Alpine Beer Company Exponential Hoppiness

5-batch vertical on tap at O’Brien’s in San Diego: 5/07, 12/07, 2/08, 8/08, 4/09. Slightly hazy but mostly clear golden color with a small creamy white head and good lacing on the older vintages. Fresh rough citrus hop aroma with some sweet malt. Flavor is a little sweet pale malt and sugar along with loads of fresh citrusy hops. Older versions have some sour apple and a mild brett-like tartness - interesting and barleywine-like. This beer is best either fresh or about 2 years aged, not as good in between. Great rough hoppy palate with medium body. Feels like you just sucked on a fresh hop cone. Overall this is pretty awesome.

Sampled at the ’09 RBPTE, courtesy of Beerman6686. Heavy floral nose, with resin, grapefruit and peach. Average malt sweetness. Amber-orange hazy body with creamy off-white lacing, lasting head. Medium body, sticky, with medium carbonation. Bitter throughout with long lasting moderate sweetness. Fresh, grassy. A nice IIPA.

So I went to Pizza Port Carlsbad planning to log my official 100th ratebeer rating... I saw this up on the board and had to get a pint. Pale amber pour with a thin white head. Beautiful aroma of fresh cut grass, pine needles, and freshly broken citrus rind. The mouthfeel of this brew is awesome. Pleasant hop bite but smooth malty feel. This is probably the freshest tasting hops that I’ve ever had. Juicy pine and citrus flood the palate followed by steady flow of caramel and orange. Best IPA to date and a pleasant surprise for rating #100. Well done Alpine.

This deserves its following. Tap at Pizza Port Carlsbad. Nose is full of flora, oranges, roots, malt and white pepper, but mostly oranges. Color is a nice enough orange with a nice enough head. Flavor is that bolstered citrus with an indelible thick creaminess and a nice entrance of Red Ale malts. Finishes sweet, hoppy and long. Fucking fantastic DIPA. I said at the time that I imagine this is what Frank tasted like.

Much thanks to Maltomeal for sharing this. Aroma of very fresh nops, pine, and mandarin oranges. Pours a pale lager color with a thick frothy head. Flavor is tropical fruits (papaya/mango) with flowers. Full, rich, creamy body with a soft bitter finish. Outstanding IPA on many levels. Thanks Bill!

Sampled from a growler at the Pittsburgh Ratebeer gathering this beer poured a vibrant yellow-golden color with a large white head. The aroma was sweet, fruity, floral and had lingering grapefruit. The flavor was tangy and sweet with a strong grapefruit presence, moderate pine and very little else going on. No attempt at all for malt balance. Long finish and fairly full in body. Completely dominated by the hop but in a good way. Very nice.

On tap at Toronado SD. Nice amber with white head. Big light fruit sweetness on the nose, brighter than the hops. Taste is sweet, mango and melons, citrus sharp, and piny hops. More complex flavor than Obriens. There was a caramel, brown sugar, vanilla smoothness to it as well, kinda creaminess, but very subtle, and very hidden behind the light fruit sweetness. Yummy.

Had this one at the RB Pittsburgh tasting. Very reserved scent for the hop bomb that was to ensue. Extremely nice pour with a decent head, gold/yellow liquid. Flavor..hmm, how do I put this. There is maybe a hop or two in there. Are you a fan of the style? This is where it is at.