Nelson - Alpine Beer Company

zac16125

South Carolina

4.33/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into a pint glass
no born on date but picked up from the brewery approximately 1 week ago

Thanks to harink for sending this over in a trade.

A: Pours a very murky, kind of urine yellow with just under 1 fingers width of sea foam white colored head. Honestly, this is pretty ugly in the glass. It does leave tons of really cool honey comb lacing, which is its redeeming factor.

S: Aroma is very vinous, white grapes and sweet white wine - like a moscato. Accompanied by mild dank, resinous notes. A hint of rye spiciness, citrus rind, and a touch of bready malts.

T: Follows the nose in thats its full of sweet white grape notes. There is a big rye spice component, along with piney bitterness, some citrus rind and tropical fruit sweetness. Better than the nose, as flavors as a whole are stronger than the aroma. Very tasty, I really like the combination of sweet vinous and rye spiciness notes.

M/D: Smooth for the style, with an appropriate carbonation, medium bodied with a rather wet mouthfeel. Drinkability is excellent.

O: Overall, an excellent beer. Dont let the somewhat nasty look of it scare you off cause its delicious. Not one of my favorite IPAs, and not as good at Duet (which I had yesterday so my memory is fresh), but certainly unique and very good in its own right. I would drink this again in a heartbeat, and if it was local Id definitely buy it on a consistent basis, but its not something I will aggressively seek out via trade.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 15:09:58 | More by zac16125

HopLuva

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

05-24-2013 04:54:11 | More by HopLuva

BUNZILLA

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

05-24-2013 03:27:44 | More by BUNZILLA

Lare453

Florida

4.25/5  rDev -4.3%

05-23-2013 10:29:26 | More by Lare453

Hendry

Vermont

4.53/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Nelson pours a cloudy golden color with a super fine 1 finger head,and superb lacing.

Aroma is difficult to describe, but aside from some hops, there is a strange dampness to the smell, like the air just before it rains...difficult to describe, but I suspect it is the European rye that it is blended with that gives off the unusual nose. Smells like no other beer I have had.

Taste is another matter altogether: a precise blend of rye,hops,and malt create a unique flavor and finish. There is a distinct hopiness that is muted by the rye and the malts. Aftertaste is slightly bitter and enjoyable unlike some of the highly acidic beers brewed with rye that I have sampled. Medium bodied and quite smooth drinking.

Mouthfeel is medium,carbonation is lively moving everything along.

All in all, a really nice IPA with a rye twist. The funkiness of the aroma is a bit off, but outside of that, a solid effort from Alpine, and definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 03:18:22 | More by Hendry

judkinst

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev -4.3%

05-22-2013 03:46:11 | More by judkinst

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: Hazy, golden-yellow with a bright white, soapy, fluffy head. Great lace and decent retention.

S: All pungent NZ hops with lots of resin and some pine.

T: Super delicious, sticky hops. Grassy, earthy, woody.

M: Smooth, clean, great body, massive flavor, proper carbonation.

O: This definitely highlights the beauty of NZ hops. They're so unique and delicious. Not the most delicious use of Nelson Sauvin hops but its such a great IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 03:25:49 | More by Gatch

aleman39

California

4.25/5  rDev -4.3%

05-21-2013 21:24:10 | More by aleman39

moonknight31

California

4.75/5  rDev +7%

05-21-2013 21:16:00 | More by moonknight31

CosmoHopHead

Kansas

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

05-21-2013 04:25:52 | More by CosmoHopHead

InspectorBob

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

05-20-2013 20:06:27 | More by InspectorBob

IP-EH

California

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

05-19-2013 21:57:57 | More by IP-EH

Benny3000

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

05-19-2013 14:21:43 | More by Benny3000

drgonzo2k2

California

4.25/5  rDev -4.3%

05-19-2013 14:17:10 | More by drgonzo2k2

BeerBeast

California

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

05-19-2013 07:12:02 | More by BeerBeast

eyeenjoybeer

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev -4.3%

05-18-2013 18:24:14 | More by eyeenjoybeer

Rainblows

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +7%

05-16-2013 14:37:09 | More by Rainblows

Zbeetleman

California

5/5  rDev +12.6%

05-15-2013 03:18:31 | More by Zbeetleman

Skeeze

California

4.75/5  rDev +7%

05-15-2013 00:57:04 | More by Skeeze

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.53/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Consumed 5/14/13

Big cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for getting this in a trade and sharing it

Appearance: Golden orange, rather hazy, with some straw around the edges - pours with a big, bright white head - fluffy, big, creamy head - fades to a remarkably solid, creamy cap - leaves sheets of lacing

Smell: Very, very unique and very, very hoppy - remarkably fruity, bright, and sweet in a very unusual way - malty sweetness kind of reminds me of cake - the hoppiness reminds me of my head exploding or something - extreme citrus and tropical notes - bright, lively orange and tangerine - some mango, pineapple, and melon - lightly spicy and lightly earthy - some rye, but not much

Taste: Brilliantly hoppy executed in a brilliant way - loads of citrus, with orange, tangerine, and grapefruit flesh - some oil, some pith - tropical notes with pineapple, melon, and something like lime - lightly grassy with some herbal and weed notes - moderately bitter - unexpectedly balanced with the nicely pale malts - the light spiciness from the rye adds to the unique, lovely character from the hops

Mouthfeel: Medium body, excellent carbonation, extremely smooth and extremely drinkable

Overall: You done broke the Nelson Sauvin, son!

I've had beers brewed with New Zealand hops. They have not been stellar. This is mind-blowingly awesome. I need to try everything from Alpine. Now. Seriously. Now!

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 00:38:36 | More by angrybabboon

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to JayORear for the surprise bottle. Split with angrybabboon.

Appearance: Perfectly clear light gold. A slight haze after the last bit of the pour. Head is white and pillowy. Creamy and thick. Drops to a small spotty head with a slightly larger collar. Some small spots and streaks of lacing. Not what I was expecting to see, but that's because I didn't really know what this thing was.

Smell: Grapefruit. Loaded with grapefruit flesh, fresh juice, and rind. Deeply floral with a solid earthiness. Slight backing spiciness with a light, slightly sweet malt backbone. Sweet candied hops. Pine resin. Peaches. Mango. Very tropical and dank, but sweet. Cotton candy. Bright white wine as it warms.

Taste: Tropical fruit explosion. Mango and peaches. Juicy ripe fruit. Malts are light and bready. Slight hint of rye spiciness that I would miss and chalk up to hops if the bottle hadn't alerted me to it. Hops run the gamut. Earthy and herbal with a slightly damp earthiness. Lingering mild bitterness. Some oily pine as it warms. Some bubblegum/cotton candy, but it's more tropical. Nice backing spiciness as it warms.

Mouthfeel: Medium body that runs on the lighter side. Average moderate carbonation with a juicy feel up front. Finishes relatively clean, but slightly dry.

Overall: Ha ha!

A ryePA that doesn't go too far with a super awesome hop variety? Yeah, this wins and wins hard. Incredibly drinkable with a crazy amount of flavor. Never gets abrasive. Seriously, why can't I get more of this?

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 00:35:59 | More by Goblinmunkey7

woodchopper

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -4.3%

05-13-2013 16:23:45 | More by woodchopper

Bonko_the_sane

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

05-13-2013 06:20:20 | More by Bonko_the_sane

mrcraft

California

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

05-13-2013 05:35:50 | More by mrcraft

IPeteA91

Texas

5/5  rDev +12.6%

05-12-2013 22:40:11 | More by IPeteA91