Lips Of Faith - Super India Pale Ale (Alpine Collaboration) - New Belgium Brewing

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

2.43/5  rDev -42.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

22oz bottle into a tulip

A: Pours a clear golden color with two fingers of pillowy white foam. Great retention.

S: Piney, Grapefruity, and resiny hops up front with a bit of caramel sweetness in the background. The hop aroma is a bit too much on the resiny side, though. It's quite pungent.

T: Overwhelmingly resiny hops with a bit of piney hops behind. I get a good amount of caramel sweetness to balance. I am not a fan of the hop profile here at all, though. Very pungent and not very pleasant in my opinion.

M: A bit on the thick side with very nice carbonation.

O: I'm quite disappointed with this. The malt base is nice, but the hops kind of taste like rubber. I love Alpine IPAs, so that makes it even more disappointing. I'm surprised so many people have favorably reviewed this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 03:33:40 | More by coreyfmcdonald

mhaugo

California

2.75/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Bomber bottle. Decanted into a 0.47l oversized snifter.
Appearance: Beautiful, light amber color. Crystal clear.
Smell: Strong citrus aroma. A little bitter and pithy. Very inviting.
Taste: Hmmmm… I’m not sure I expected this. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either. I’ve never described a beer like this, but it almost tastes like Top Ramen? Definitely bready and salty. Weird. Pretty decent bitterness, but I’m not crazy about the malt bill. There’s a question mark hovering over my head.
Mouthfeel: Good.
Overall: My expectations were really high, but this is a bit of a letdown. I can’t get past the weird malt flavor. For me, it kills what would otherwise be a very nice IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 01:37:29 | More by mhaugo

caskstrength

Minnesota

3.13/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours light golden, good carbonation, IPA looking.

Smells are pineapple IPA

Tastes are pineapple-y IPA with some floral notes. Decent, nothing more. More sugary malts than I wanted mixed in with the sweet fruits.

Mouthfeel is heavier than it should be, not enough resin or bitter zesty bite. Your palate is safe here.

Passable IPA, nothing memorable. No need to seek it out. Alpine's normal lineup is better.
Reminded me of Oracle, which I didn't like.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 20:53:14 | More by caskstrength

dvmin98

North Carolina

3.13/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I think I'm the only one who does not like this beer. There is way too much going on. With the first sip, I could tell that this wasn't my favorite. Im not sure if its the kind of hops that is being used or what.

The aftertaste just didn't sit well with me and that being said, it stuck around way too long. This is one beer I will not be revisiting. Looks like I'm definitely in the minority here.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2012 18:37:07 | More by dvmin98

tut2528

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: pours a nice solid orange color, with about 1/2 fingers worth of very slight tannish/white head formation, that dissipated rather quickly. there is still some transparency, as you can see the outline of your fingers from behind the glass.

S: something seems awefully wrong here. i get a big blast of spiciness mixed with spoiled pineapple juice. there is some hints of tropical fruits that lie in the background, and some type of oil. it honestly smells like baby food. there is a decent alcohol burn to it as well. balance is wayyyy off (I'm being generous with this score)

T: much more appealing that the smell. i get a big malty backbone, resin, oil, hops, flowers, peat, and a touch of citrus and pineapple.

M: on the lighter side of medium bodied, it leaves a slight alcohol tingle on the gums and a piney and peat aspect on the palate

O: something is not right with this brew. and I can't find a bottled on date, but I feel like this one has fallen off for receiving such high reviews. (I did have one Zombie Dust before this, which I suppose could have thrown my taste buds off, but I really don't think that is the case).

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 01:32:01 | More by tut2528

mjryan

Minnesota

3.28/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Sweet bottle art. I've liked a lot of the Lips of Faith labels, this one is my favourite. Looks wonderful, orange huged, crystal clear with a firm lasting head. Aroma is, well, kind of not so good. Where are the hops? I get a faint touch of citrus zest and pine but a malted milk ball aroma dominates. What gives. The hops do come through in the flavour department though. Bright lemon zest and mango, very unique. Unfortunately, that stale malty character remains and is very off putting. Seriously, I'd swear this was a six month old bottle of IPA. Still plenty hoppy, but that fresh hoppy zing is muted and the malts were always meant to play a minor supporting role. Except for the hop flavour, which is quite vibrant. So strange. Maybe my bottle is oxidized, it happens I hear. Hey, whatever, not bad, but I'm cornfused about what happened here.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 23:51:36 | More by mjryan

kojevergas

California

3.3/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Served on-draught into a Leffe Goblet at the Daily Pint in Santa Monica, CA. Reviewed from notes. Expectations were high.

