Keene Idea - Alpine Beer Company

kojevergas

California

4.13/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on-draught into a pilsner glass at Alpine's pub in Alpine. Expectations were extremely high; I love Alpine. Reviewed from notes. I don't recall the cost. Whatever it was, it was worth it.

A: Pours a half finger head of off-white colour, somewhat thin but of fair cream. Retention is average. Body colour is a vibrant understated copper. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Citrus, floral hops, a hint of hop bitterness, some pine, and pale malts. Evocative and inviting.

T: Heavy hop flavours. Very balanced; no hop bitterness comes through at all. Oily hops. Grapefruit. Hints of pine. Biscuity floral hops - amarillo? Crisp citrus. Floral notes. Pale malts. Very complex; has real depth of flavour. Dank. Clean and very enjoyable. The balance is masterful. Still, it's not as complex or subtle as I remember Exponential Hoppiness being.

Mf: Perfect dryness and smoothness for the style, coaxing out the flavours. Ideal carbonation and thickness. Not as luscious as some other great beers in the style. Buttery on the finish. Refreshing and custom-tailored to the flavour profile.

Dr: Extremely drinkable for the style and well hidden ABV. I could down this one all night. Really tasty, but perhaps not Alpine's best IPA. Slides down real easy. I love it. Another home run IPA from Alpine.

A-

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2013 22:54:36 | More by kojevergas

rand

California

4.93/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

From cask to pint

A: cloudy yellow-orange in appearance; frothy, sudsy head that never fully recedes. Lacing everywhere.

S: Grassy, boozy, citrus-y, piny. The nose is less tropical than its little brother, but there's a buttery tone with a tropical edge. Nose is more subdued than expected.

T: Guava and orange flavors up-front - distinctively 'Nelson'. Flavor profile is a lot more layered than the nose, with sweet, bready malts bouncing off various citrus notes. Smooth and creamy throughout; by the short finish it's more sweet than bitter.

M: Probably the creamiest, most frothy IPA I've had on cask. I'm pretty shocked at how carbonated this is, might as well have been on tap.

One of the best brews I've had. Touches all of the hidden corners of the palate while still dropping huge hop character. And the amount of carbonation this has is incredible - puts to bed the notion that IPA's shouldn't be served from a cask.

Serving type: cask

01-03-2013 02:35:01 | More by rand

OTB

California

4/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Finally getting around to my notes on this taken from my lunch at Alpine right before the holiday's. The beer pours a beautiful light copper with a thin head of beady white foam. The nose is the tell tale Nelson Sauvin hop profile meshed with sweet malty bisquits and the funkiness from the hop bill. For me this is a different beer than the last effort that was either called T-25, Double Nelson or whatever you wanted to call it. This seems a bit hotter, the booze is evident here, its bitter as it should be but almost in an unfinished clunky way that isn't as seamless as the last time I had it. The mouth is fine if not a bit hot but its a joy to drink none the less. I still prefer the regular bottling of Nelson to the more amped up version.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2012 01:53:47 | More by OTB

jdhende

Illinois

4.9/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Got a growler from ThaFATkid on Christmas Eve. Thanks Brandon you're the man.

A: A very nice crisp golden orange with a half finger to a finger white head.

S: Extremely dank on the nose with nice orange and grapefruit zests.

T: Probably too drinkable for it's own good. This went down like a breeze. Tons of fragrant tropical fruits & hops with a slight malt backbone. Just the right amount of bitterness to make this a truly well balanced beer.

M: Medium carbonation. Very crisp on the tongue.

O: What a special treat. Living in Chicago I have only had the chance to try Alpine on a few occasions. Having a chance to have this on draft was one of my better beer moments of the year. If you have a chance seek this out immediately. Up there as one of the better double IPA's I have ever had.

Serving type: growler

12-28-2012 03:12:02 | More by jdhende

beagle75

Iowa

3.4/5  rDev -27.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Draft service into a shaker pint glass at the Alpine pub.

A: Slightly hazy, orange-golden color with less than one finger of white foam head. Moderate lacing remains on the glass.

S: Very intense at first, with a juicy combination of mixed citrus and tropical fruits. No alcohol is detected.

