Duet IPA - Alpine Beer Company

OStrungT

California

5/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer pours a light golden color with a white head. The head fades fast, leaving a lot of laces.

This beer has a grassy hop aroma. It also has a slight citrus aroma.

This beer has a very grassy flavor. It reminds me of when I cut the grass. When the grass is fresh cut and a little moist. It sounds lame, but every time I drink it, I get a picture in my mind of mowing the lawn.

This refreshing beer goes down smooth, leaving a grassy taste, and a grassy memory. It is carbonated well.

This beer would probably make a good session beer. It tastes great. I doubt I would ever get tired of it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2006 23:39:49 | More by OStrungT

OTB

California

5/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

From my haul last week at Alpine. Super fresh having just been bottled. Pours a beautiful yellow orange with a nice one inch thick pale white thick head that clings to my glass leaving intricate lacing as I sip down. The nose is a tropical fruit salad in a glass, mango and pineapple and lemon lead the way before being chased down by the super intensity of the Simcoe and Amarillo hop explosion, just amazing nose. Flavors of tangerine, mango, grapefruit and lemon peel attack the tongue with a balancing act from the malt to deliver an amazingly balanced brew. The mouth is crisp, refreshing and lively from the perfect carbonation, it begs to be gulped, but don't, nurturing this brew brings out a plethora of Flavors and complexities for those who sip. I am an unabashed Alpine head and am in San Diego on a weekly basis on business so I am fortunate to drop in for lunch and refills and get to try a lot of Alpine beer. This along with Nelson, Pure Hoppiness and Exponential Hoppiness are world class ales that I hope all BA folks get a chance to drink at least once.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 01:29:13 | More by OTB

garthwaite

Virginia

4.97/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

West Coast style IPA made with Simcoe and Amarillo hops. Sampled this one at the brewery, then on tap at O'Brien's and again at the Liar's Club. Could not get enough of it. Light bronze, big sticky foam head. Huge, unique hop explosion of an aroma. Reminded me of sticking my head into a big bag of leaf hops before tossing them in the boil. Flavor follows suit, grapefruity citrus blended with dirty spiced pine. An astounding blend of hop flavor. Hints of mandarin orange & fresh cut grass. Not a harshly bitter beer, but it certainly lingers on the tongue. Medium bodied. Biscuit and light caramel round this out beautifully. Delightful medley of flavors showcasing the hops uniquely. Best IPA I've had to date.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2006 23:41:39 | More by garthwaite

codynevels

California

4.97/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Purchased May 10, 2011 from the Alpine Beer Company Brewery
Consumed May 12, 2011

Bottled poured into a SA perfect pint.

This beer pours a clear brilliant orange with a slightly off-white head that foams to just under a fingers width and fades quickly. The head leaves little lacing throughout, but remains in a thin layer sitting on the beer. Here is where this beer really shines. The smell is a strong citrus. Grapefruit mostly, with orange as well. Fantastic smelling beer. After the initial smell, which to me, is unmistakably citrus grapefruit, there is a strong piney hop presence as well. What allows this beer to stay balanced in the nose is a slight sweet maltiness. The first taste again is a ton of grapefruit, however the piney hops show through more, and this beer finishes with bitter hops, kept in balance again by a slightly sweet maltiness. The taste of this beer really shows what hops can do in the right hands. Dominated by hops, but balanced at the same time. This beer is medium bodied with medium carbonation. It goes down really nicely, I could put these back all day.

Overall there are not enough good things to be said about this beer, in my opinion. Definitely the best single IPA that I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 08:09:27 | More by codynevels

01Ryan10

California

4.97/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured this into a stemless wine glass.

This is a fantastic IPA! The citrus really comes out in the smell on this beer. There is a small hint of pine, but the grapefruit is intense. It has the standard golen color with 2 finger head, but the lacing is exceptionally nice and sticks around longer than usual.

