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

DoubleJ

California

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Once again, let's introduce this with my imagine that New Belgium is not a brewery known for the way they work hops. But with a little help from a brewery who does (Alpine) and a little peer pressure from Sergio, we had a done deal. On-tap at New Belgium itself, on to the beer:

Again? This is golden colored, but it's a little darker this time. Super creamy is the head, as it retains very well and spatters the glass inside with foam. The aroma is very intense, and very hoppy. Sweet and bittersweet sports the theme, as attractive passionfruit and grapefruit aromas dominate the show.

Just an expolsion of flavors derived from those little green flowers. Medium full bodied and smooth, tantilizing mango, passionfruit, and pineapple flavors do the name "Super India Pale Ale" justice. The alcohol is nowhere to seen, which got me thinking this was a single IPA with a lot of hops. Make no mistake, this is Double IPA territory. With little doubt , this is a fun beer to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2012 05:34:03 | More by DoubleJ

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.6/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

22 Oz bottle poured into a snifter

A- Pours hazy golden orange with a one finger off white head. pretty good head retention. Slight alcohol legs.

S- Very sugary sweet, west coast style. Smells like candied versions of pineapples, grapefruits and lemon. Amazingly fruity and a ton of pine.

T- Very bitter at first. The beer sweeps over with a very strong citrus profile. There is a tone of pineapple, mango and lemon. This is also a very piney IPA, a lot of evergreen and mint flavors. Malts are not much to speak of here, They do add a sugary sweet aspect to the beer that extenuates the hop excellency.

M- A fairly light body, definitely a bitter hop forward DIPA. Its quite dry. Alcohol gives it a warming feel, I wouldn't want the beer to be any bigger.

O- This is an amazing IPA. It's A shame that Alpine doesn't quite make it to the rest of the country like NB because this beer is great.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 23:51:38 | More by TwelveOunces

Nugganooch

California

4.18/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber to a standard pint glass.
*Notes taken from 10/14/12

Pumped to find a nice cache of this one still lingering about in SoCal. I thought I had missed out altogether. Better late than never as they say.

A: Super IPA pours a chill-hazed orange tinted caramel color. Bubbly with a thin egg-white head. Stay is a bit minimal but leaves some nice cascading sheets of cling down the glass.

S: Smells herbal with dank pine and some pink grapefruit. There is a firm caramel malt sweetness about the aroma that carries through. A nice nose but seems a little on the softer side for a triple dry-hopped brew.

T: Flavors are nice and hoppy with some intense grapefruit flesh, expressive pine, and danky herbals. There is a nice long lasting bitterness that peaks mid palate. Has an unexpected amount of caramel sweetness to it but with just enough drying to avoid cloying. Alcohol is really well incorporated at 9%ABV and gives off just a slight warming sensation. Real nice.

M: Medium feel with a nice consistent carbonation and bit of a crisp dry snap to it. Finish is just a touch on the wetter side. A slight pucker but no hard astringency. Long linger of hop bitters and residual sugars.

D: A pretty tasty DIPA even with some time on it. Not exactly “Super” but darn good and might be my fav NB beer thus far. Has a bit more caramel sweetness than I prefer with some residual sugary bits however still balanced well.

Reminded me a lot like Bad Boy in a bottle so yeah check this one out.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 19:31:49 | More by Nugganooch

circus_cat

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours orange to amber with a two-finger off-white head which dissipates slowly, leaving lots of lacing.

S: West Coast all the way on this one. Big floral and grapefruit notes dominate. Definitely some mango and passionfruit in there as well. Juicy, resiny hops. Not getting a malty backbone either. Just straight up hops.

T: Taste mirrors the smell. I get floral perfume up front, but the grapefruit represented in the nose comes across sweeter in the taste. Maybe a less intensely bitter citrus like clementine or orange. Bitter grapefruit on the sides of the tongue that lingers slightly.

M: Noticeably clean mouthfeel for an IPA this intense. I don't get that tackiness on the finish that often comes with really big IPAs. I daresay it's refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 16:12:23 | More by circus_cat

beergoot

Colorado

4.6/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Super floral scent atop a thick, chunky white head and crystal clear golden body. Sweet yet citric smell; fresh cut lemon; orange and tangerine. Soft, smooth, light feel. Crisp malt character, clean and dry with an interesting, edgy sharpness. Light biscuit malt flavor; beautiful soft, underlying bitterness.