T: Begins dry, with an early burst of acidic and fruity hop aromatics followed by refined pale malt. Sweetness picks up into the middle where malt loses all semblance of graininess, instead becoming doughy and comparable to a powdered sugar that is heavy on the cornstarch. Flavors are simplistic into the finish where bitterness is more intense than the typical Alpine pale ale. No alcohol is detected.

M: Medium viscosity, slightly acidic yet a little lifeless on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: While this beer leaves little doubt that it was born in an Alpine fermentation vessel, with a smell that simply oozes nelson hops, it also seems unfinished. Malt qualities are not polished here; base malt is cloying instead of showing off influences from rye or other specialty grains. It may be overrated here due to its ephemeral existence, but it is not the best showcase of Alpine's majestic beers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2012 21:50:07 | More by beagle75

Nugganooch

California

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

On tap at O’Briens
12/20/12

*2nd release – stoked to catch this still on the day after.

A: Goldenrod body with some orange tones and a smidge of haze. Just enough to distort the appearance of your hand when peering through the glass. Thin lid of paper white foam with some slow rising bubbles. Sticky dots and ribbons of lace.

S: A fantastic floral nose bright with mango and peach notes. Big on the pineapple juice, with some passion fruit and just a suggestion of white wine in there. Smell is pretty killer. Not as heavy on the Nelsons it seems but all fruity and tropical hops.

T: Expressively hoppy flavors of melon, pineapple, and grapefruit. Lesser doses of white wine grape and green berries. There is real nice trailer of herbal weed stems as the pucker hits from an upper moderate bitterness on the palate. Has a perfect balance of sugars with minimal malt character and just a soft caramel kiss to it. Creeper alcohol warmth is well disguised at first. A fantastically hoppy DIPA. Not quite the Double Nelson I was hoping for but definitely tasty.

M: Medium to lighter body with an overall wetness to the beer. Although there is a bit of a crisp drying lift towards the finish. Sappy lingering hop oils with a slight bitter constricting feel.

D: Another hoppy homerun from Alpine. This did not make me think of a Double Nelson but it is delicious in its own right. Flavors are fruit forward with a more restrained white wine note. I do love the Nelson and wasn’t totally mind blown here but still very happy with the outcome. Profile of this batch comes together more like an uber fresh Sculpin or what the guys down at Societe are doing. Balance is superb however and I think I would even prefer this over Enjoy By.

Great beer hope to see this become a regular.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2012 19:04:25 | More by Nugganooch

ThaFATkid

California

4.58/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Was Fortunate enough to be in town for this release. Had it on tap at there pub on and got a growler for a lucky trader. So this review is from my notes that I took while.

A- Nice orangish white somewhat cloudy body with a little bit of a white head.

S- Hoppy sweet citrus, some honey, mango, pineapple, hoppy weed mixed with a little bit of malty sweetness.

T- Double Nelson fits this perfect this needs to be bottled! With that said first off theres a fruity hoppy honey citrus sweetness that first comes to mind and as the beer warms up the better it tastes. Not too hoppy not to sweet and not bitter a well balanced beer.

M- Smooth Medium and pleasant.

Overall- Like I mentioned earlier this was from my notes and thats what I wrote while drinking it and even now I wish that they would bottle it or have it on tap more. I hope to be able to try this again to compare my notes. Drink Alpine or Go to Bed!

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2012 05:51:02 | More by ThaFATkid

warnerry

Michigan

4.48/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Alpine

A - Pours a bright orange/brown with very little head. Slightly hazy.

S - Large citrus aroma with a bit of weed thrown in. In addition to the citrus, quite a bit of mango in the aroma.

T - A little sweeter than I thought it would be from the aroma. Hops still predominate, and the sweetness is actually complimentary in this case, even for an IPA. Like the aroma, lots of citrus and mango in the taste. Just enough malt base to provide balance. Very smooth and tasty.

M - very smooth mouthfeel. Just a touch of alcohol burn, but very minor. Nice bitterness, though the finish is pretty clean.

O - Haven't had Nelson in a while, so I can't compare directly, but this is very nice. Would love to have again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2012 22:19:41 | More by warnerry

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to Mike T for sharing a growler of this at Dyan’s going away tasting. Served in a goblet. Pours a nice, clear orange color with a lasting white head. The nose has delicious resinous hops. A bit dank and heavy rind. A bit of malt and alcohol, but mostly all hops. Medium body. Quite bitter. Really an excellent double IPA and one I hope they make again...soon. At the same time, if you can’t get your hands on it, I honestly didn’t think it was THAT much different than super-fresh Nelson.

