Alpha Centauri Binary IPA | Hop Valley Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Hop Valley Brewing Company
Oregon, United States
hopvalleybrewing.com
Style: American Double / Imperial IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 9.00%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
100 IBU
Added by John_M on 07-23-2010
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 294 | Reviews: 62
3.63/5 rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
06/16/2017
10 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
06/16/2017
10 characters
3.46/5 rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 oz bottle. Pours clear light copper gold with a big pillowy white head that retains well and leaves some lacing.
The aroma is sweet bready caramel malt with piney resiny hops and a little fruit.
The flavor is sweet caramel malt with some fruit and lots of bitter resiny hops that are slightly harsh. The mouthfeel is medium to fill bodied with smooth carbonation.
Overall, a fairly well balanced DIPA.
409 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 oz bottle. Pours clear light copper gold with a big pillowy white head that retains well and leaves some lacing.
The aroma is sweet bready caramel malt with piney resiny hops and a little fruit.
The flavor is sweet caramel malt with some fruit and lots of bitter resiny hops that are slightly harsh. The mouthfeel is medium to fill bodied with smooth carbonation.
Overall, a fairly well balanced DIPA.
409 characters
4.05/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.93/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.96/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
If New England IPA gets to be a beer category, NW IPA should be considered one as well, or at least West Coast. As Bridgeport likes to put it: "Where the revolution began." That big, resinous, citrus & pine flavor. This hazy, orange beer definitely resembles that. Along with some spice, and herbal notes. Some bread malt to balance things out. Aroma follows suit. A bit of alcohol vapor. Could be a bit smoother, but nonetheless, always a good bargain for a 22 oz bottle.
479 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
If New England IPA gets to be a beer category, NW IPA should be considered one as well, or at least West Coast. As Bridgeport likes to put it: "Where the revolution began." That big, resinous, citrus & pine flavor. This hazy, orange beer definitely resembles that. Along with some spice, and herbal notes. Some bread malt to balance things out. Aroma follows suit. A bit of alcohol vapor. Could be a bit smoother, but nonetheless, always a good bargain for a 22 oz bottle.
479 characters
3.96/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.75/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.1/5 rDev -22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Alpha Centauri reminds me of what a double IPA wants to be like, without actually being it. It has accents of quality but lacks anything significant to define it as unique. It is a quality beverage for the price, and definitely worth drinking if available, but does not stand out among the other double IPA's on the market (i.e. it would not stand out in a line-up).
Look: A strong amber color, that is clear but a little bit too bubbly.
Smell: Hoppy, but not very strong, a slight hint of citrus.
Taste: Balanced, but not distinct, carries a typical hoppy experience that is a little bitter at the finish.
Feel: FIzzy, did not sit well on the tongue at first taste, but was tolerable overall.
Overall: Worth a try, but not recommended as one to keep on hand
761 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Alpha Centauri reminds me of what a double IPA wants to be like, without actually being it. It has accents of quality but lacks anything significant to define it as unique. It is a quality beverage for the price, and definitely worth drinking if available, but does not stand out among the other double IPA's on the market (i.e. it would not stand out in a line-up).
Look: A strong amber color, that is clear but a little bit too bubbly.
Smell: Hoppy, but not very strong, a slight hint of citrus.
Taste: Balanced, but not distinct, carries a typical hoppy experience that is a little bitter at the finish.
Feel: FIzzy, did not sit well on the tongue at first taste, but was tolerable overall.
Overall: Worth a try, but not recommended as one to keep on hand
761 characters
4.16/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Small wispy head leaves behind lacing after each drink. Smells tropical. Taste is very hop forward as you woulf expect. Tropical notes through and a bitterness that lingers on the palate. A solid beer.
201 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Small wispy head leaves behind lacing after each drink. Smells tropical. Taste is very hop forward as you woulf expect. Tropical notes through and a bitterness that lingers on the palate. A solid beer.
201 characters
4.21/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Maybe I'm a little biased since I got this on vacation to Portland but I know Oregon is hop central of the US and I mean bitter tasty hops. So that's what I expected when I picked this up and that's what it delivered. That's your regional flavor entirely and if you like NW US hops this is your beer. I usually favor the milder DIPA types but expecting a piney bitter brew this nailed it. Just wish I could pick it up in Houston...
435 characters
look: 5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Maybe I'm a little biased since I got this on vacation to Portland but I know Oregon is hop central of the US and I mean bitter tasty hops. So that's what I expected when I picked this up and that's what it delivered. That's your regional flavor entirely and if you like NW US hops this is your beer. I usually favor the milder DIPA types but expecting a piney bitter brew this nailed it. Just wish I could pick it up in Houston...
435 characters
3.53/5 rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks Adam. Orange body with a bone white, foamy head. Aromas of grain, hops, earthy malts. Some herbal tones in the flavor along with resinous pine. What I describe as a balanced IPA. Medium bodied with medium high bitterness. Lingering grainy notes, resinous hops, and mild warming alcohol. Ok.
298 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks Adam. Orange body with a bone white, foamy head. Aromas of grain, hops, earthy malts. Some herbal tones in the flavor along with resinous pine. What I describe as a balanced IPA. Medium bodied with medium high bitterness. Lingering grainy notes, resinous hops, and mild warming alcohol. Ok.
298 characters
3.34/5 rDev -16.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Rating from notes taken Zwanze Day 2014:
B- / WORTHY
53 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Rating from notes taken Zwanze Day 2014:
B- / WORTHY
53 characters
4.12/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Hop Valley Brewing Company’s Alpha Centauri
I sampled this at my neighborhood Albertson’s, and said “I hasta have!”
Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a big ol’ Kirin mug. A nice head formed, about a finger and a half, which slowly degraded to an uneven foamy surface with different sizes of bubbles, very nice! Tendrils of foam clung to the glass as the foam subsided. I thought the bar to be hazy, but it was very cold, and the mug was just frosty, the brew was clear, and a nice light amber color. The head persisted, nice and dense, about a quarter of an inch, after several minutes. The smell… hops(!), and a little citrus, not a huge aroma, to my surprise.
The first sip said Imperial IPA in your face, and on your tongue, buddy! I could taste every one of those 100 bitterness units. Puckered the roof of my mouth! The flavor reminds me of when I chew a leaf of yarrow or sagebrush. Are there turpenes in hops? Yes there are! And there was a bit of what I decided was carambola fruit. All of this hid the 9% alcohol very well.
So I sipped, and sipped, and refilled from the bottle, and sipped. Actually, I should say I’m sipping. I sip, and then inhale through my partially closed mouth, and there is not as much aromatics going on as some beers I have had, with a minty cool like effect, but I can feel the hop oils coating my mouth. As far as maltiness is concerned, my taste buds are not as attenuated to that.
There is no lacing on the mug, curiously, as there is still a foamy, almost scummy head. Have you ever gone hiking by a stream, and noticed a scummy foam hanging out along the bank, trapped by sticks and rocks and grasses? No? Too bad, but like that. Now I do detect that aromatic, almost minty feel when I suck air into my mouth, a bit. I also feel a bit tipsy. Listening to the Beatle’s “Girl” from Help helps. Another sip, another Hop Bomb! Yum! I shake the last dribble from the bottle into the glass.
I notice that there is a patch of lacing at the back of the glass, with bands indicating my sips, and I wonder if I smoked something, but maybe it is just my dishwasher messing with me. Note to self- hand wash beer mugs, please.
The hop sensation has worked itself all around and under my tongue, very nice. The Kinks’ “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” is playing on the radio, and this beer could sing this song, if it could sing. I can relate!
Did I mention mouthfeel? Here goes: Nice mouthfeel, kind of thick, maybe due to the oils in the hops.
That’s all folks!
2,517 characters
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Hop Valley Brewing Company’s Alpha Centauri
I sampled this at my neighborhood Albertson’s, and said “I hasta have!”
Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a big ol’ Kirin mug. A nice head formed, about a finger and a half, which slowly degraded to an uneven foamy surface with different sizes of bubbles, very nice! Tendrils of foam clung to the glass as the foam subsided. I thought the bar to be hazy, but it was very cold, and the mug was just frosty, the brew was clear, and a nice light amber color. The head persisted, nice and dense, about a quarter of an inch, after several minutes. The smell… hops(!), and a little citrus, not a huge aroma, to my surprise.
The first sip said Imperial IPA in your face, and on your tongue, buddy! I could taste every one of those 100 bitterness units. Puckered the roof of my mouth! The flavor reminds me of when I chew a leaf of yarrow or sagebrush. Are there turpenes in hops? Yes there are! And there was a bit of what I decided was carambola fruit. All of this hid the 9% alcohol very well.
So I sipped, and sipped, and refilled from the bottle, and sipped. Actually, I should say I’m sipping. I sip, and then inhale through my partially closed mouth, and there is not as much aromatics going on as some beers I have had, with a minty cool like effect, but I can feel the hop oils coating my mouth. As far as maltiness is concerned, my taste buds are not as attenuated to that.
There is no lacing on the mug, curiously, as there is still a foamy, almost scummy head. Have you ever gone hiking by a stream, and noticed a scummy foam hanging out along the bank, trapped by sticks and rocks and grasses? No? Too bad, but like that. Now I do detect that aromatic, almost minty feel when I suck air into my mouth, a bit. I also feel a bit tipsy. Listening to the Beatle’s “Girl” from Help helps. Another sip, another Hop Bomb! Yum! I shake the last dribble from the bottle into the glass.
I notice that there is a patch of lacing at the back of the glass, with bands indicating my sips, and I wonder if I smoked something, but maybe it is just my dishwasher messing with me. Note to self- hand wash beer mugs, please.
The hop sensation has worked itself all around and under my tongue, very nice. The Kinks’ “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” is playing on the radio, and this beer could sing this song, if it could sing. I can relate!
Did I mention mouthfeel? Here goes: Nice mouthfeel, kind of thick, maybe due to the oils in the hops.
That’s all folks!
2,517 characters
3.61/5 rDev -10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
Good beer but a little too much citrus for my taste.
52 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
Good beer but a little too much citrus for my taste.
52 characters
3.75/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.38/5 rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
3.79/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.69/5 rDev -8.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
On tap at the brewpub in Eugene, Oregon.
Medium amber with excellent clarity and a very good head. Some sticky lacing is left on the glass.
Nicely flavored, this is a relatively mild and easy drinking DIPA, with limited bitterness and partially hidden alcohol.
261 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
On tap at the brewpub in Eugene, Oregon.
Medium amber with excellent clarity and a very good head. Some sticky lacing is left on the glass.
Nicely flavored, this is a relatively mild and easy drinking DIPA, with limited bitterness and partially hidden alcohol.
261 characters
Alpha Centauri Binary IPA from Hop Valley Brewing Company
4.02
out of 5
based on 294 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3