Nelson - Alpine Beer Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I appreciate the understated bitterness of this IPA and it was reminicent of the Mikkeller, anlthough yes I did not do a vertical at this time. Pleasant appearance and aroma, like a white wine and fruity. I believe I enjoyed this attribute more so in the Mikkeller. I liked the rye edge. Very drinkable.Bomber courtesy of AugustGarage.
Had it a second time and just as amazing.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 03:32:56 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

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

"Par is whatever I say it is. I've got one hole that's a par 23 and yesterday I damn near birdied the sucker."

--Willie Nelson

Sun-splashed tangerine with bumblebee yellow trim. The pour produced two fingers of cue ball colored foam that has all sorts of interesting topography. The head is firm and bubbly and rocky and pitting and sticky. In addition, thick sheets and creamy chunks of lace are beginning to decorate the glass in wonderful fashion.

The nose is a big blast of Nelson Sauvin hoppiness that any lupulin lover should... well... love. NS smells citrusy and grassy-musky and Chardonnay grape-like. Sort of a cross between Columbus and Saaz... plus white grapes. Love it.

Love the flavor too. This is a fresh bomber and the hops are amazingly green and bright. In fact, this offering tastes like a recently bottled wet hop IPA. Nelson Sauvin is not as delicious as Cascade, Centennial, Columbus, Chinook, Simcoe and Amarillo, but it's distinctive and different and is doing a great job carrying this brew all by its lonesome.

The contributon from spicy rye malt isn't so prominent that it steals the hops' thunder and lightning. It succeeds in adding yet another dimension that any lover of rye-malted IPAs should... well... wait, I used that one already. Anyway, it's an amazing combination of flavors that I recommend highly.

The body/mouthfeel is merely good, something that was also true of Duet. A little more full creaminess would have put it right up there with the rest of the scores. This sucker is built for speed, though, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Alpine brews some hella good American IPAs. Duet was stunning and Nelson is as well. This is one of those times when I fantasize about living in Southern California and having access to beer like this on a daily basis.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2010 14:34:35 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.95/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

his is honestly one of the best I have come across hands down. I knew it would be good, but wow, blown away would be the appropriate term. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this growler was consumed on 05/06/2009.



The pour was phenomenal. Rich light amber in color with an amazing clarity to it. A huge towering head of white on the top that just would not fade at all, really amazing looking with tons of lace and foam just dripping down the sides of the glass. Intense to say the least as the tons of carbonation just rippled up through the glass. Rich, pungent, grapefruit aroma just screams off of this one. So big it could fill the room. Soo fresh, this thing rivals any of the IPA's I have ever had in terms of shear citrus smell. Light notes of pineapple as well, but even as it warmed it maintained the same rich and bright citrus notes throughout. Really just pushing right into the first sip, I honestly can say this had to be the most drinkable thing I have come across in months. It went down like water. Super clean taste with bright grapefruit and pineapple, hints of a subtle and sweet orange note as well. Incredible. I went through a glass without even knowing what was going on, it was just that good. Smooth, subtle and lightly dry in the finish, this was truly heaven on earth for me.



Overall one of the best I have had period, end of story. Go get this one.

Serving type: growler

05-07-2009 23:53:03 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

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

I picked this one up at Walnut Liquorette yesterday, although the price tag was a bit of a turn-off, I've been wanting to try this one for awhile.

A: Nelson pours a clear, light golden color with a very thin layer of white foam and great lacing.

S: These Alpine IPAs (Nelson and Duet) have an amazingly sweet, fruity hop character that I rarely see in IPAs. Tons of tropical and citrus fruits and not much in the way of malt, but a hint of spice from the rye.

T: The initial flavor is piney and bitter, with a ton of grapefruit. The back-end of the sip features a bit of malt, rye, and that great tropical fruit on the finish.

M: There is low carbonation, and a medium body.

D: This is a dangerously drinkable beer. The excellent fruity hops make this so delicious and leave you wanting more. But at 7.1%, you need to watch out, as a bomber of this can do some damage.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2009 20:50:57 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at O'Brien's in San Diego in August 2009.