Overall, this is a very crisp and refreshing beer. I could easily make this a session beer, and it's so unbelievably balanced. This beer is getting Pliny status from me. Not sure which one I'd choose over the other on any given day.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 17:22:38 | More by 01Ryan10

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.95/5  rDev +12%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

22oz bottle, trade with beerman4. Clear copper color, a little chill haze. Really big foamy head, easily 4 fingers worth, and large weighty clumps of sticky bubbles sticking to the glass walls. All kinds of citrus, grapefruit and pineapple, mango and other tropical aromas. Perfect pairing of Amarillo and Simcoe hops. This could be the perfect IPA. The flavor is dead on target, with the hops giving all their flavors in the fruity realm with just a little contribution towards bitterness. The use of pale malts with just enough caramel malt gives some sense of balance while allowing the hops to take center stage. Just thicker than water, with a lasting aftertaste and slightly oily mouthfeel.

Every IPA I've tried from Alpine has been top shelf. The Amarillo and simcoe hops in Duet make it my favorite from the family.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2010 02:23:45 | More by TurdFurgison

oliphant

California

4.93/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Duet is the perfect west coast style IPA. Light in body, beautiful floral / citrus aroma, clean taste with just enough bitter overtone.

It is a real shame that Alpine's small production prevents more people from trying this fantastic beer. Hopefully they will bottle it at some point so that it will get at least the distribution that Pure Hoppiness does.

If you are in the area, be sure to stop by the brewery and pick up a growler or three.

Serving type: growler

01-31-2007 17:15:38 | More by oliphant

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.93/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks got to Grant for obtaining this growler. Thanks! I really enjoyed this one! I generally really like Alpine's brews, and this one is no exception, in fact I thought this was fantastic. Pours a dark golden with a medium head that is pure white and leaves some great lacing. Not bad from a growler. The smell is a clean burst of pine- like walking into a pine forest after a spring rain. There is just enough clean, sweet, honeyed malt to balance the beautiful pine aromas. Perfect for me in the flavor department. Beautifully balanced with a blast of sweet pine and a hint of citrus. The mouthfeel is clean, sweet, and slightly spicy. Classic beer, really, really drinkable- I could drink these all night. Wonderful! I also really like the way that Alpine's IPAs and doubles each display a different hop note/mix- they don't at all taste the same. Great brewery!

Serving type: growler

08-29-2010 19:37:20 | More by Georgiabeer

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.93/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Special Thanks to Jctribe25 for providing this gem. Patrick is a great trader and great guy...

The head is like a nice light whipped topping. Egg shell in color with decent retention.. The beer is a very light amber or a light brass color. Maybe at the intersection of the two. A small amount of light carbonation rises to the surface. Wonderful sheets of lacing remain in the glass reminding you how great the beer was.

Aroma is unreal. So floral & perfume like. Bursting with juicy hops and screaming fresh.. I smelled the beer for several minutes before even tasting it.. Lots of fresh citrus peel.

No surprise why Alpine IPA's are so highly sought after. This is delicious. Wish I had a Sculpin to taste next to this. It's right up there in my book. The light malt flavor really is in a strange balance with the assertive hop flavors. Slight malt, cracker flavor. What's interesting about the hop profile is that it's as floral and herbaceous as it is bitter. It almost finishes smooth if that makes any sense. Definitely bitter on the finish, but not overpowering at all. Just wonderful.

Very light in your mouth with a medium/light body.. Just a light prickle of carbonation.

Drinkability?? Um YES. I have to consciously slow down to make sure I savor the entire bottle. I could quite possible quaff the whole thing before maximizing the experience. Next up tomorrow... Nelson.

