Duet IPA - Alpine Beer Company

pperrecone

California

4.53/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

poured a nice bright golden yellow.

smells of dank pine followed by nice tropical citrus fruit.

Taste is super on point dank pine and lots of tropical fruit. nice balance of hop bitterness and malt. defiantly a west coast IPA. not just a bitter over hopped beer but a nice complexity of hop layers of flavor. Pat knows hops and how to use them.

Body is nice and dry.

Overall this is one the best IPA out their. Thank God I live in SD so I can drink this year around.

Serving type: growler

01-17-2012 06:57:46 | More by pperrecone

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

ArrogantB

Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This was poured from a growler purchased at Alpine and I also had a glass on tap at O'Brien's the day before. Bright orange color with a white head that really laced the glass. The smell was a little pine but mostly bright fresh citrus fruit, excellent. The flavor was like nectarines and oranges, so juicy and hoppy, fantastic. This beer really impressed the hell out of me and I hope I can get my hands on a couple bottles if they release them.

Serving type: growler

09-21-2009 23:17:50 | More by ArrogantB

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler courtesy of cuda7051. Poured into a large tulip.

A: Dark golden-orange body. Crystal clear with a nice stream of carbonation releasing straight out of the center. Large creamy white head that slowly receded while leaving a respectable amount of lacing down the sides of the glass after each sip.

S: The rich citric aroma was detectable the second i unscrewed the cap of the growler. In the glass, assertive tangerine, orange, mango, and nectarine aromas dominate over the background of a slightly resinous pine hop note.

T: Disappointing! Compare to the nose that is :) I knew it would be hard to live up to the exceptional nose, and the taste is certainly superb, but not the equal of the nose. Sweet citric hops like those described in the nose are present and ride atop a soft malt background. Not as assertive as the nose though. Clean bitterness in the back end.

M: Soft, light-medium bodied. Good, consistent carbonation. Clean, crisp finish.

D: An exceptional IPA right up there with Sculpin, Blind Pig, AleSmith IPA, Masala Mama and Furious as the tops in the category. This is an easy drinking brew that does not skimp on flavor and aroma.

Serving type: growler

09-02-2009 03:01:12 | More by callmemickey

OlieIPA

California

4.7/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Picked up a growler with a couple of friends while visiting SD this past week...which was awesome by the way! Anyways, we went back to the condo the very same night and polished it right off. Thanks for a great weekend guys!

A: A darker golden hue with a very fluffy and off-white head that was pretty immense. The lacing along the side of my tulip was impressive as well.

S: The initial smell hits your nose with tons of citrus-like hops...similar to a tangerine, orange, and mango mix. The more vegetative and piney aroma seems to hit later on, along with some diacetyl properties.

T: The malt body is light during the initial stages, but becomes sweeter and fruitier (grapefruit perhaps) as it sits on the palate. There is also mild back end bitterness and hop flavor that adds a nice touch to this beer.

M: Slightly dry, light body, and decent carbonation.

D: I've tried this beer a few times now...and the more and more I drink...the more and more I fall in love with it. I prefer the Nelson over this one, but this probably the most drinkable Alpine beer out there.

Overall: Saw this on tap at Toronado SD last night and found myself ordering this over Pliny the Elder, Expo Hoppiness, Blind Pig and so on. Hope that explains how I feel about this beer. A must try. Cheers!

Serving type: growler

08-30-2009 23:59:41 | More by OlieIPA

bulletrain76

California

4.53/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Growler from the brewery on release day, consumed the next day. Hazy gold-light orange with a sticky white head. Ripe apricot, sweet grapefruit and lots of tangy nectarine in the aroma. Like a tangy hop-fruit salad. Almost no malt in the flavor, just pure fruity and spicy hop flavor. More bitterness in the finish than Nelson, though still not strongly bitter. Medium-light body with a dry finish. More of a classic fruit hop profile than the grapey nelson, but very tasty. One of the most drinkable IPAs that I've ever had. Alpine is owning the IPA segment right now with a handful of amazing examples that all have their own flare.