A: Pours an orange-gold with a white head.

S: A little bit of rye behind plenty of citrus and tropical hops.

T: Lots of hops going on with a little bit of rye in the background.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation and little alcohol feel.

D: Quite drinkable. Not nearly as good as Duet or O'Brien's IPA, but very good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2009 18:51:54 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a translucent golden body with a small, white head.

Smell: I must admit, I enjoyed the aroma far more than I have enjoyed anything else that is, or has ever been, placed in front of my nose. Very aromatic aroma of juicy oranges and pinapples, freshly cut grass, and what reminds me of either minced garlic or shallots.

Taste: Light, fleeting malt flavor and sweetness upfront before a bright burst of juicy hop flavors, zesty orange rind and pineapple rings. Full notes of white grapes and garlic (or is it shallots). Hint of damp grass. All in all, there's only a very reasonable amount of bitterness. Finishes decidedly crisp.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: It's really great smelling stuff! I had to be restrained from pouring out the growler onto myself so I could continue to smell this beer for days and days to come.

Serving type: growler

10-21-2007 04:42:15 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a green tea tinged amber with modest head; some lace

Smell: Clear out the nostrils with these hops (pithy, grassy, pungent kaffir lime, basil); just lovin' the Nelson Sauvin

Taste: Opens crisp and clean with a quick dive in the hoppy direction; all of the complexities of the Nelson Sauvin (grapefruit, pineapple, vinous Sauvignon Blanc, basil, kaffir lime, tropical fruit) jump into the fray, along with the spicy rye elements as well; after the swallow, the beer finishes clean, fruity and bitter

Mouthfeel: Medium body with crisp carbonation

Drinkability: I have been looking forward to trying this one for a while - just a supurb beer

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2010 00:48:00 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.75/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy light orange color with a nice 2 inch stark white head that fades to a small cap. The head is very cloudy and puffy on the top of the beer. Thin rings of lace around the glass on the drink down. Smells of citrus zest hops, pine tree, and some spiciness from the rye. Tastes of spicy rye, malt, and citrus zest/pine hops, but overall the beer has a muted taste in my opinion. Beer is slightly carbonated and seems a bit flat. Smooth but creamy in the mouth. I would have liked to have more carbonation for the style. Overall, this is a good beer from Alpine but I prefer a few of their other beers over this.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 03:39:43 | More by UCLABrewN84

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deliciously rounded and profoundly unique with malt flavors of caramel and butterscotch balanced with citrus and winy notes- Nelson delivers the familiar wash of IPA flavors, but with a unique twist here and there to create intrigue and identity.

Pouring a firm orange camel color, the beer carries the standard hoppy hazy that allows only a mild glow to penetrate. Very well headed with a creamy egg shell white foam cap, the beer's froth retains remarkably and laces the glass with left over traces of foam. It's a sturdy looking beer.

Rich and zesty aromas seem to alternate from malty caramel in one whiff, but orange marmalade the next. Notes of herbs, grapes, citrus, and tropical fruits continue to emphasize the fruity-hop dominance of the ale.

Flavors are full of caramel, butterscotch, honey, and crisp grain as the barley makes a moderate impact on flavor. But what makes it's mark is the hops. Starting citrusy with the taste of grapefruit, freshly zested oranges, and a light mango flavor; the beer also weaves in the slightly woody flavors of white wine, juniper-gin, and sassafras for a truly unique counterpart to the ordinary citrusy-resiny hops. But the resin quality comes into play in finish with a decidedly bitter finish of drying hops, alcohol warmth, and light mint.

Medium bodied, the beer's early creaminess is quickly sheds, in favor of fleeting caramel malts, high hop bitterness, mild grassy astringency, and sappy closure. Only a linger of grapefruit bitterness reminds me of how dry the beer is and encourages a quick visit to the glass, much sooner than it should.

