Emerson - Alpine Beer Company

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.7/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A wonderful surprise, courtesy of ArthurPendragon, that I shared with the guys on the first night of our tasting.

Light orange with a dense, white head with excellent retention and beautiful lacing, this is a gorgeous pilsner. The nose is rather intensely hoppy with a fruity, herbal hop character with mint being most noticeable. A little citrus as well. A moderate undermodified malt character is present, with some bready, doughy character, this is clean with a definite aroma of yeast.

The palate opens intensely hoppy with moderate green, herbal hop character, minty and even a little parsley? Mild sweetness, raw malt, a little caramel, fresh baked bread, this is drying and spicy on the finish. Uniquely hoppy with spices, mint and some fruit. Medium-light in body and moderately carbonated, this is moderately bitter on the finish. Enjoyable stuff.

Serving type: growler

03-28-2011 00:09:25 | More by DefenCorps

ibbjamin

California

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a bomber from Perry's in Livermore and pour into my Beck's stange to review.

White and very yellow beery looking head of about an inch in height. Transparent and yellow in color.

Grassy hops and pale malts scream hoppy pils to me in good fashion. Some lemony citrus comes into play.

Taste is of hop forward pils, bordering on pale ale to me.

Smooth, easy drinking, light to medium body, good carbonation.

My second offering from Alpine and yet again, the hype has not lived up to the taste for me. But I have not thrown in the towel yet, they have several others I want to try first.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 01:20:17 | More by ibbjamin

mdfb79

New York

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 010/02/11 notes. Poured into my Bell's tulip.

a - Pours a somewhat hazy pale yellow color with one finger of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of crisp floral hops, grapefruit, citrus, bready malts, and grains.

t - Tastes of bready malts and grain up front, follow by very light floral hops. Not much citrus like the nose, and the grain is dominant. A step down from the nose.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Crisp and easy to drink.

o - Overall a decent pilsener. I liked the citrus and floral hops in the nose, and wished they would have come through more in the taste. Worth checking out and would give another shot.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 18:55:23 | More by mdfb79

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.65/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle shared at Matt's by...someone.

Pours a mostly clear golden orange color with a foamy white head. Minimal lacing. Odd aroma for a pils; lots of citrus and tropical hop notes with some floral hops in the background with pale malt. Flavor has a stronger bready malt base, slightly dry and musty, with a unique strong hoppy blend for a pilsner; more floral than the nose, but citrus is still present. Fuller body than usual, with moderate carbonation. Not my favorite pilsner, but well done and a lighter less complex replacement for a typical Alpine IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 23:39:15 | More by yourefragile

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this bottle a while back, just found notes.

A: Small bubbly head dies to nothing but a ring. A golden hued and semi clear beer.

S: Smells nice with a great dry hop presence typical of Alpine. Some sunflower seeds and grainy malts basically make up the malt profile, pretty solid aroma.

T: Has a lager like grainy bready malt base with some crisp dry grass hops. Some savory meat like tastes run over the palate and are tempered/disguised by lemon grass and more clean malts. Interesting.

M: Crisp and medium, a little spicy, nothing special.

O: Wasn't crazy about this but it is a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 22:32:55 | More by Dreadnaught33

rand

California

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From bottle to Pilsner glass

A: Golden-yellow in color, forms a frothy 2-inch head in the pils glass, leaving patchy lacing everywhere. A surprising amount of suspended yeast swirls about.

S: Floral and effervescent - do I detect of hint of champagne? Yep, it's there...something with the combination of New Zealand hops and biscuity bottom-fermenting yeast is reminding me of the bubbly stuff, although I can't detect anything distinctly grape-like. A touch of sweet malts, unprocessed grains linger.

T: The hops distinguish this Pils and jump out in front, which are more floral than citrusy. Almost tastes wet-hopped. This is quickly met with a cracker-y middle, carrying a sweet multi-grain undertone. The floral hop snap highlights the sweet notes of the brew, in what is otherwise a traditionally dry style, but that sweetness lingers a bit at the finish.

M: Light to medium bodied, but seemingly more viscous than many Pilsners. Carbonation is more foamy than crisp and cleansing.

Damn tasty, and if you feel like a pils with some hop-forward layering, you could do a lot worse. But it's not the most harmoniously rounded flavor profile and needs to be a little more crisp. I'm all for coloring outside-the-lines when it comes to beer styles, but a Pilsner loses a few points if it isn't relatively dry and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 10:35:14 | More by rand

NittanyBeerFan

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to dyan for sharing this growler courtesy of ArthurPendragon. The growler came complete with his old avatar pasted to the lid.

The color is copper-hued amber, slightly hazed from the shipping/travel (it arrived just before dyan drove up with it), and the body is topped off by a huge 3-finger sticky and fluffy head that leaves huge thick clumps of foam smattered all over the sides of the tulip from which I drink.

Spicy, earthy, and funky hops from New Zealand remind me of a Czech pils. There are some bready and earthy notes from the yeast and breadyness from the malts round it out. The taste is pretty much an extension of the aroma, with some welcome additions. Grassy hops augment the spicier ones from the aroma, and the mid palate is extremely herbal, bringing on even minty hints. Bready malts again play a large role.

