BoozeReviews.net

With the revamped Boozereviews site up and running, I felt compelled to do my part and post some new reviews. The plan was as follows: Load myself, my brother, and one of our best drinking buddies up in the minivan (chauffeured by my wife) with our destination being Obrien’s Pub in San Diego for the first ever Ultimate Hoppiness Night. Quick background: Obrien’s is San Diego’s ultimate and most famous beer bar, and Ultimate Hoppiness Night is Obrien’s homage to local Alpine Beer Company. To make a long story short, I had hoped to make my first contribution to the new Boozereviews site a comprehensive review of the following six Alpine Brews: Alpine Ale Pale Ale, Duet IPA, Nelson Rye IPA, Pure Hoppiness San Diego (double) IPA, Bad Boy San Diego (double) IPA, and Exponential Hoppiness San Diego (double) IPA. I encountered a small problem along the way: all persons in my party ended up too inebriated after three (yes, it only took three) beers to speak coherently, let alone take notes or discuss intelligently. Following a cab ride back to my brother’s house and a little more substance abuse, it was next to impossible to even list the beers that the three of us had consumed. As I am not condoning this act of irresponsible over-consumption, I will spare any further details. The following is my limited recollection of a few of the beers.

For the hopheads out there Alpine Duet IPA (6.75% ABV) is the ultimate session beer. I could drink it every day… As the name suggests, the beer presents a perfect harmony between Simcoe and Amarillo hops. Duet is adequately bitter/tangy with the perfect amount of malt concealed behind the hoppy goodness. Amazingly light on its feet. If only Alpine Beer Co would bottle this gem…

The Alpine Nelson Rye IPA (7.2% ABV, from cask) was a unique and scrumptious tasting experience. The beer is made with 18% rye. The only descriptor I can think to use is “citrusy creaminess,” a taste sensation I chalk up to the use of rye and New Zealand hops. In no way is the rye component overwhelming or distracting, as I have experienced in other rye beers. Highly recommended, I am still kicking myself for not making it to the brewery for a growler fill.

The Alpine Bad Boy IPA (9% ABV) is a beast of a beer. For those of you that have had these beers, the fact that this one comes across to this reviewer as heavy handed on the malt spectrum may serve as a data point for palate calibration. Don’t get me wrong, there are ample (understatement!) hops, but lately anything that tends toward molasses or syrupy sweetness is too much. Still eminently drinkable…

The Alpine Exponential Hoppiness IPA (10.5% ABV) is the most aromatically exciting beer I have ever encountered. Pine, grass (not that kind), and citrus (WTF is this, one of those overblown wine reviews?) aromas… I have to say this beer manages to avoid the sweetness typical of many beers with high ABV. Doesn’t have the malty sweetness of the Bad Boy, possibly due to the abundance of piny, grassy, resiny hop flavors that nearly turn your mouth inside out. As advertised, a dangerous beer.

An attempt to score these brews would be based on a nebulous (at best) recollection of the evening and would be a disservice to readers (assuming there are any). Alpine Beer Co. is toward the top of my list of beer producers (No regional bias here), especially considering the quality and excitement across the spectrum. That’s it, not quite the six reviews intended. Any other recollections were lost in translation. I pledge to do better next time…

(8 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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