Serving type: growler

08-11-2009 05:56:37 | More by bulletrain76

gford217

Georgia

4.58/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Growler courtesy of JessetheHutt shared with the usual suspects at the Brick Store.

Pours a light clear amber with a solid soapy white head that lasted a longer than I expected for a growler pour and left decent lacing.

The aroma just about knocked me over when I opened the growler. Big, thick, resinous pine hops just jump out of the glass with a hint of bready malts in the background. As it warms a little, the Amarillo hops really start to join the party with oranges and grapefruits mostly.

The taste is dominated by the sweet tropical citrus up front with pineapple, oranges and grapefruits. The malt backbone is there but hardly noticeable as the finish brings the pine hops back to leave a resinous bitterness that builds up after each sip.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and pretty sticky with hops that tingle the palate.

I really liked this beer as it has tons of hops and plenty of bitterness but remains extraordinarily drinkable...like, "I could drink the whole growler" drinkable. A great beer.

Serving type: growler

05-03-2009 18:39:52 | More by gford217

MasterSki

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Huge thanks to Dave (d0b) for sharing this growler with me - and by extension big props to JesseTheHutt. Served in a Piece pint glass.

A - Huge (I ran out of fingers) pillowy orange-white foam with great retention and some spotty lacing. Transparent golden yellow color with a few tiny bubbles rising to the top. I would have liked a little bit more in the way of lacing and maybe a bit more richness to the color, but otherwise it's a superb-looking brew.

S - Huge citrus smell with tons of tangerine citrus, a hint of tropical fruit, and then some pine and dank earthiness. You can actually get a pretty good sense of the "duet" of amarillo and simcoe working in tandem. There's also a nice mild toffee backbone in there.

T - The taste is more on the earthy side with more in the way of dankness, herbs, and pine resin. The citrus and tropical notes are still there, they just don't seem to enjoy the driver's seat in the same way they did in the smell. Again, there's a hint of toffee malt that keeps things from getting out of control. Very mild residual bitterness, too.

M - Soft, smooth, a touch too thin for my liking though (I'm hesitant to use the term watery). Moderate carbonation that hits mid-tongue. There's a tiny bit of residual stickiness but it doesn't linger for very long. This is the weakest element of this brew for me, as it doesn't quite have enough meat to it to match up with the terrific taste & smell and the medium ABV.

D - My criticisms of the mouthfeel actually contribute to the incredible drinkability of this brew. It's like chugging hop-flavored water. Absolutely the quickest drinking single IPA I've ever tasted - dangerous stuff.

Serving type: growler

05-02-2009 16:25:49 | More by MasterSki

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.63/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A big thanks to Jesse for getting me this growler. I have searched long and hard for this one and I am thrilled to finally be able to throw this one down. I drank this growler throughout the day while messing around in the yard. Served cold and poured into pint glasses, this one was consumed on 04/26/2009.

The pour was very nice, with a copper tinted amber that was just soo damn clear it was rediculous. Light carbonation that continued to bubble to the surface throughout the session really added to the overall look. The aroma was light, clean, crisp and decidedly citrus led. Really very well done here. It had a nice and bright quality to it with really only pineapple and grapefruit leading the charge. As I took the first sip I was instantly refreshed. Such a clean IPA, not overally balanced, this was a light, drinkable, very hoppy IPA, just what I wanted. Started with a rush of pineapple and grapefruit that was balanced against a light bready flavor that popped up mid palate, before falling by the way side and leaving only a nice and dry, and very clean bitter finish. The feel was damn perfect, very carbonated, light and very refrshing made this something that I went through all too quickly.

Overall this was easily one of the most sessionable IPAs I have ever run across and really one of the best tasting. I am glad I got this and it was worth the wait.