Great IPA. Right up my alley

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2010 20:56:30 | More by Reagan1984

2ndloveofmylife

California

4.93/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Awesome!! If you are a "Hop Head"? You will Love this beer. Hops plus more hops plus another dosage of hops!! Glorious hop flavor and Glorious aroma! Did I mention awesome hoppiness galore? This an A+ IPA no doubt baby! It reminds me of Sculpin from Ballast.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 04:44:59 | More by 2ndloveofmylife

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.9/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Acquired via trade from radshoesbro so a big "Thank You" goes out to him. Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep gold color, with a large off-white head that fades very slowly and leaves a thick but spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is a very nice combination of piney hops, fruity citrus and caramelized malts.

T: The taste very well-balanced. There are sweet flavors of citrus and caramel, a strong but not over-powering hop bitterness and a hearty but not too heavy malt character. They all complement each other well and no one flavor seems to dominate, although the hops bitterness gains a little bit of strength as you continue to drink the beer. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Very tasty and refreshing, goes down quite easily, not too filling, good kick, very good representation of style, this is definitely one of the better IPA's that I've had and an excellent beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2010 03:08:12 | More by TheManiacalOne

Palesmith

California

4.9/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured this beautiful pale amber IPA into my trusty New Belgium globe. Only about a finger worth of head that dissapated rather quickly.

The nose is fresh and citrusy.

The taste is grapefruit with hints of tropical fruits like mango and pinapple. This is followed by a subtle grassy/earthyness. Very crisp and clean and a nice dry/bitter finish with a hint of fruity/juicy sweetness.

Mouthfeel is very light, dry and effervescent. Tastes great on a hot summer day like today.

One of my top three IPA's along with Just Outstanding and Sculpin.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 04:08:12 | More by Palesmith

crossovert

Wisconsin

4.88/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

650ml bottle.

It pours a deep gold with hints of orange and a foamy white head.

The smell is unique for an IPA I think and I really enjoy it. There is a lot of tropical fruit, specifically papaya, which I hate the taste of but love the smell of. It has this deep vinous characteristic with white grapes. This smell goes perfectly with the warm weather outside.

The flavor is just refreshing and thirst-quenching. Tons of green grapes in the flavor along with tropical fruit hints with pineapple and passion fruit, and an assload of citrus. I love these two hops, just love em. There isn't too much acidity though which lends it to being even more spectacular. The malt backing is subtle and the bitterness is medium.

I have had single hop brews of both of these varieties, but put them together and you get this absolute beast.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 04:36:41 | More by crossovert

COYS1984

4.88/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours translucent honey-golden orange with minimal head that dissipates rapidly. Nose is full of hoppy fruitiness - grapefruit, peach, etc. I want a car air freshener with this scent. Flavor is spot on in terms of the nose. The citrus elements yield to a floral pinkness which is lovely. Little bit of alcohol on the back end which helps to keep the sweetness down. Not an off flavor to be found. Only nitpicking issue found which keeps this from being a perfect IPA is in the mouthfeel - perhaps a bit on the light side. Overall a fantastic West Coast IPA that vies for archetypal status in regards to this style.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 01:18:32 | More by COYS1984

mjl21

California

4.85/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

22 ounce bottle poured into a tulip. Comes in at 7%. No bottling info is given.

A-Pours a clear amber that has a nice golden hue to it. It has a one finger off white head that collapses to a nice bubbly layer. Leaves some nice lace in between sips.

S-Awesome juicy citrus hop nose. Deserves to be included in the upper tier of West Coast IPAs. It oozes mango, orange, lemon, and pineapple. It has some pine from the Simcoe, but the citrus is a lot more pungent. The malt is kept well in the background.

T-Like the nose, tons of juicy citrus hop flavor abounds. The Amarillo imparts lots of orange and mango. Midway through each sip the Simcoe imparts a really nice resiny pine flavor. As it goes down it has some nice lemon zest. There is a little bit of toasted malt that imparts a gentle bit of sweetness and does its job of letting the hops remain upfront. It finishes with a nice level of bitterness.

M-Medium bodied and it has a fizzy carbonation level.

D-Just an awesome IPA. Would love to have regular access to this one.