A: Pours a two finger beige colour head of fair cream, nice thickness, and good retention for the high ABV. Colour is a vibrant copper. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Nontransparent; non-opaque.

Sm: Hops, with floral character dominating. Palpable hop bitterness. I'm a bit worried about the balance, but not horribly so. Some light pine. Oily hop character. Clean malts. A bit of cream. A somewhat subtle, average strength aroma.

T: Hops are present, varied, and nicely balanced. Floral character certainly, but also pine and oily qualities. No alcohol or yeast comes through. Has enough body without coming off overbearing. I like it. It has a fresh flavour. Bitterness does hit a bit on the climax, but it doesn't destroy the balance. I wouldn't call it aggressively hopped. Complex and layered enough, but far from significantly impressive. It's a tasty IPA, though.

Mf: Too thin and weak, especially given the demanding flavours. Smooth, crisp, and wet. Not tailored to the flavours. Needs work.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable but I hoped for better. I'd try it again, but it's pricey at $8.00 a pour. You can safely pass on this one, but with work it could be quite lovely. It hides its alcohol well. I expected better given Alpine's involvement.

Low B-

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2012 21:03:09 | More by kojevergas

hardy008

Minnesota

3.31/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Cloudy light orange with a two finger white head, with good retention and lacing. Smells like there is plenty of grapefruit, along with mango, pine, bread malt, and onions.

While drinking this, the taste of grapefruit, mango, pine, tangerines, and bread malt combine to make a beer that is both sweet and bitter. The alcohol is also noticeable, but not too intense, which is a plus in my opinion. I am also picking up quite a bit of onion flavor, which does not appeal to me.

Medium bodied with soft carbonation, and resiny. Unfortunately there is an onion aftertaste, which I do not care for. I would have scored this beer much higher, if not for the onion taste and aroma.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 01:17:21 | More by hardy008

Amalak

New York

3.38/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A. It has a semi-opaque wheat gold color with a little bit of a white head that leaves a tiny bit of lacing.

S. It has a nice citrus scent.

T. This is extremely fruity. It has an a strong pineapple taste mixed with a strong citrus flavor. A touch sour. It has a long finish of fruitiness. Maybe some simcoe hops?

M. A tart carbonation to it. Medium bodied.

O. The after taste of pineapple and citrus is just too strong. Extremely flavorful, but this has to be something that you like.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 23:53:31 | More by Amalak

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.4/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle, unknown date but should be fairly fresh. Served at around 40-45F.

Pours clear golden amber with a three finger white head that leaves lots of spotty lacing and holds a small cap.

Pungent hop aroma. Dank and resinous, onion, pineapple, apricot, grapefruit rind, pine, mint, floral, grassy, leafy, whole lotta everything there, decent caramel malt backbone as well.

Flavor is hop resins, caramel, grapefruit rind, apricot, onion, pine, mint, hefty caramel malt backbone, finishes somewhat sweet and somewhat bitter, decent bit of solvent alcohol as well.

Mouthfeel is medium-plus bodied, sticky, oily, moderate to good carbonation.

Good, but wouldn’t call it Super. Pungent hops, but a good bit of sweet malt and alcohol as well. Trying to drink this quickly as I think the sweetness and booze would get to be too much if it warmed.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 02:49:47 | More by elgiacomo

Halcyondays

California

3.4/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On-tap at Beachwood I,

A: Pours a light amber with a medium white head, some good lace.

S: Nice mix of tropical and citrus fruits.

T: Lots of greenery and citrus peel. Some noticable bready malt with a fair bit of booze.

M: Medium-bodied, some ethanol. Creamy, resiny.

O: A nice enough effort, though with Alpine (whose IPAs I love) I expect a much more direct, in-your-face hop character and something a fair bit drier. The sweetness does becomes a problem here.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2012 00:17:10 | More by Halcyondays

Treebs

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle served in a DFH signature glass.

A: Pours a nice caramel amber color with a thick, one inch height of pure white foam forming on the pour. A sticky webbing of lace is left down the glass.

S: Man there's a lot going on. Tropical and citrus notes with some bursts of pine and some peppery spice. A nice dose of caramel and white bread malts even it out.

T: More caramel malt heavy with some bigger emphasis on the pine and earthy hops. Minimal dirty hop cone with some sweet bready malts on the finish. Very light on the tropical notes I smelt earlier. The booze is well hidden though.

M: Medium bodied. A little sticky with nice carb. Drinkability is slightly above average.