A strangely mixed but deservedly supremely tasting DIPA. All the flavors seem to merge together into a whirlpool of extremely well-complemented wholesomeness. Light in in feel yet with a powerful and immensely satisfying taste across the board. An exceptional brew and well-worth finding a bottle or two...

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 23:53:53 | More by beergoot

DocJitsu

California

4.48/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a pale, slightly hazy wheat golden color with a short, quickly dissipating, nearly white head with no lacing. Obtrusive, but lovely grapefruit and pine. Nice, heavy, almost thick mouthfeel offset by the slightest of carbonation scrubs. Pine, grapefruit, and lemon are the predominant flavors balanced by some underlying sweet malt. Very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 17:32:52 | More by DocJitsu

DrinkMoreBigBeers

Michigan

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer has no date on the bottle but was only brewed once so therefore does not need one.

A - Pours out a nice golden yellow with what looks like a slight hop haze throughout. Nice two finger white head with incredible lacing that seems to stick to the glass forever.

S - Extreme hops of a lemon zest, garlic, pine, mango, citrus which meld together into one smell and hit you right up front. The smell is so pungent that it tickles my nose when I pull it in.

T - Can you say pungent hops of lemon zest and pine, mango, sweetness throughout and a bitter bite at the end that I can literally feel on the tongue. Feels like a warhead ripping at my taste buds. Hops build on this one so you may want to pare this with some food (or water) to battle the overpowering hops.

M - This one is light to medium on the mouth feel but has a soft oily presence on the tongue. I can actually feel the hops bitterness biting at my tongue.

O - This is an aggressive beer that is for sure. It seems to take over your senses one buy one and lure you in. After that it takes over. Definitely one that you should try if you can still get a hold of it. A unique and challenging beer that definitely puts your palate to the test. Get it if you can. Cheers!

Side note : With that said this is the first Alpine or New Belgium beer that I have tried thus far. Will be able to get more NB beers but not Alpine unless I trade for them. If you get Alpine I will be willing to trade you.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 01:30:20 | More by DrinkMoreBigBeers

KansasBeerLover

Kansas

4.53/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip glass.

One finger of head with extremely fine bubbles which enlarge as they dissipate. Beautiful lacing remains where the head was, completely encircling the glass. Look is so good that I am sitting and admiring instead of drinking. Body is apricot color, very clear.

The citrus and pine aroma hit me when I uncapped the bottle. The pour revealed some malt as an added plus. With my malfunctioning olfactory system, this has to be strong.

Taste is also strong with pine and citrus. Some malt, which follows the aroma.

Halfway through the glass and the strong lacing remains around the glass away from the sipping side.

Mouthfeel is smooth, yet strong. Alcohol is definitely there, but in a way that works.

Overall I am definitely impressed. At $8 a bottle this goes to the top of my best beer for the buck list.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 00:51:23 | More by KansasBeerLover

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I just received this beer from a BIF. My thanks to SirWilliam for his generosity in the shipment.

This beer is a bright orange with about a finger and a half of foam. This led to some pretty decent lacing in the glass.

The nose and body have tons of citrus hops to them. You also get a fair amount of malt to balance out the generous presence of hops in this. You get a decent amount of bitterness (not a surprise considering the amount of hops in this).

This is a very good uber-IPA. I'm glad to be provided a bottle in my BIF.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 23:43:30 | More by ummswimmin

dbossman

Nebraska

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Lemon-tea brown hue with a large head that dissipates to a thin but steady film; lacing is fantastic

S: Wow, that smells good: grapefruit, mango, orange, apricot; this is hop forward, for sure; in fact, it's difficult to discern much beyond the hops--a subtle sweet bready base but mostly citrus fruits galore

T: That is a delicious DIPA--so much citrus bitter hops with a decent amount of sweet slightly burnt malts to attempt to bring balance

F: Texture is where this beer shines--one of the most full bodied, creamy DIPAs I've ever had

O: Such a wonderful, big hoppy beer; I love Alpine and I like New Belgium and I love this beer; such a well-executed collaboration beer

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 02:26:44 | More by dbossman

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle at State Line the other day.