Although the beer has a lot of classic and intelligent characteristics that set it apart, the mild buttery taste gives the hoppy ale a rounded and rich taste while the winy hops give extra acidity with a somewhat twiggy taste. Likely considered flaws to some, the moderate tones of these properties give the beer more intrigue and seduction than they do deterrents.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 06:24:15 | More by BEERchitect

drabmuh

Maryland

4.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a bottle into a conic pint glass. Beer is yellow and has high haze. Thick white foamy head, tiny bubbles, high lacing, carbonation moderate. Not feeling the haze but otherwise it looks great.

Aroma is sweet sweet pine hops. Sweet.

Flavor is really complex. First impressions, pine, bitter, sweetness, like candy. There is so much going on. First, its really bitter, but there is no aftertaste. The beer is not dry at all, but its not overly wet. The hop flavor is dominated by a pine like flavor. There is some really nice sweetness at the front of the mouth, its really pleasing. There is an odd early flavor early right before the pine emerges. Its the only thing I can criticize about this beer. Its a little sulfury but its overwhelmed and masked quickly by the hop flavors.

Drinkability high. This is one of the best IPAs I've ever had. Its great. Lie cheat and steal to get this one, well don't do any of those things just go buy it (or trade for it like me).

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2009 23:47:08 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.35/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Exiled for sharing this bottle.

Pours a yellow straw color with a white head. The main components of the aroma are rye and peaches with some other fruit as well, a very pleasant and different smelling beer. The flavor is rye, grapefruit and a little bit of bitterness. No real alcohol is detectable. A unique beer with a medium-thin mouthfeel and good carbonation. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2009 19:02:51 | More by Mora2000

MasterSki

Illinois

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

Big thanks to Dave (d0b) for sharing this, and to JesseTheHutt for sending these growlers all the way to Chicago! Served in a pint glass.

A - Two fingers of off-white foam with solid retention and great rings of lacing. Hazed light golden orange color. I'd expect something a little darker from a 7% rye IPA, but otherwise it's pretty good looking stuff.

S - Dank, hoppy, with some tropical notes (but no citrus), and hint of cat pee. I'm glad they just fixed the listing, because this is not an APA. There is a decent amount of toffee malt presence and a very understated hint of rye.

T - More bready malt than toffee, with a rye flavor that slowly builds as the brew warms up. The hop notes are a little less complex with some nice floral and tropical flavors - however the added complexity from the rye balances this out. The aftertaste is pretty clean, with only mild bitterness.

M - This is my main sticking point with some of these Alpine brews - they're very thin. If this had really been an APA I wouldn't have minded so much (although, then the flavor would have been totally out of place), but for a 7% IPA to be a little watery is a little disappointing. Otherwise it's very smooth, soft, and refreshing, with mild carbonation and a fairly clean finish that has only a touch of residual hop resins.

D - The rye flavor builds up bit over a couple of pints, but otherwise this is nearly as drinkable as the incredible Duet. The light carbonation, terrific flavor, and lack of overwhelming bitterness makes this eminently session-worthy.

Alpine is slowly wresting away the IPA title from the other west coast breweries - it'll be interesting to see how Russian River, Ballast Point, and Alesmith respond.

Serving type: growler

05-03-2009 14:23:11 | More by MasterSki

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.1/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I have been waiting to sample a beer made with Nelson Savin since they first hit the market. Lightly hazy, it even has some floaties from the growler, the beer is a light, copper color and it is topped by a ring of wispy, light tan colored froth. The aroma is quite distinct, certainly hoppy, but not as I have ever smelled before. It is quite herbal, with a note reminiscent of garlic chives, some musky hemp notes, and an almost woody grass-like note that can be quite pronounced at times. There is a fruitiness from the hops too, and with all of the herbal focus, it is not too far of a stretch to say this is like Sauvignon Blanc. It even has a touch of cattiness to it as well as notes of unripe grapes, lime and even some grapefruit if you really dig for it.