Serving type: growler

12-16-2012 19:40:40 | More by Thorpe429

pmarlowe

California

3.2/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

On cask at O'Brien's. Apparently the last of batch 1. Tall, thin 10oz glass.

A: Pours a murky straw color, with a thin ring of off white head. Poor retention and no lacing.

S: Some pale malt and a honey-like aroma, a little fruit (tropical and citrus) and spice, but overall very tame. I had to struggle to catch a whiff of anything.

T: Some fruity hop characteristics and rye malt. Ugh, the flatness is destroying the taste for me.

M: Flat, medium body. If I were an optimist I would point out that this hides the high ABV exceptionally well. But I'm not particularly.

O: A flat, less hoppy version of Nelson. Just not very enjoyable. A big disappointment, esp. since Nelson is one of my favorites. The cask did not do this beer any favors, unfortunately, but my fingers are crossed that they'll brew this again.

Serving type: cask

09-08-2012 04:01:51 | More by pmarlowe

Arbitrator

California

4.88/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

From the T25 anniversary party. I had several pints of this.

A: Pours a clear, golden-peach color capped with a finger of off-white head. Great retention with lace streaking down the sides of the glass during the drink.

S: Citrus -- a tropical smorgasbord of mango, pineapple, and papaya -- followed by weed and finishing with a spicy element. Initially, I assumed the spice was just the rye bill amped up, but during my second glass, an image of onions came to my mind, and I couldn't shake it thereafter. I don't like onions in beer; that being said, it is a mild presence here and not a deal-breaker.

T: As above, the predominant character is citrus (mango, white grapes, pineapple); the tropical element resonates very well with my taste buds. But that's arguably par for the course now with West Coast IPAs; even the weed presence is starting to become more commonplace. What sets this beer apart for me is a grassy, herbal undercurrent (Masterski claimed "chives," which I'm not totally sure I can place, but I can see why he said it). The rye spice is another nice touch, and it is amplified above standard Nelson. It works nicely with that onion character I noted in the aroma.

M: Medium-bodied. This hides the ABV very well for nearly 9%, and what's more impressive is that the body doesn't need to be syrupy to do it. I usually find that 10% beers and up have a bigger, maltier body than their lighter offerings, presumably to hide the alcohol better. This is at the point where the crossover from dry body to malty body must begin, yet it manages to stay relatively light and drinkable.

O: This was the hit of the day for me. It's pretty unusual for me to put down 3 pints of a 9% beer in a single sitting; this is one of the few beers that truly begged for it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2012 18:44:04 | More by Arbitrator

sendsilk

Florida

4.73/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Received this growler via Bdige, a true stellar trader, thanks Brandon!

Okay, it's no secret to anyone that I trade with, drink with, talk about IPA's with, Alpine Nelson is my favorite IPA out there, with Maine Brewing Lunch and Surly Furious coming in 2nd and 3rd (no particular order).

I received this growler on a Friday, 13 days after it was released(!!). Generally we have a tasting here in Tampa on Wed. or Thursday. I found out this weeks tasting was canceled yesterday (Wed.). Alright, time to go big balls and open it by myself.

I'm thinking "Man, that's a lot of beer to drink myself" than I think a little harder "WTF, pussy? It's like going to Cigar City for a tasting and having 4 pints total." I can ssure you a CCB tasting with our group is WELL over 4 pints total.

SO fuck it, I drink this beautiful golden IPA bitch all on my own. I did share a couple of sips with the wife so maybe I had 60 oz. of it. I WISH IT WAS 128 oz.!!!

Golden delicious, straw colored rye IPA. Nice bubbles and head. Freaking absolutely fantastic IPA, the best that I have ever tasted. I give it a 4.75. I could drink this all day long (theoretically) and am so glad to have been able to try it. FANTASTIC IPA!!!

Serving type: growler

08-31-2012 04:00:11 | More by sendsilk

womencantsail

California

4.58/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks for sharing, Ryan!

Dark orange color with a white head. Enormous citrus aroma. Pineapple, pine, grapefruit, and tangerine. Tropical fruits galore! Flavor is slightly sweet with tons of fruit. Peach, pineapple, melon, mango, grapefruit, and tangerine, just to name a few. Pine bitterness with some floral hops and very minimal malt flavor.