O: I liked the nose quite a bit, but the flavor profile in the taste was much more malt forward and it lacked some of the citrus and tropical notes in the nose. The alcohol is well hidden though. I was was expecting a little more from this given the Alpine Collab, but it seems more like New Belgium beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 01:38:19 | More by Treebs

beagle75

Iowa

3.43/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

A: Slightly hazy, medium orange-golden color with one finger of diminishing turmeric-tinted foam head. Heavy lacing remains on the glass.

S: Intensely magnified hop qualities reign over the smell, with a strongly Centennial tendency. The hops-forwardness makes it hard to detect evidence of any feature other than spicy herbs and grapefruit peel; remarkably powerful but repetitive. No alcohol is detected.

T: Begins sweet, with solid biscuity malt and hop aromatics that are resinous, semi-dark, spicy citrus. Acidity is moderate into the middle, where flavors are pasty and underattenuated, while a whiff of pine develops. The finish has a mineral sharpness followed by edgy pure bitterness of moderate intensity for the style. Alcohol flavors are inconsistently revealed, mostly emerging in the front-end.

M: Medium to heavy viscosity, syrupy and slightly acidic on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: This big IPA takes a heavy-handed approach, coming across more as a blond barleywine at first before warming and allowing more hops flavors to spread over the palate. It may seem perplexing until compared to certain other Alpine beers such as Pure Hoppiness and Exponential Hoppiness. The residual sweetness seems very close to the former, while its heady spirituousness resembles the latter. Unfortunately it lacks the restraint and good sense of some of Alpine's most enjoyable IPAs: Nelson and Duet.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 20:12:10 | More by beagle75

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.48/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle from Sprayberry Bottle Shop (Marietta, GA). 8.99. I didn't take note of any bottling date. Served in a pint glass. 

Golden straw yellow with two fingers off white head. Bits of lacing left anywhere the head rested. 

Subdued aromas of mild pineapple, grass and biscuit. 

Sweet hops. Pineapple, orange, bicuits and caramel. Much sweeter than I'm used to in an IPA. Alcohol is well hidden. 

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. 

Not bad. One of the better things I've had from New Belgium. I'd drink it again but I wouldn't pay 8.99 for another bottle. 

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 13:29:33 | More by ThickNStout

mactrail

California

3.5/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A pure, high, whine of hops boring into your brain, like a Triumph Daytona. The sheer fruitiness of it is out of the ballpark for a DIPA.

Piney and powerful aroma. Orange juice and orange blossoms. It's probably a benchmark for how fragrant you could make an IPA. Plenty bitter and hot on the lips like chewing grapefruit peel, not to mention the alcohol. Actually just plain hot. Spicy and sharp like that cheap blue cheese you left in the back of the refrigerator.

Thoroughly interesting as yet another attempt to set a land speed record powered by hops, but not exactly drinkable. From the 22 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 06:28:41 | More by mactrail

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

22oz bottle purchased and consumed on 9-6.

A: Aggressive pour yields a lasting 1.5" head. Cascading bubbles throughout. Clear golden color.

N: Superb mix of mango/pineapple/pine. Some caramel and toffee undertones. A little bit of onion.

T: Blast of onion peel and pine. The heavy citrus on the nose is faint behind these two predominant flavors. Very dry hop presence overall with a touch of ethanol that adds a very unpleasant harshness to the proceedings and will continue to get worse as the beer warms.

O: Palate scraping. Dries right out after a luscious mouthfeel. Best part of the beer.

M: I have to say this didn't really please me. It seemed from the nose this was going to take on all the wonderful attributes of Alpine's top shelf DIPAs, but instead, it got harsher and less enjoyable to drink every sip. I remarked to my wife that I wished I'd bought something else about 2/3rds of the way through the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 22:03:51 | More by writerLJBerg

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured this guy out in to my 'snifter-pint' glass and took my notes. There are some nice, golden hues here, a soft head with some great lacing overall. It smells dry-hopped to me, and of course it is. According to the bottle, it's a "triple dry hopped Imperial IPA bursting with Columbus, Amarillo, Centennial and Simcoe hops."

I enjoyed the taste of this beer...slightly licorice-y, hop flavor with the right amount of malt. It's definitely got that traditional citrus/piney flavor of bigger IPAs. It's pretty hop-forward, but ultimately well-balanced. I don't notice the high ABV too exceptionally, usually a good thing. This is a solid collaboration beer, although when all is said and done, not overly remarkable. Good work in general and at $6.99, certainly worth the experimentation.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 01:21:05 | More by SkeeterBoganski

XicanoBeerRun

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Golden color, carbonation fades quickly a cluster of bubbles clinging to the surface.

S: Pineapple, pine, chamomile, slight alcohol.

T: Slight malt, pine, trace of bitterness in the finish, floral, salt water, pine apple, pine, alcohol.

