barleywine, or Wild Ale. That IPA wasn’t their best work, but it was certainly good. Now thanks to woemad I get to try another one. Let’s crack it open and see what it’s all about

Pours a hazy yellow orange with 2 fingers of soapy white head that fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

This definitely leans into more traditional American IPA in the nose but I dig it. I’m picking up on aromas of orange zest, lemon zest, bready malt, herbal hops, black pepper, light caramel, and red grapefruit

The sweeter tropical notes come through more in taste, but it’s still not a full blown NEIPA. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting orange zest, bready malt, pineapple juice, grassy hops, white grape, weed, light white pepper, and lemon zest. The swallow brings notes of pithy grapefruit, orange zest, crackery malt, herbal hops, black pepper, lemon zest, and light weed

A medium body pairs with moderate carbonation, resulting in a slick beer. Finishes neutral with a firm bitterness

It’s not doing anything in particular to impress, and it doesn’t really feel much like a NEIPA, but it’s super solid for what it is anyways

always cool to see these new hop products make it into beer from the high appeal trend setting breweries, but sometimes the beers come across as experimental as the ingredients they are using. subzero hop kief sounds about as out there as it gets, although every time i pick up a hoppy anchorage can, i find myself googling some hop element. this one is a little lighter than expected, peachy toned and uniformly hazy with well over an inch of puffing white head, lace and retention on point, cleaner than others of theirs. the nose is lightly spicy with hints of stone fruit, mango, and valencia orange, a little bit unfamiliar, and really boldly hoppy over a simple but fuller grain base, must be some pale wheat here, but its dry aside from some sweetish hop oils in the texture when i get to drinking it. green grape, papaya, apricot, bubble hash purity, and no greenness at all for this level of hop intensity, restrained bitterness too, so this is easy at the same time that its also kind of mega. smarties candy, kiwi, juicy cantaloupe, and skittles from the light blue bag, do those still exist? fun hop uniqueness, but high saturation to the extent that drinkability is limited, even though this isnt overdone. dry enough to feel slightly chalky, but great carbonation. almost overly modern, im glad its not an imperial, but the hops are dosed like it is. adventurous and even avant garde, really pushing the style forward, but my personal tastes prefer a little more balance and restraint, much as i appreciate this hop profile for challenging my palate. i cant wait to hit the brewery again next month!

Hazy peach / tangerine colored body; thick, white head, semi-creamy with rolling bumps of foam hills. A pleasant citrus-centric aroma; tropical fruit; pineapple, melon, berries. An intense note of grapefruit and hop bitterness in the taste; oats. Medium body; lightly abrasive on the palate; semi-dry intensity.

A generally nice hazy that seems a bit lightweight and a little thin although the taste is fairly sharp and satisfying.

Pouring temperature: 43 °F; canning info: 02/03/23
Source: Tavour