Mikkeller / Anchorage Brewing Company AK Alive! American Wild Ale at 8% ABV (C$12.02 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 750 ml, packaged on 1-Jul-2016, acquired 13-Dec-2017, reviewed 2-Feb-2018)
Appearance: cloudy pale amber with one fat finger of loose off-white head, good retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: bready yeast, white wine, stone fruit, horseblankety funk. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild funk. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderate lightly funky finish. (4/5)
This might well the the beer that took the shine off the apple for two breweries simultaneously for me. I’ve had some really good beers from both (including at least one really good collab – Invasion IPA) but they’re also both quite capable of stumbling. (Mikkeller in particular, since he does, what, a zillion unique beers a year? So even a small failure ratio blows up pretty quickly.) And this is, if not actually off-putting, at least well under the high water mark for either brewer. I mean, sure, the heavy doughy yeast is similar to e.g. Council Brewing, but it still smells reminiscent of cheap homebrew to me. So, perhaps I’m viewing this through the filter of a misspent youth, but it’s just not working for me. (13/20)
6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