M: chewy with refreshing carbonation.

I have never had anything from Alpine, but I will have to look for them the next time I am in California. Overall, this is a solid IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 16:45:07 | More by XicanoBeerRun

harrymel

Washington

3.55/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Been looking forward to this one...

Pours a nice toasted golden with a steady fine white foam sheet with central dome. Smells of sweet pine, resin, grapefruit, sweet malts and hints of alcohol. Smells solid enough to drink. Not mind blowing, but very nice. Flavor is sweet, biscuity malts, bitterness, oranges, grapefruit meat, cotton candy, and some peaches. Medium bodied on slight syrup with low carb and a slight, warm finish. This beer is nice, and I enjoy it. Strong work between the two and a good buy while available.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 04:12:46 | More by harrymel

tdm168

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to jtd1969 for sharing this at our last brewing session.

A - bright, translucent orangish yellow with a thick white head that has great retention

S - citrusy, orange, some pine

T - orange juice, yeast, piny bitterness, earthy, faint alcohol in the finish

M - medium bodied, well carbonated, dry, warm

I can't put my finger on it, but there's something off about this beer. The hop character is decent, but the malt character is very light. There's also a bit of yeastiness that I find a bit off putting. In any respect, I'm glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 18:52:55 | More by tdm168

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear orange color with a white head. Pineapple, mango, and lots of peach. Really heavy on the pungent grapefruit and orange. Some floral aromas, a touch of toffee. A weird graham cracker sweetness, mild toffee, and a moderate bitterness. Heavily fruity hops, some grapefruit, tangerine, peach, and mango. Not bad, but nowhere near as good as I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 15:32:48 | More by womencantsail

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-dark golden with a thick cream colored head

S-spicy hops. Despite knowing the opposite is true, this doesn't smell fresh. Strong scent. Some citrus.

T-comes in with an oddly fruity and buttery taste of spicy hops. Tastes like buttered berries. It's a unique taste. Has a decent bitterness to it. Has some alcohol note. Overall, not too great. 

M-medium dry carbonation with a dry finish

O-it's not too wonderful. It's an odd taste for an IPA. The bitterness is great, I expect some will like this for that aspect alone. I wish it had a more clear flavor though. It has some off flavors like the butter

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 01:30:04 | More by AdamBear

homebrew311

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into NB globe. Clear gold appearance with soapy white head and tons of lacing. Great head retention on this one, a touch of cloudiness. The aroma is pine forward with notes of sap, molasses, pine, resin, and caramel along with a touch of bread crust. Taste is hop forward and earthy with thick notes of pine and syrup. There is a hefty malt backbone that adds a great deal of sweetness. The sweetness is quickly counteracted by a firm earthy bitterness that carries through to the finish. Mouthfeel is heavy with moderate carbonation. Overall, this is a very robust DIPA, but doesn't feature the flavors that I prefer when it comes to hop variety and what not. The finish is a tad boozy, it is a hop bomb nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 01:12:23 | More by homebrew311

popery

California

3.63/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours medium gold with a smallish off-white head. Quite clear. A bit of lacing. Lots of fruit in the aroma, particularly of the tropical variety - pineapples, peaches, guava, mangoes, grapes, sugary lemons, oranges, honeysuckle and more floral tones. Unfortunately, there's also a fair bit of booze and a funny caramel malt note that doesn't quite work for me. The taste is on the sweet side. Bitterness is mild but still present and firm, particularly in the finish - good stuff. Unfortunately, there's also more booze, and the beer sticks in the mouth too much. Mouthfeel is a tad thick and sticky for my taste, though not bad. This is a nice beer, but I found it disappointing. If the beer had been drier and lighter on the palate, my rating probably would be significantly higher. It's somewhat forgivable at 9% abv, but it's a highly competitive style and there are lots of DIPAs around that I'd prefer over this one. The hop flavors were quite nice, but sometimes, that's not enough to save a beer. Something about the malt sweetness just got in the way of things for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 16:03:45 | More by popery

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

3.63/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle courtesy of Barriques. Loud and proud bottle date states, oh wait....that shit never gets old. Pun intended?

Yellow-orange pour produces some fat dishwater bubbles and some stick em.

Little bit of tropical fruits and a whole lot of litter box.

Juicy hops up front move into big sourdough maltiness and brash Simcoe abrasive harshness and pissiness. Promising start doesn't really deliver at the finish. Quite bitter at the back and oddly medicinal. The finish doesn't do it for me.

Better smelling than tasting; I had higher hopes considering Alpine was involved. This seems messy.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 01:28:21 | More by BarrytheBear