Very weird flavors here; certainly quite distinct in its hop character. The hops contribute a definite catty note to the flavor that almost leans towards cat litter (though not nearly as bad as that sounds). Strongly herbal hop notes contribute flavors of pine tar, woody-rosemary, oil-laden hemp seed notes, basil and something that is quite, distinctly, reminiscent of a herbaceous flavor that I just can't quite put my finger on, but is so apparent that I can't figure out why I can't put a name to it. The beer is fairly light on the palate, and definitely is perceived as being quite dry. While the herbal notes seem to dominate, there are significant fruit-like flavors contributed by the hops as well; flavors of slightly acidic, under-ripe, green grapes, kefir lime leaf, star-fruit, and a tart citrus character mix in, and somewhat mitigate the herbal notes. As to the malt notes, well this is definitely an IPA, and they only play a supporting role here; just barely noticeable under all of the hop influence. The bitterness is not over the top here; it is at a nice, contributing level though and helps to clean up the finish.

This is certainly a fascinating hop, it is quite different from any other hop variety that I have direct experience with. Very interesting, and very tasty, I definitely could do with more of this beer. I have a feeling though that these flavors would get old if I encountered them at such levels on a more regular basis. The hop character (both the aroma & flavor) is so musky; it is makes me think of the essential oils of a mix of herbs. I am not sure if it quite works in the IPA format, but could definitely see using it in some of the lighter colored Belgian-styled beers. Definitely well worth it though, and I am still quite exited to use this hop in my own brewing.

Serving type: growler

10-10-2007 02:06:58 | More by Gueuzedude

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.75/5  rDev +7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks to Errantnight for this one, cheers Derek!

Pours honey colored with 3 fingers of rocky ivory head. Sheets of lacing hug the glass & impressive head retention too

S: Pineyness, grapefruit & herbal hops

T: Piney & woody hops up front, then grapefruit a touch of biscuitty malt & some dryness. Juicy hops, grapefruit, apricot, & herbal hops all combine nicely as this warms, a long with a faint toffee sweetness/dryness, Finishes dry, spicy & citrussy, much lemons & grapefruit

MF: Creamy, semi-chewy & a touch juicy, superior balance

Great drinkability,, could stay on this all night, or until the well hidden ABV got me... Best beer by these guys I've had... Much to love here!

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2010 01:49:42 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Jason for the generous hookup!

Into a Duvel tulip, it's a murky greyish brown, but orange in the light. A sticky halo sits inside the glass, with a broken skim after a few minutes.

Grassy, herbaceous, and citrusy in the nose. Pungent hops and a hint of rye spiciness. Flavor is similar, intense yet balanced with plenty of malt and rye flavors lending sturdiness under all the hop greenery. A somewhat sweet cereal grain that reminds me of a local hop bomb, Daisy Cutter. Hop bitterness is firm and moderate, carrying long into the dry finish. Body is on the light side of medium with ample carbonation. Easy to drink, Nelson is another West Coast stunner from Alpine...

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2010 22:44:25 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

4.35/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Blue Palms,

A: Pours a vibrant yellow, with a full foamy white head which leaves generous lace.

S: Notes of rye, sweet malt, grapefruit and pineapple.

T: Rye is clearly evident with a spicy undercurrent which works well with almost herbal and at times and citrus notes of the hops. There's like a tropical fruit salad, orange, sweet wine, lemon, mango, very interesting.

M: Smooth, creamy, lots of carbonation, medium-bodied.

D: A nice beer from Alpine, a joy to drink, but I wasn't as blown away with it as I was with Duet, but a very good effort nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2009 20:45:54 | More by Halcyondays

akorsak

Pennsylvania

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

Thanks to Deuane for sharing a growler.

A: The IPA is a golden yellow color, radiant while retaining a hazy complexion. I don't have any notes on the head, so it wasn't that memorable. One of the palest rye beers I've seen.

S: Heaven in a glass. The Nelson Sauvin hops are lemony, sharp and and sweet. Surprisingly, they aren't overwhelming, allowing rye bread to share the stage. I can't spend enough time on the aroma, full and intoxicating. The hops are damn-near perfect.