The beer pours a peachy orange color with fairly good head retention and light lacing. The nose is pretty gorgeous in this beer, as I pick up considerable tropical fruit, consisting of tangerine and mango, along with light brown sugar and pine. There's a hint of dank weed as well that is attractive as well. On the palate, the tropical fruit flavor is a bit more than I like to see, as is the sweet malty mid palate. There is some good hoppy bitterness in the finish as well, but I'm also picking up something of an alcoholic bite as well. Mouthfeel is otherwise mediium bodied, with a fairly long, bitter, slightly alcoholic finish.

A decent enough IPA, but the beer is a bit sweet and malty for me, and I don't think there's enough hoppy bittereness to counter that sweetness, or mask the high alcohol. Not sure this is something I'll wan to return to any time soon (tried this beer on tap at Max's as well, with similar notes).

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 10:54:34 | More by johnmichaelsen

mscudder

Georgia

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Golden amber hue with a lovely, two-finger head. Good retention and lacing.

S - An explosion of piney hops in my glass. Some light malts, citrus and perhaps some orange zest behind the behemoth.

T - Follows the nose: a big, strong, piney IPA. Citrus adds a bit of smoothness with some subtle malts. Finish is dry with a bit of heat from the ABV.

M - Smooth, light body with great carbonation.

O - I will say this is probably my favorite beer I have had in the series. The hops are in full force and provided me with a new favorite from the likes of NBB.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 22:23:11 | More by mscudder

Mizorie

Colorado

4.4/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle to glass.

A: A clarified apricot/orange with a slightly off-white head that took 1.5 -2 inches of the glass and provided excellent lacing throughout the beer.

S: The hops dominate the aroma with citrus and floral tones.

T: A very quick light malty caramel flavor at the front, quickly followed by grapefruit and slightly lesser pine. I get a quick hint of spiciness from the hops almost a licorice/anise quality followed by the floral hops. This beer has a clean and dry finish.

M: A medium body with well balance of carbonation.

Not the hop slam I was expecting but a very good DIPA. A definite must try in my book and one that I wuold buy again.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 17:52:50 | More by Mizorie

phishsihq

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Collaboration brings two breweries together to create one fantastic brew! New Belgium and Alpine Brewing Company got together to create Super IPA.

Super IPA pours a clear, apricot color, and it is capped with a fluffy inch of white
head that provides TONS of lacing. A slight citrus aroma quickly gives way to more floral hoppy aromas and a light bready maltiness. Light caramel flavors open on the pallet but are quickly overtaken by floral and piney hop flavors that linger long after the finish. Super IPA has a BIG mouthfeel supported by a medium body and moderate carbonation. The best IPA we've had from New Belgium!

Cheers!

Serving type: growler

10-08-2012 00:35:11 | More by phishsihq

Arithmeticus

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured chilled in ale glass

A: clear copper; well carbonated, but it goes straight to the head (a foamy one)
S: Fruit Loops!!!! Yum. Very malty with pine
T: Strikingly original IPA; well balanced between malt and hops; I detect Fuggles hops; very intense
M: silky, smooth mouthfeel

Outstanding IPA

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 00:15:45 | More by Arithmeticus

vic21234

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber poured into a snifter. No bottled on date, picked it up a few weeks ago.

A- Pours a clear golden/ light orange color with a frothy finger's worth of an off-white head. Lacing sits along the sides of the top of the glass.

S- Nice and hoppy smelling, but not the bomb I was expecting. Smells of grapefruit and pine characters.

T- Initially I get some sweet grapefruit and orange notes, leads way to a piney resin finish. Smooth yet bitter. The alcohol isn't very noticeable.

M- Light to medium bodied, bitter with a dry finish.

This is a real easy drinker, and you don't realize it's 9%ABV. My only complaint is the aroma doesn't live up to the name of "Super IPA."

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 21:14:10 | More by vic21234

julian89

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From the bottle into a pint glass

Appearance: A golden translucent amber with a wonderful 2 inch white head and great retention. Good carbonation throughout with good lacing.

Smell: Piney hops off the wazoo. Light pilsen malt. Subtle citrus hops with no spice that I can tell. Lemon and orange zest as well.