Serving type: growler

08-23-2012 15:30:43 | More by womencantsail

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.58/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks to Mad Mike for sharing a growler of this. I've had good luck with Alpine growlers in the past (shhhh, don't tell them), but fear this sample lost it's edge in transit.

Appearance looks like a beer. Clear, mild amber in color. Sufficient white head with adequate retention and lacing is as expected for style. Bright hoppy nose of resin, lemon, and floral... hops. Soft, medium light body, well carbonated, bitter and juicy finish. Flavor has a light spiciness throughout but is dominated oily, resiny hops; grapefruit, orange and pine. I expected this beer to be a transcendental experience that brought me to tears. Instead, this was a tweaked, optimized version of one of my favorite IPAs, but not quite as good as HF Ann. What a waste.

Serving type: growler

08-23-2012 03:08:17 | More by yourefragile

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.58/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thank you, Mike/Jacob. This one leaked a little bit in transit, but otherwise, seemed in excellent health (great carbonation etc.)

Mostly clear mild amber with a dense, white head with decent retention and some lacing, this smells nice. The nose is excellent. Beautiful hop expression with a big pine, lemon and spicy op character. Dank, resiny and weed-like, these notes whelm the fruity Nelson hop notes.

The palate opens super dank and resiny, with pine and a little bit of rye. The bitterness is big, but clean. Moderately fruity as well, with a mild grape character, but this is just so dank! A little bit of alcohol is present on the finish.Medium light in body with moderate carbonation, this beer is fantastic on the palate. I really hope they rebrew this.

Serving type: growler

08-19-2012 12:26:31 | More by DefenCorps

jrnyc

New York

4.4/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this one in a growler.

I am a huge fan of Nelson. Was thrilled to get to try some of this.

This is an excellent beer, cant stop drinking it.

I have to compare it to regular Nelson. Regular Nelson is more flavor full, given the choice would take regular Nelson.

But this is a great beer for sure. Not the best, but excellent.

Serving type: growler

08-18-2012 21:09:50 | More by jrnyc

dsgolovin

California

4.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A- Pours an amber color with small amount of head and little retention

S- Floral hops, weed

T- Deep resin flavor. Hits you in the back of your nose. So smooth and crushable for nearing 9% and just delicious. I have never had a better DIPA. Move aside Pliny, Heady Topper, Double Sunshine, and yes, even Citra.

M- This is the only knock I can give this beer. I would have liked a little more carbonation for the style. But, don't get me wrong, this is still the best I've had.

O- I don't normally review beers, but had to let Alpine know just how good this beer is so hopefully they'll make it again. Very hard to resist the urge to go to the Toronado and just drink this beer until I can't stand up to leave.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2012 20:52:42 | More by dsgolovin

kayalla

California

4.43/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this one the day after the 25th Anniversary party. Poured into the glass an orange color with a thin head of white. Aroma was big juicy hops, fresh crystalline cannabis buds, orange and lemon peel. Taste was super balanced and a pleasant small explosion of weed like hops and orange. This was so juicy and fresh, dry in the mouth. Better than Elder in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2012 02:12:02 | More by kayalla

jethrodium

California

4.6/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had a couple of these on draft at the Toronado anniversary party. Pours a clear golden amber with a small white head that settles to a ring and leaves some light lacing on the glass. Aroma is quite dank with grapefruit, pineapple, mango and some floral notes present. Just a bit of rye on the nose and no alcohol. The initial taste has a bit of sweetness with pineapple, rye, and mango. There is also a bit of white grape and some dankness. The finish has a decent bitterness and is dry. No alcohol at all. Medium body. Medium carbonation. This was probably the best IPA that I've had. It was easily the best beer at the Toronado anniversary party. Hopefully, they start making it regularly.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2012 21:46:49 | More by jethrodium

MasterSki

Illinois

4.73/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On-tap at Toronado - San Francisco. Numerous pint glasses consumed throughout the anniversary party.

A - Transparent golden body, with white foam that settles to a thin collar leaving minimal lacing. Servers filled the glass to the brim, so it's hard to read on head volume and retention.

S - Great mix of citrus, tropical fruits, dank weed, and a hint of onion. This year's Nelson Sauvin crop seems to be particularly marijuana-heavy. Malt character is fairly restrained for a DIPA - would have pegged this as a regular IPA. No alcohol either, just hoppy goodness.