T: The rye is most flavorful at the tail end of each sip, expressing a spicy bread flavor that is restrained. It's there but not in your face. Prior to the rye, the Nelson Sauvin hops run wild, all lemony citrus and herbal. Surprisingly, the hops aren't overdone in the ale. Rather than dominate, they create a moderate flavor burst that showcases then steps aside. That allows the nuance to be more fully enjoyed. Bitterness following the rye accentuates more herbal lemon. A great sipping ale.

M: Balance is the key to this IPA. The hops, while plenty flavorful, don't scorch the palate. The rye is a nice accompaniment.

D: A top notch IPA. The Nelson Sauvin hop should be used in more beers (wishful thinking). A stunning nose and solid body. More, many more, please.

Serving type: growler

04-04-2010 19:47:33 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.63/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clouded apricot hue with a bright white head formin thick and billowing above the head of my new DFH chalice. Lacing is intricate scattered pattern awesome looking clouded murkiness. Aroma is full of punget grapefruit scented hops and wine like aromatics crazy intense experience. Flavor finesses the palate with hop flavors full of fruity earthy honey malt wrapped with a touch of diacetyl, excellent interesting warming honey pine completed expressive and original brew. Mouthfeel is creamy slightly oily with hops, medium to full bodied never heavy or cloying. Carbonation is perfect and natural, with an insane level of drinkability. Solid well made beer from the beginning to the end.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2010 04:25:47 | More by WVbeergeek

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.13/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a slightly hazy golden orange with good carbonation with a promising creamy like white cap, bubbles and moderate lacing. I did spot a little bit of hop oil sticking to the glass

S: Very nice and aromatic. A hefty dose of orchard citrus and tropical fruits; mainly pineapple, mango and orange zest with a light bread, slight pepper and even a touch of honey??

T: Flavorful indeed. The immediate thing I notice is balance. There is a nice breadiness to balance the truckload of hops poured into this. Initially my taste buds get a big passion and tropical fruit blend (kiwi, light pineapple, mango, white grape) with a little green characteristic. Like I would expect a liquid jungle to taste like. The finish is sweet, pretty dry and lighly bitter. Did I say pretty balanced?

M: Medium bodied, sweet, fruity and bready. The rye presents a bigger beer than what you would expect.

O: I can see why this beer is coveted. Also, rye is a love/hate and I seem to find it a difficult task to find one I routinely enjoy so I think mixing rye and Nelson hops together takes balls. Alpine has big balls. Well done but a tad but overrated and hyped. Yeah, i said it.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 11:04:36 | More by barleywinefiend

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to pokesbeerdude for this brew.

22oz. Bomber

Pours a nice slighlty hazy golden yellow color, nice carbonation, HUGE thick creamy/foamy white head, with lots of thick creamy/foamy sticky lacing left behind. The nose is hoppy, with a nice touch of malts, citrusy, with some slight pine notes. The taste is sweet, hoppy, malty, with some citrus/pine notes. Medium body. Drinkable, a pretty tasty IPA. Glad to have had a chance to try it.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 20:15:58 | More by Wasatch

mdfb79

New York

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

From 06/11/11 notes. Big big thanks to Nugganooch
for sending me two fresh bombers of this one; thanks Dane! This has been a Want of mine for years that I just never got around to trading for. Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

a - Pours a somewhat transparent golden color with a slight orange tint, one finger of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation evident. Head lasts for three minutes of so and leaves light lacing on the glass. Looks great.

s - Smells of fresh citrus hops, fruity malts, tropical fruits, light pine hops, oranges. Smells very fresh and fruity; I'm loving the smell.

t - Tastes of citrus hops with a light bit of bitterness, oranges and tangerines, fruity malts, and light pine hops. Very nice taste, but not quite as great as the nose.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Smooth and very easy to drink.

o - Overall a fantastic IPA; another winner from Alpine. Really liking this one, and very glad I have another bottle of it. Well worth the wait.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 02:18:39 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another great Alpine thanks to imperialbeachbrw.