Taste: Follows the nose well. It is a strong pine IPA. The flavors aren't divided as well. Pine dominates followed by a light citrus and dry finish. Subtle warmth.

Mouthfeel: Smooth light body and great carbonation.

Drinkability: Probably one of my favorite Lips of faith next to peach porch lounger.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 22:30:52 | More by julian89

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.88/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours somewhat clear light orange with a big pillowy white head leaving excellent lacing and retention.

Grapefruit is the standout aroma with a little tropical fruit and a good dose of pine as well. Slight bready sweetness.

Lots of grapefruit and pine up front followed by a sugar cookie malt profile. Finish bitter and dry with more grapefruit and a lot of pine.

Light side of medium mouthfeel with good but lower carbonation.

Wish I could've tried this one uberfresh, but it just Indiana this week. Good beer, but a few more flavor hops would make it amazing.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 22:26:27 | More by jmarsh123

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap @ The Rhino in Missoula. Served in pint glass.

A - Slightly hazy medium orange colour with a yellow glow around the edges. A thin layer of off white head formed with sood retention and good lacing.

S - Fresh grapefruit, passion fruit, mango and pineapple. Some pine as well. Slight honey sweetness.

T - Bitterness up front that is immediately balanced by sweet malts. Grapefruit, passion fruit, guava and pine flavours create a fairly unique flavour profile from the hops. Caramel and honey sweetness from the malt bill adds balance.

M - Medium body; creamy. Light carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2012 18:05:32 | More by TheSevenDuffs

avalon07

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had an orange color and a clear texture. There was an inch and a half of foamy, long-lasting head. Great lacing.

S: A big aroma of hops, citrus, and some pine as well.

T: Tasted of a lot of hops, as you might expect, a good amount of fruit (pineapple to be specific), pine, malt, and a floral quality. This is a complex, lively, and enjoyable flavor.

M: A huge amount of carbonation with a dry and prickly finish. Medium-bodied.

O: Definitely a well made, drinkable beer. Maybe New Belgium should collaborate with Alpine more often.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 12:13:04 | More by avalon07

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

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a slightly hazy golden-orange with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is full of grapefruit, citrus, and pine hops with some sweet caramel and biscuit malts.

T - Starts off with a mix of grapefruit, pineapple, and citrus hops with some bitterness and some sweet caramel malts. Through the middle, some pine and grassy hops with some resiny bitterness come through with some biscuity malts. The finish is a mix of pine and grapefruit hops, bitterness, and sweet caramel and biscuity malts.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a dry, bitter, and resiny finish.

D - Very drinkable. Good hop profile and bitterness throughout with good overall balance.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 03:21:51 | More by ngeunit1

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

ocelot2500

Arizona

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear sunburst color with a tight, white head that leaves good sized chunks of lacing.

Smells of big citrus and pine hops.

Tastes of hop flavors upfront followed by a slightly subtle malt base. Hops lead off with citrus, pineapple, and grassy notes. Pine comes in as well. Quite light on bitterness for a DIPA. Malts come in and add some bread and sugar cookie notes. Fairly balanced overall, but I do find myself wanting there to be more bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium with a smooth amount if carbonation.

Overall, this is a good but not great DIPA. I feel that there is some missing bitterness, as well as some malt character.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 01:40:04 | More by ocelot2500

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to rudzud for sharing.

Light fizzy head almost 1/2 finger fades quickly very clear honey ginger orange color.

Nose is a battle between east and west coast ipa, aromatic, light citrus tangerine fruity with a bit of pineapple, grapefruit, guava and passion fruit, but also light pine, earthy, chewy hops. Just a bit of malt in the background, with a light booze.

Taste starts with an interesting sweet flavor, malts bring a light sweet bread flavor, little tinny, then hops, fruity bringing tangerine, nectarines, guava, light passion fruit, other stone fruits and tropical like, and earthy light pine hops, decent bitterness, grassy hops as well, fluffy, malty, airy, light booze. Plenty of Amarillo. Finish gets spicy chewy hops almost astringent, fairly bitter, little booze, tropical and stone fruits and light doughy malts lingering.

Mouth is nice, med to fuller bodied, good carb, just a hint of booze.

Overall ok, doesn't really know where to go, east vs west coast style.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 23:36:11 | More by jlindros