Hop Valley Alpha Centauri Binary IPA

Brewed by Hop Valley Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Springfield, Oregon USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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Shipped from OR mid-summer, so this rating will be compromised. I will give it the benefit of the doubt, nonetheless. Pours a pale, hazy orange cream colour with a soapy off-white head that fades to a thin film, leaving spotty lacing. The nose is as malty as it is hoppy. The aroma brings impressions of chewy caramel, citrus flesh, subdued resin, and some heat as it warms. Flowery hops, citrus flesh again, orange creamsickle, sherry, some resin and very mild pine. Silky mouthfeel, fine carbonation that is on the softer side. Nice balance for a west-coast ipa, where they usually tend toward over-attenuated hop bombs with no body. Long palate duration with emphasis on the citrus. Stellar.

Pints too numerous to mention at the brewpub, which is right across from work for me. Brilliant dark yellow with a fluffy cap of white head and great lacing. The aroma is all over the place with hops, whether they be pine, earthen, resinous pot scent, and finishing up with citrus, and some pepper. Not much malt on the aroma, but you do get a little hit of it. Taste has more malt, along with a little graininess to go with the pine, citrus, earth, pot and pepper flavors. Excellent blend of flavors, and a beer that is far too easy to drink. I am not ashamed to say that I’ve taken a few too many of these to the domo on many a Monday night.
Earlier Rating: 12/28/2010 Total Score: 4.1
Pints too numerous to mention at the brewpub, which is right across from work for me. Brilliant dark yellow with a fluffy cap of white head and great lacing. The aroma is all over the place with hops, whether they be pine, earthen, resinous pot scent, and finishing up with citrus, and some pepper. Not much malt on the aroma, but you do get a little hit of it. Taste has more malt, along with a little graininess to go with the pine, citrus, earth, pot and pepper flavors. Excellent blend of flavors, and a beer that is far too easy to drink. I am not ashamed to say that I’ve taken a few too many of these to the domo on many a Monday night.

What a great-looking beer -- golden-orange in color with a large dollop of lasting head. Sweet and hoppy nose. Easy-to-drink texture. Caramel and cocoa notes were tasty. Hops imparted notes of juicy citrus and bitter pine. Snappy bitterness in the aftertaste. Delicious beer.

On tap at the 2010 OBF. Colour... golden orange with a thick off white head. Nose... bitterly hoppy with a bit o’ barnyard. Palate... Yow! Very sharp and bitter up front then plenty of stone fruits, kiwi skin, grapefruit pith and a lengthy finish.
Earlier Rating: 8/16/2010 Total Score: 4.3
Had this on tap at the 2010 Oregon Brewers Festival. Colour... golden orange with a thin head. Nose... like a bitterly piney, barnyard! Palate... YOW! Now that’s sharp ’n’ bitter, esp. up front! Lots of dried stone fruit followed by kiwi skin, grapefruit pith and grapefruit sweets. Yum, yum!

Bomber. Wow! Was not expecting this good of a DIPA to come from such a new player in the Eugene brew game. Watch your back Ninkasi.

On tap at Uptown Market. Pours a slightly opaque, golden color with a white head. A small head since the growler was opened yesterday. Smell is extremely hoppy which is excellent. The taste is very floral with not quite enough bittnerness. Not much malt in the taste, but that is perfectly fine by me. This is an exremely good IPA from a good brewery. I can’t wait to visit in person!

At Oregon Brewers Festival. Pours bright orange. Absolutely delicious tangy with resin pine bitter finish. A tangerine pucker that is slightly carbonated , crisp, and wonderful. One of the most interesting IPAs sampled at this year’s festival.

Pours hazy light amber with a 3 finger frothy off-white head. Aroma is like a floral barley wine. Med body. Flavor is like a floral barley wine with some bittering resin. Very hoppy - but barely harsh. 100+ IBU. Yea!

Strong hazy golden and peach coloured body with a thin, fast-dying white head. Aroma of tons of bright hops, citrus, grapefruit, pine, resin and bunches more hops - plus some malt and alcohol along with a bunch of sweetness. Medium to Full-bodied; Strong hop notes with grapefruit, honey and pine with a lot of alcohol and malt as well - nice and fruity. Aftertaste shows a lot of bitterness, naturally, with a lot of alcohol, pine, grapefruit and some good apricot and pear flavours. Overall, a very nice imperial ipa with tons of hop notes and even more malt and alcohol - all with great complexity. I sampled this 65 cL bottle purchased a few minutes ago at Belmont Station in Portland, Oregon for US$5.50 sampled in my hotel room here in Portland on 12-April-2013.

Bright orange with a permanent white foam. This definitely gives Pliny-the-Elder a good run for his money. The nose is thick and heady. Full of orange and pine zinginess while in the mouth thick malt sweetness and green pine notes vie for your attention. A burst of hot acetone mellows down into a silky, toasty and perfectly balance finish.