A: A nice fluffy 1.5 finger head rises up and fades semi slowly over teh slightly heazy darker orange reddish brown and golden copper colored beer.

N: I could smell it literally from 3 feet away as I poured it, set it on the table next to me and sat back. Loaded with pine and citrus hops, tons of fresh musty wet hop resinous aromas. Lots of tropical fruit hops aromas, tangerine, some grapefruit, a slight aged hop sweet nougat aroma but still mostly fresh aroma. Almost no malt too.

T: Again bombards with hops. Very juicy hop flavors, citrus and pine dominate. Lots of fresh wet hop resinous piny flavors too. Lots more fruit too, tangerine again, little orange and grapefruit, juicy too. A slight fluffy sweet hop flavor too. A touch of a spicy hop addition too that accentuates the heavy bitterness. The musty wet hop is great. Very slight malt, and some sweetness too.

M: Medium body with decent but a little lower carbonation.

F: Still very bitter, with a slight sweet finish. Lots of juicy hops linger too, lots of musty resinous wet hops too, slightly astringent, looong bitterness, but tolerable. More citrus and pine, earthy and slightly chewy hops. Later burps bring back the tangerine and grapefruit flavors too. A slight grassy and even spicy hop comes through about a minute after the swallow. Very tasty beer., and you are right James, this was better than Pure Hoppiness.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 19:40:08 | More by jlindros

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours a hazy orange gold, topped with a finger of bright-white foamy head. The retention has a nice creamy look to it (and great flare-up as well) leaving behind thick rings of sticky froth. The aroma is floral and spicy, with a ton of bitter grapefruit. This is quickly followed by some white-grape character and doughy grains. Just a great bouquet here.

The taste is bitter with grapefruit juice, citrus rind, and a deep dry spiciness. Once again, I'm also getting some softer bright-tasting fruit flavors, like peaches or grapes, which I'm assuming are coming from the Nelson Sauvin hops. Toasted bready sweetness creeps along the back, with this finishing with even more dryness and earthy bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a big (yet still easy and mellow) creaminess that fills the mouth. Very silky feel here, that just seems to glide down the throat with no sign of alcohol in sight.

Lovers of grapefruit, spice, or just the Nelson hop in particular are going to really dig this. Personally, I felt that it naturally lacked some of the sizzle that this had fresh on draft in San Diego and had a strange "off" taste to it that I couldn't quite pinpoint. This is still damn tasty stuff though and is well worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2010 17:13:39 | More by Kegatron

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle, big thanks to ritzkiss for sharing this one!

Pours a cloudy orange, some amber highlights, huge and fluffy white head forms, settles to a thick ring around the glass, nice layer, looks good.

Smell is neat, white wine/riesling grapes, some floral, pine, grapefruit, bread and wheat in the middle, a bit of caramel sweetness, rye spice, orange zest, really cool hop profile.

Taste is similar, grapefruit up front, riesling again, pine, light citrus, orange peel, some biscuity malt and honey, a touch of rye with a spicy bitter finish, well balanced.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with high carbonation. Carbonation detracts from it a bit but still a pretty swell beer. I need to get me some of those Nelson Sauvins. Thanks Eric!

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2010 16:36:54 | More by Viggo

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pale, hazy golden body. Thin and bubbly cap of ivory white froth. Lacing comes in sporadic thin rings. Aroma brings bright layers of pink grapefruit, lemon zest, MJ, apricot, tangerine, etc... This is one great smelling beer. This IPA has nice balance between bitter and flavor in regards to the hops. Neither overpowers the other. Bitterness is fairly clean and refreshing. Flavor brings a lot of citrus and a little pine too. Not quite as bright and juicy as the aroma led me to believe, but rather, a little rough around the edges, which isn't all bad in an IPA. All of the original suspects are still around to varying degrees....grapefruit, orange, lemon, etc.... This is an interesting IPA and an interesting hop for sure.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2009 04:56:08 | More by Bighuge