Serving type: growler

04-26-2009 20:11:27 | More by mikesgroove

largadeer

California

4.68/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: A tangerine colored body with brilliant clarity. The head is two fingers thick, frothy, lasting.

Smell: Resiny, floral hops dominate the aroma. Little bit of orange-like citrus, but largely floral. There's a light crackery malt profile, but it takes a back seat to the massive hop aroma.

Taste & mouthfeel: Massive hop flavor up front; floral, resiny, citrusy, faint touch of tropical fruit. Very dry. The malt foundation brings to mind crusty bread; it doesn't contribute anything in the way of complexity, serving more as a foundation for the impressive hop flavor. Light bodied, quite soft and easy to drink. Bittering hops are strong but pleasantly restrained, perfect for the body and ABV.

Notes: I shared this with a friend and he commented that it had an English ale character to it, only with massive American hops. That's a good way to describe it; it's distinctly different than the Blind Pig we followed it up with. Softer, lighter, perhaps not as crisp and crackery as most West Coast IPAs, strangely cask-like. Wonderful stuff in any case, nearly perfect for the style.

Serving type: growler

02-26-2009 08:56:29 | More by largadeer

HalfFull

California

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a freshly filled growler into a nonic glass. Pours a deep golden orange color with a rich head. Decent retention is followed by sheet lacing with each sip.

Piney hop notes were picked up before I even finished filling the glass. Orange citrus scents were present as well. A nice balance on the hop front.

More hops on the taste buds initially with some moderate malts participating. Finish is lingering and brings back hints of orange peel. Offers a nice medium body and a well balanced carbonation, which remains quite constant through the finish. Very drinkable for an IPA; ABV is kept in check as are malts, present and accounted for but not rich and cloying. Hop bitterness remains low as well. Nice balance, nice beer.

Serving type: growler

12-06-2008 04:31:44 | More by HalfFull

d0ggnate

California

4.22/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I saw that Alpine was offering this fine IPA and had to go get it. Me and 3 empty growlers in tow made the short trek this weekend and it is always worth it when I come home with a beer this good.

A: Golden/amber/orange pour that sits below a nice off-white single finger head layer. This fades quickly to a patchy remnant of what it was only 30 second ago.
S: Sweet pine hops, with familiar citrus notes. Noticeable grapefruit and juicy orange peel aromas.
T: The pine notes and citrus translate to flavor. While distinguishable, the flavors are not overwhelming and provide one of a kind, assertive IPA profile.
M: Flowing and smooth. Flavor is apparent, but not overbearing. This beer holds a lot of flavor with how smooth and flowing it is.
D: Duet is an amazing west coast IPA. I'm happy to have access to it when it is brewed. A testament to its drinkability is how I am sitting here finishing the whole growler without hesitation.

Serving type: growler

11-17-2008 03:25:11 | More by d0ggnate

hopdog

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler.

Poured a medium to deeper golden color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas citrus, floral, pine, oranges, and just all around hoppy. Aromas of Citrus, tangerines, pine (more than the aromas), and some caramel. Medium sweet and medium bitter balance.

Notes from 9/27/08

Serving type: growler

11-11-2008 02:27:47 | More by hopdog

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a slightly fogged amber gold. Nose is pine resin sticky-ness. Flavor is just smooth. Damn smooth. Obviously wet hopped. Pine tones but a nutty edge to it as well. Some caramel is there also. Feel is slick and smooth. Good carbonation. A damn fine IPA. A stellar and masterfully brewed beer. Just damn good.

Brewandbbq hooks it up again on this one. Big pile o' thanks man.

Serving type: growler

10-26-2008 07:41:00 | More by RblWthACoz

MiScusi

California

4.33/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap before but brought this growler home a few days ago right from the Alpine Brewery's tap.

A- light golden and super clear. Bright white foamy head.

S- Pretty mild but hoppy. Amarillo + Simcoe so it's got sort of a citrusy aspect from the Simcoe and a sweetness from the Amarillo.