There is a bit too much unpolished yeast character, in my opinion, as the earthy and bready character detracts from the clean feel and aroma that I feel should accompany a great pils. Really glad I got to enjoy this with some great company.

Serving type: growler

03-29-2011 02:34:07 | More by NittanyBeerFan

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Thirstybird for sharing. Pours a dull, hazy orange with a loose, half inch bright white head that dissipates into a thick cluster of tiny bubbles and a soapy skim. Nose is quite subdued and only expresses a citrus and an earthy quality. Taste is earthy, buttery and citusy with a distinct noble hops presence in the flavor profile. Mouthfeel is light-medium, with a lively carbonation and a semi-dry finish. All and all, not a bad brew, but a bit on the heavy side for the style. Not something I would seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 23:42:17 | More by Jwale73

bashiba

Iowa

3.53/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a very sedimenty dirty dark yellow with a big thick sticky white head.

The smell is very green, grassy, and floral. very fresh hop smelling.

The flavor has a nice combination of light grainy malts and fresh noble like hops. Simple and balanced, there are some sublte underlying difference in the hops with some hints of dark fruit and berries.

The mouthfeel has a nice creamy body with good levels of carbonation.

Very nice sessionable Pils, a bit off the classic style but in favorable ways.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 02:15:07 | More by bashiba

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to badboyrsl84 for sending this bottle out my way. Served in a Hill Farmstead long-stem tulip.

Pours a clear golden color with a thin white head and only a spot or two of lacing on the way down. Very thin collar throughout. The nose carries floral hops and a bit of a tropical character in the background. There's some light bready malt as well. The flavor is malty with bread, and there's actually a surprising amount of alcohol. Hops are there, with the floral ones dominating. Medium body with moderate carbonation. Dry finish with a bit of bitterness. Not bad, but not something I'd go after again.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 23:33:56 | More by Thorpe429

scottfrie

California

3.38/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle into SN shaped pint glass.

A: Pours a light amber tinged golden with a large, dense, bright white head that slowly faded into a very thick and fuzzy film that left streaks of lacing down the glass. Carbonation looks very active.
S: Green hops dominant the light scent but they take some work to find. The smell is very light on this one, and besides hops I get just a touch of sweet citrus and bready malt.
T: I get flavors of melon and other sweet fruits, pale malt, a bit of bread and some citrus. The finish is lightly sweet yet spicy, and the aftertaste is very lightly bitter and full of pale crackery grains.
M: Heavier than I would like. The bubbly carbonation is almost nonexistent on my palate. The body is decently thick, and the mouthfeel is heavy and slick.
O: I still like Prima Pils better, but this was a pretty good beer. It’s a bit too thick on the palate and soft in the carbonation for me to call it refreshing though. I was expecting something lighter and more bubbly.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 01:43:19 | More by scottfrie

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.2/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle shared by mdfb79. Thanks Dan.

The beer is yellow and mildly hazy, with a thick, white head that leaves ample lacing on the glass. The aroma is really floral, with light spice and hop notes. Unusual for the style, though not totally unappealing. The flavor is odd, overly floral, and not what comes to mind when I consider the style. Still somewhat enjoyable, though not up to Alpine standards. This one needs improvement.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 22:15:07 | More by Huhzubendah

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.08/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours out a bright yellow, white head, thin. Aroma was a little lemony, less hop aroma than expected for an Alpine, of any style.

Taste, eh, what is the deal with the wet cardboard?, was my first thought. The word diacetyl was mentioned by a novice homebrewer, but once the lazy 'buttery' description accompanied it (most frequent association you can read and then project as if your own), I knew there were at least two things wrong going on. Found it strange, I purchased this from the brewery just 3 weeks prior to drinking it.

Just didn't have that hop snap, bite, didn't really have any characteristic of a pilsner either. What the heck Alpine? Most disappointing beer ever (from Alpine).

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 15:30:58 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Arbitrator

California

2.85/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Chilled bottle into a glass.

A: Pours a hazy apricot body with a finger of well-retaining off-white head. It leaves huge swaths of sticky lace down the sides of the glass.

S: As with other Alpine beers, this is hop-forward: fruits (orange peel, tangerine) and herbs define the nose. The malt is understated; I was hoping to smell some distinct pilsner malt, but it's instead an indeterminate doughiness that I find unremarkable.

T: The taste also lacks any distinct malt flavors. It's bready with a faint taste of yeast. The flavor is mostly left to the hop profile, which doesn't pop as much as their other beers. Maybe it's an old/faded bottle. But anyway, there's a fruity touch that reminds me of orange peel and tangerine. It's lightly herbal, even spicy in the finish.

M: Light-medium bodied, but the flavors meander a bit and lack punch. It's not as dry as Alpine's other beers (seems like there is some residual sweetness that accentuates the fruity hops), but there's a mild bitterness in the finish that imparts that impression.

O: Unremarkable. For Alpine, this is a surprise.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 20:00:50 | More by Arbitrator