One of the best IPAs on the market. Really hope Alpine will expand their distribution to us folks up north. A must try if you like hops.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2010 20:40:22 | More by mjl21

fox227

California

4.85/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I must say that I opened this bomber with great anticipation. I'm lucky enough to live near a bottle shop that carries this beer, but even then securing one isn't exactly easy.

Appearance: darkish (for a pale) golden color, some head, but barely any retention, but good lacing, and rather high carbonation.

Smell: citrus and hops predominate, this is the kind of beer that should be made into a candle. It's so good smelling.

Taste: Now we get to the important stuff. This here is an IPA and shows off that West Coast style to perfection. A hop-bomb hits your palate at the beginning, with lots of citrus and floral notes, and then there's some caramel peeking through at the end to offer some semblance of balance. Who am I kidding, IPAs don't need to offer balance, it's like the cherry on the sundae, here.

Mouthfeel: lots of hops, but not harsh at all. The carbonation tickles my tongue, and then finishes dry.

Overall: as far as hard to get WCIPAs go, I'd say I prefer this over a Sculpin, and at a dollar less, is one of the few IPA bombers I'd consider over-paying for again and again.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 19:40:45 | More by fox227

smakawhat

Maryland

4.85/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

Out of the bottle the head forms nicely and simply. A nearly perfect three finger uniform white head is presented. Stuck, perfectly foamy tiny bubbles. Body color is a little simple but a nice clear brass gold, nice mix of rising carbonation small and some big. Cap is almost whipped up with retention, but doesn't make much lacing on the glass.

Real nice nose. Classic spicy grapefruit, mild sugars, hints of a little bit of pine needles. My tongue just hits the bubbles slightly and gives some great hop bitter.

Taste is unbelievably good. This is better than grapefruit. Giant and TIGHT prickly carbs on the palate open up with a huge grapefruit. Mango and tropical fruits come out, but much spicy character without a mushy feeling. Finish has a nice mellow mix of mild bitter but a wonderful sweet orange, a total sense of the perfect aromatic orange icing sugar, and oh god... it's chocolate orange! Where does this thing just get a hint of chocolate?!?!? (chocolate and orange is just a fav of mine). Whipped up texture, with hints of crisp carbonation, jesus this feels so unreal.

WOW, this one stupidly, exciting beer. I am really REALLY loving this thing in smell taste and feel. I have never seen this many exceptional qualities in one beer. I am speechless. 5 minutes... all GONE!

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 01:01:56 | More by smakawhat

oggg

California

4.83/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at O'Briens.

Light white cakey foam head. Strong scent of grapefruit rind and something not quite piney but very hoppy. I'm being greedy when I say I wish there were an even bigger aroma. Flavor is just like it smells. Medium strong hop bite plants this firmly in the IPA range. I tried sniffing for orange but didn't get it. Malt kicks in about 5 seconds later. Clean, hoppy, malty, tons of flavor. Virtually perfect. This is what I strive for in my homebrew!

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2006 02:15:38 | More by oggg

sloejams

California

4.83/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The only disappointing about Alpine's beers is limited geographic area that I can get them in. Everytime I'm in the San Diego, one of my goals is to get a bunch of these delicious brews in my belly. Arriving at the Stone Anniversary, the guest breweries were alphabetized. Brilliant! Alpine for the start!

Alpine had two of their offerings to taste: this and Pure Hoppiness, so the missus and I got one of each. Later in the evening, with both on-tap at the Liars Club - I got a pint of each.

Duet, new to me, is everything I long for in an IPA: fruity, floral with a generous portion of American hops. Lots of lacing throughout my glass, the bright amber beer had a good sized head. Plenty of hops in the nose, the best type: fruity with a slight pine flavor. The taste was much the same, rounded out with a pleasant malt balancing that limited the bitter bite.