T- very light in bitterness but lots of hop flavor (as described above) on a light body. Really more of a hop sweetness

Very good IPA that is more 1 dimensional on the hops

Serving type: growler

05-18-2008 23:56:56 | More by MiScusi

Westsidethreat

California

4.2/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to weeheavySD for the growler!

A: Fairly tame golden copper color with a clean complexity. Just a few bubbles meander up to the top. Head is medium sized with a decent creaminess to it, a basic whipped butter color.

S: Vibrant green grapefruit zest, lemon essence, distant pine forest wavering on a subtle breeze, strawberry fields, watermelon and crystallized mango. Exceptional aroma.

T: Starts off with that “Alpine” buttery hop sensation that massages the tongue with its smooth texture. There’s a little bit of yellow apple, green melon, clover honey and a whole lotta star fruit. You know that flavor that hits the tip of your tongue when you bite into a plum? I get a lot of that as well as iced tea and marjoram. The flavor sort of falls short after this point and doesn’t get any more complex. The flavor lingers for a while and is quite nice but finishes right about here

M: Medium body and soft

D: Seriously quaffable and easy to drink. The growler really didn’t stand a chance. It wasn’t the most complex beer but it has a really nice flavor with long lingering flavor.

Serving type: growler

06-09-2007 19:35:14 | More by Westsidethreat

ressletr

California

4.63/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

What can I say about this beer. 1st of all the smell is that of pine and citrus, I know, I know everyone has heard that about this beer. But quite strange, yesterday I smelled pine, today I smell orange citrus. Sort of smells as if you put a package of simcoe hops with oranges. Yeah, how silly that's the smell of the hops used in the making.
Taste, well yesterday, I have to be totally honest. I bought 2 growlers of this, yesterday I was willing to give the second one away saying that I really didn't care for it. Today, well I guess my taste buds were on vacation because today when I taste it, it tastes like a orange, but not nearly as strong.
The look, well I hear the range for IPAs ranging from a light hue of yellow to a dark hue of yellow. Well this is a light hue, and then a drop of red and yellow food die. There you go.
Mouthfeel is that of drinking a tropicana, a little bit towards the light side of orange juice, but hey, isn't this suppose to be a beer anyway. One could drink these all day, without being hit to hard on the alcohol side of this.
Really the alcohol has not come through at all. Even if you look for it. Your really couldn't tell how much alcohol is in this, than you can an orange juice. WTF, orange juice doesn't have alcohol in it. Well true but you sure can't tell from this one either.
This is a excellent IPA.

Serving type: growler

06-02-2007 21:01:58 | More by ressletr

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

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.64/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: Beautiful hazy, golden-yellow with a big fizzy, frothy, bright white head. Good lace and retention.

S: So floral and juicy. Huge resiny hops. Like freshly bloomed flowers. Pretty sticky and pungent. Some pine and freshly cut wood. Every aspect of a hop you want to taste in an IPA. So well-rounded.

T: Even more amazing than the nose which I didn't think would be possible. So fragrant and floral. Fruity, juicy, citrusy, woody, resiny, piney. Everything! A delicate but full-flavored IPA that has so much to love about it. Unbelievable.

M: Perfect amount of carbonation with a perfect amount of dryness and perfect body and feel. Top notch. Amazing bouquet of flavors explode on the palate and leave a very pleasant taste.

O: Not much I can say other than I was blown away. I knew how great this beer was going in and I knew Alpine is one of the best when it comes to IPA's but this was a dream. So incredible.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 00:11:41 | More by Gatch

Hendry

Vermont

4.78/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Thanks to Thecherryman for making this Alpine bomber a reality, and a super fresh sample at that. Distribution is limited on Alpine, so getting a hold of these despite the 2012 increase in production is a chore unless you live in Southern Cali.

Pours halfway between a clear and cloudy off orange hue with a 1 finger soapy white head that lasts a few minutes, lacing is adequate.

