Alpine Beer Company Duet

Brewed by Alpine Beer Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Alpine, California USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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Growler: Pours a clear, bright gold with a nice lingering 1 finger head. The aroma in overwhelming driven by pine with hints of tart citrus. The flavor is obviously about the hops. Grapefruit comes right through with a little orange on the finish. There is a biscuity character from the malt that I had not noticed before as well. The palate is medium and lingers nicely for such a light bodied beer. This is a very good IPA but the Nelson remains my favorite from Alpine.

UPDATED: NOV 27, 2012 Re-rate. My original rating for this beer was recorded during a sloppy-seconds afternoon at the Pizza Port Real Ale Festival many years ago...and therefore not representative of the true malt beverage glory that is bestowed upon this fine nectar of the gods! I can’t fathom how many growlers of this I have gone through, alongside Nelson perhaps one my favorite IPAs all-time. Granted everytime I have this beer it is either a growler fill direct from the brewery or on tap at the Alpine pub, it never fails me. Always crisp, refreshing, and damn hoppy. Like any great beer, words will not do it justice. Pat, Sean and friends at Alpine have truly mastered the India Pale Ale above all others in the craft brewing industry. Makes me damn proud to live in a city with such great brewing talent.

On tap at brewery and in a growler. Pours a copper clear with minmal head. Nose is spicy hops, a little more dank than APH, and less dank than OBIPA. Bitterness is in in check against a slight sweetness. The floral hops are balanced by the bitter hops. What can I say? This is another excellent Alpine IPA.

On tap at the brewery. Pours a clear golden with a white head. Quite sweet and malty. A little bitterness. Hints of sugar and a tiny hint of salt. Soft carbonation. The high maltyness kinda ruins it for me.

At Johnny Brown’s in San Diego on tap--Light yellow-copper body with a medium white head. Oniony, bubblegum nose. Bitter, fruity, and malty. Pretty bold and pungent. Nice.

on tap-pours a patchy off white head and yellow color. Aroma is sweet hops-citrus-lemon/pineapple (Amarillo and Simcoe per write up). Taste is sweet hops-citrus-lemon/pineapple-bitter, secondary medium malt. Dry finish. OK carbonation.

On draft @ the brewery. Poured a rusty golden yellow with a medium sized off white head. Lots of pine on the nose with some grapefruit and other citrus as well. A clean, balanced finish.

UPDATED: MAY 9, 2010
Date: November 30, 2006
Mode: Draft
Source: O’Brien’s
Appearance: clear dark yellow, wispy white head, touch of lace
Aroma: huge citrus aroma and flavor, touch of piney sweetness, long bitter finish
Overall: nothing distinctive

Date: December 04, 2007
Mode: draft
Source: O’Brien’s
Score: 3.0 to 3.7
Appearance: clear dark gold, frothy white head, thick lace
Aroma: sweet crystal malt aroma with fruity citrus hops
Body: very creamy body
Flavor: rich and fruity flavor, lots of orange, sweetness is balance by the citrus, light bitterness is the finish
Overall: all about the sweet fruity hops

Date: May 04, 2010
Mode: bottle
Source: south bay
a lot drier with more bitterness that takes away from the fruity sweetness,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: *** /4

Draft. Amber beer with a big off-white head. Huge grapefruit aroma. Sweet grapefruit flavor. Nice bitterness, but lots of citrusy hop flavor. Very fruity. Medium body. Very drinkable. LIngering sweet, creamy grapefruit.

Tap at Pizza Port, Carlsbad. Clear yellow pour with a average-sized white head. Perfumy hops with grass and pine. Smooth hop-and-malt balance that takes nothing away from the bite. More resin than grapefruit, but the citrus is definietly noticeable. Thick, but not as syrupy as other borderline IIPA/IPA’s. Very good.