Hazy IPA by the single brewery that paved the way for the American craft beer movement which eventually went on to revolutionize beer worldwide; now owned by Sapporo, new Anchor beers pop up from time to time, and this one seeks to connect with the great ‘haze craze’ – a tad ironically perhaps, because Anchor is among the breweries that can be credited for pioneering the original American ‘West Coast IPA’, which is often seen as something of an opposite to hazy (or, more specifically and accurately, New England-based) IPA. Typical Anchor bottle, with orange label this time. Snow white, moussy, regularly edged, medium thick head, indeed hazy pure orange blonde robe with apricot glow. Aroma of unripe oranges, tomato leaves, dry biscuit, green olive, tamarillo, lemon thyme, southernwood, mandarin peel, toasted pine nuts, sage, Graham crackers, dried spring onion, raw green beans. Crisp onset, sweetish but very clean, hinting at green guava, unripe melon and a touch of mandarin, lively carbonated (more lively than is typical for a NEIPA-like beer, in fact) with supple, lightly oily, rounded mouthfeel. Cracker-like and moderately biscuity malt sweetish core, flavoured with an edgy hoppiness which holds the middle between herbal and citric, reminiscent of southernwood and lemon verbena but also mandarin, tamarillo, green olive and tomato leaf, becoming peppery and even rooty in the end, albeit never too harsh – remaining mellow and aromatic. Odd but tasty American IPA, quite distinct which I consider something of an achievement in an IPA-ridden world; still, in its very genetics, this remains a very West Coast style IPA, yet in a more fragrant, less bitter form – so do not be fooled by the name and expect a hazy West Coast IPA rather than a New England IPA, and then you probably will not be disappointed. I enjoyed this one a lot, in any case, Sapporo-owned or not.

Klare goldene Farbe mit weißer Schaumkrone. Floral hopfiger, malziger Geruch. Geschmacklich floral hopfig, malzig, leicht brotig. Leicht süß mit hoher Bitterkeit, leichter Körper mit spürbarer Kohlensäure.

Flasche 0,355l: Bernstein, deutliche Trübung, kräftiger stabiler mittelporiger Schaum; sehr fruchtige + leicht würzige Nase, würzig-fruchtige Süße, kräftige Hopfennoten, exotische Früchte, saftig, Mango, Orangen, kräftig Malz, Getreide, kräftige Hefearomen, fruchtig-würzige Bitterkeit; sehr fruchtiger + kräftig würziger Körper, kräftige würzige Hopfennoten, trockene Zitrusnoten, Grapefruit, Grapefruitzest, Kräuter, florale Noten, Pinie, Malz, Getreide, cremig, mittlere Kohlensäure, kräftige Hefearomen; fruchtig-würziger Nachgang

Klare orange Farbe mit weißer Schaumkrone. Hopfiger, malziger, fruchtiger Geruch. Geschmacklich hopfig, malzig, fruchtig mit Grapefruit, Pinien und Anklängen an Steinobst. Mittlere Süße mit hoher Bitterkeit, mittlerer Körper mit spürbarer Kohlensäure.

2020 vintage bottle, 'The Three Graces' label, at Lambic tap room, Alcalá de Henares. A very dark brown, almost black; thick as treacle, with a super-rocky tawny head. Aroma is sweet black fruits: plums, bilberries, mulberries, grapes... Mouth is slick, sweetish to sweet, full-bodied, medium to low-crisp. Medium bitter, long-lasting finish. Classic winter warmer.

bottle - throw back rating had several times. solid unqiue beer - good complexity for a basic beer

Õlle on selline jook, et iga uus kord kui klaasi või pudeli suule tõstad, siis leiad midagi uut, sõltuvalt tuhandest-miljonist pisiasjast, mis hetke olukorda mõjutavad. Seega piirdun iga õlle juures selle tekstiga.

8.8% version. Left.