T - Again, it's a ton of citrus flavor, tropical fruits, white grapes, with a touch of herb and chive. A touch of rye spice comes out mid-palate along with crackery malts to support the intense hop flavors. Alcohol is again entirely absent, and this drinks like a 6-7% IPA.

M - Pleasant carbonation, medium body, dry finish, and plenty of residual oily hop resins. Pretty much what you'd want from a West Coast DIPA.

D - A superb beer - I think I had 4-5 pints. Handily the best beer of the trip and one of the best DIPAs ever brewed. It will be criminal if Alpine doesn't make this semi-regularly.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2012 18:27:08 | More by MasterSki

LegalBrew87

California

4.93/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I had the pleasure of having two pints at the pub and a growler to go.

A: Slightly hazy burnt orange with maybe one finger of off white head. This is definitely darker and more opaque than regular Nelson.

S: WOW. Absolutely fantastic. Huge pine and grapefruit presence as well as the typical sauvinon aromas, i.e., white grape, gooseberry, etc.

T: Basically follows the smell. Massive grapefruit/citrus flavors, tropical fruit, pine. Massively resinous and "sticky." There is some lingering bitterness that lends to the exceptional finish. The alcohol is basically non-existent. Delicious.

M: Slightly on the "syrupy" side for an Alpine beer. Definitely a fuller mouthfeel than standard Nelson.

O: My favorite Alpine beer and possibly favorite beer altogether. This beer is everything you want: huge hop aromas, huge flavor, perfectly balanced bitterness, and outstanding drinkability. I really hope Alpine puts this in their full-time lineup or at least part of their seasonal rotation.

Serving type: growler

08-16-2012 18:12:49 | More by LegalBrew87

notchucknorris

California

4.98/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Pours a glowing apricot color with a thin tan head.

S: Dear God. This smells amazing. A hyper fragrant mix of mango, grapefruit, marijuana, mint and hop resin. Incredible.

T: Somehow, the taste is just as good as the smell. An absolute atomic bomb of citrus hops that somehow has enough of a malt backbone to keep it somewhat balanced. Hints of tropical fruit, a touch of rye and a ton of resin. This may very well be the best IPA I've ever had.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2012 20:47:59 | More by notchucknorris

AgentZero

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Stole the show at Toronado's 25th Anniversary Party.

A - Bright golden color with some orange in there. Not a ton of head on it, but it left some fairly substantial fine-web lacing.

S - Wow, this is a hop explosion. The initial sniff really just blows you away. It's like they crammed 5x the amount of hops into it that goes into a normal DIPA. Some tropical fruit, tons of resin. The hop oils are so strong and prevalent it almost smells buttery. Amazing.

T - Lots of floral and tropical fruit hops, with citrus, bitterness, cat piss, and a bit of onion. Just a touch of malt, but this is hops all the way. Unlike a lot of overly bitter, hop-bombs, this has very rich and distinct flavors, although they are unbelievably powerful. Great stuff.

M - Medium bodied, good carbonation, very oily.

O - Fantastic beer, one of the best DIPAs I've had in a very long time.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2012 19:27:47 | More by AgentZero

bignuke61

California

4.93/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at Toronado SD...

Simply everything about Nelson that is fantastic and then doubled. Pours a hazy orange with a small head. It had none of the lasting bitterness of most DIPAs, it had all (and more) of the tropical citrusy aroma of Nelson and had an amazingly smooth drinkability with all of its fruity hop goodness. The rye lends a nice balance and the alcohol is completely hidden.

I could drink many many many of these but had to stop so I could get home at some point. I could not say the same about other DIPAs (even fantastic ones) that tend to really wear me down after one or two.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2012 04:36:01 | More by bignuke61

Sean9689

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Toronado for T25...I drank several of these.

Pours an hazy orange color, white head, spotty lace. An explosion of citrus with some light resin and rye. Really bold with a ton of bitter hops but still remaining smooth. Taste is big on the hops, yet smooth...tons of citrus and light onion with some rye in there as well.

Really smooth and super-drinkable for approaching 9%...this walks all over Pliny (had them side-by-side) and is basically a upper-echelon DIPA. What else would I expect from Alpine? Way to hit a homer while celebrating the legacy of Toronado. Exceptional.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2012 04:50:56 | More by Sean9689