This is an outstanding IPA, of the hundreds that I've tried - this is right near the top.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2006 19:03:38 | More by sloejams

Eriktheipaman

California

4.83/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

So another instant favorite from Alpine!

Super clear light yellow with slight amber color.

The smell is AMAZING. Sweet tangerine with lots of citrus notes.

The taste isnt as sweet at the smell but is still a great sweetness to bitterness ratio. Bitter at first with a smooth very sweet finish. Slightly dry but not as much as a lot of IPA's

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 04:24:04 | More by Eriktheipaman

LittleDon

Texas

4.83/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A bomber purchased from The Best Damn Bottle Shop in San Diego. Pulled from the back from their latest deliver. Served in a pint glass four days after purchase.

Golden, clear, lots of carbonation. The head is a white, fluffy, medium long lived, and leaves lots of lace in its wake. Aroma is predominately grapefruit, then caramel, finally a bit of grassiness. Despite the visible carbonation, the feel is on the soft side with a tongue coating medium-heavy body. The front is a bit salty with the middle through finish a crescendo of moderately citrus flavored hops and caramel malt. Leans a tad toward the dry side.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 22:21:35 | More by LittleDon

warbird07

Michigan

4.83/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Must thank Liutenantsour for this fantastic extra...poured into my oversized snifter...

This beer pours a golden orange, nice sized head, lacing..looks the part...

The smell in awesome...fruity flora citrus hop aroma, clean...very enticing...

Taste is great..clean balanced hops..amarillo and simcoe...nice and piney and orange up front..followed by a nice sudtle bitterness...nice finish...

Mouthfell is pleasing..light, no stickyness..perfect for the style..

I would drink this beer all the time if it was available to me...a fantastic example of the style..

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 00:32:50 | More by warbird07

PatrickSwayze

California

4.83/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Very clear light light orange with a long ass lingering froth dome. Poured from a bomber

S: Gorgeous citrus notes that are crisp and cunning like a JCVD spinning jump kick. 

T: A wonderfully deep complex hopped up IPA that works so damn well. Oh man its really just so damn good. Badass citrus notes of lemon with a light vanilla tone on the back end.

M: Not extremely dry like other IPA's I've had but this one just seems to full perfectly drinkable.

O: An amazing IPA like all the others from their lineup. A must have. 

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 04:16:44 | More by PatrickSwayze

Halcyondays

California

4.8/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap at Blue Palms,

A: Pours golden with a nice white head, some lace.

S: Fragant pine and cedar hops, tropical notes, robust.

T: Incredibly tasty and interesting, an amalgam of great hop character, from pine/wood to tropical fruit - pineapple and guava. More flavour than 90% of the DIPAs I've had, truly wonderous. I'm in Simcoe heaven rigt now.

M: Chewy and resiny with hops, but has a lightness and crispness about it on the palate which makes it very easy drinking.

D: One of the best IPAs I've ever had, a must try again if I ever see it on tap. This beer is beautiful, my new favourite IPA I think, just wish it was more available.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2009 20:36:56 | More by Halcyondays

ahalloin

Virginia

4.8/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review #100
A big thanks to Jolijuli23 for this incredible extra! Very generous!

The beer pours a hazy yellowy gold color with medium white foam cap. The head recedes to a thin ring atop the beer with substantial lacing still adhering to the glass.

The smell is quite strong with a big citrus hop nose. Notes of stone fruit abound here with slight hints of lavender and floral honey.

The taste shows off a tremendous hop bill with citric floral notes balanced against a slight sweetness to start, giving way to clean uber-citrus bitter finish. The pungent dry finish literally makes me want to take another drink each time. Lovely stuff!

The mouthfeel is great for this beer. Medium-high carbonation but with a luscious creaminess from the adequate body.

Drinkability is great, as you could easily enjoy 2 or more pints of this without a problem. Clean, bitter finish contributes to this attribute.

This is a great rendition of IPA. Hopheads must seek this out!

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2011 03:16:05 | More by ahalloin