The nose is very juicy in a tropical sense yet there is a distinct malt bill in there that prevents it from being an all out hop bomb. Pineapple,nectarine, and lime tones invite the first sip.
While Duet is a hop forward IPA, there is a terrific balance of bready malts in there with the tropical fruit juciness that just works, plain and simple.

Flavors are matched by the inviting nose: the Amarillo and simcoe hops are well chosen and put forth delicious flavors that are complex and multidimensional. Carbonation is lively and well suited for the style, sort of a medium body that is somewhat sticky and oily.

The aftertaste is pleasant, never bitter or boozy, and lets you know the hop selection was well thought out. Very highly recommended, Duet proves to be tough to acquire given their lack of distribution as are other Alpine offerings.This is a world class IPA I would be glad to drink again, and I am looking forward to the arrival of more Alpine varieties to taste and review.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 03:25:25 | More by Hendry

Cubatobaco

Virginia

4.56/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

My first Alpine beer

A - golden orange color with an 1/8" head and a lacing that slides and sticks to random portions of the glass. A good amount of carbonation flows upward through the hazy glass slow enough to count the bubbles from a single stream.

S - Loads if grapefruit up front, followed by a good amount of peach, tangerine and even banana. Hints of pine and other tropical fruits linger.

T - The taste echoes its aroma above. Pine and grapefruit are the major components of the flavor followed with malty sweetness, pineapple, and floral hop bitterness.

M - very smooth with a remarkable, lingering finish. Light carbonation and mouth coating.

O - Very balanced! It displays everything an IPA should be. This company is just getting started! I will look forward to all of their releases.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 00:43:26 | More by Cubatobaco

arfenhouse

California

4.46/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Clear copper with white head. Good retention and some lacing.

S: Floral hops and peach upfront. Pineapple, oranges, and pine needles. A bit of sweet malt in the background.

T: Peach, pine, and tangerine. A small spicy hop in the middle. Ends with a small malt sweetness. Pine and tangerine aftertaste.

M: Medium bodied and medium carbonation. Could use some more dryness.

O: Reminds me of Sculpin sans dryness. Very good single IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 07:23:44 | More by arfenhouse

RaulMondesi

California

4.69/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Raul finds himself in glorious ecstasy. It may be called "Duet," but Raul is enjoying this bad boy solo, in his garden, and listening to the fountain as it blissfuly drips in peace.

A few days back, Raul went to the joint, the spot, the honey hole: Alpine (because he could). And ohhh goody gumdrops is Raul sure glad he did!

Like Cary Grant entering a train tunnel with Eva Marie Saint, this thing pops! A beautiful darkish orange haze is met by textures and flavor that would make a water-boarding seem like a day at Wild Rivers just to get to one. At first that initial zap! wasn't there, but Raul was quickly rest assured when he realized that this was a single. And just like Raul himself, Duet is single, sexi, and ready to mingle.

Hop on this! Hop on this good!

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 02:59:10 | More by RaulMondesi

edproctor

California

4.8/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A- pours a nice golden hue with a fingers worth of white creamy head.
S- fresh, juicy tangerines, ripe peaches, grapefruit zest, mango, and a nice light bready sweetness.
T- mimics smell, some pineapple in there too. Lots of fruit up front, followed immediately by that hoppy bitter punch in the palette.
M- medium bodied. Coats the tongue as it goes down, leaving a nice hop film over the palette.
O- this is a great beer! Everything I want from an ipa. Smooth, nicely balanced, and very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 09:04:57 | More by edproctor

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.26/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A-golden amber color with a nice white head and decent lacing

S-grapefruit, tropical fruit, pine, floral, hints of orange and slight sweetness

T-pineapple, grapefruit, malt, slightly sweet, floral, moderately bitter finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, smooth

O-very nice IPA with a good range of flavors, in spite of the "duet", I prefer Nelson

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 13:12:03 | More by MDDMD