Willy | Alpine Beer Company
Brewed by:
Alpine Beer Company
California, United States
alpinebeerco.com
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.90%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Willy, named after my brother-in-law’s childhood nickname, is crisp and light-bodied, with a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. The hopping is mild and gentle. It’s perfect for times when you crave a beer utterly refreshing and low in alcohol. A true thirst quencher everyone enjoys.
1.047 OG
4 IBU
Added by BeerAdvocate on 06-21-2003
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 186 | Reviews: 60
Reviews by TrojanRB:
More User Reviews:
3.02/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
2.39/5 rDev -28.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5
look: 2 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5
4/5 rDev +19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Alpine Beer Co. "Willy"
12 fl. oz. can, coded "7 219 2-1048"
$1.99 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ
Notes via stream of consciousness: Crystal clear golden body beneath a finger thick head of white. The aroma offers a hint of sweetish malt, some yeasty fruitiness including apple, and some light hops. It's fairly basic but it's also very clean and welcoming. The flavor follows with more sweetish, wheaty malt, a similar yeasty fruitiness, and roughly the same amount of hops... they're present, but not really clear, and I can't figure out what varieties they might be. So, again, like the aroma it's fairly basic but very good. Looking back the head has dropped to a very thin surface covering and thin collar but the lacing is quite nice with torn sheets of lacing covering most of the glass. It's medium-light in body and gently crisp. Overall there's enough malt there that it's satisfying while at the same time seeming a bit light and refreshing, and there's enough overall character to it between the wheat and the yeasty fruitiness and the grassy hops that it could stay interesting for more than a serving or two. Very nicely done. Superbly balanced and rounded.
1,180 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Alpine Beer Co. "Willy"
12 fl. oz. can, coded "7 219 2-1048"
$1.99 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ
Notes via stream of consciousness: Crystal clear golden body beneath a finger thick head of white. The aroma offers a hint of sweetish malt, some yeasty fruitiness including apple, and some light hops. It's fairly basic but it's also very clean and welcoming. The flavor follows with more sweetish, wheaty malt, a similar yeasty fruitiness, and roughly the same amount of hops... they're present, but not really clear, and I can't figure out what varieties they might be. So, again, like the aroma it's fairly basic but very good. Looking back the head has dropped to a very thin surface covering and thin collar but the lacing is quite nice with torn sheets of lacing covering most of the glass. It's medium-light in body and gently crisp. Overall there's enough malt there that it's satisfying while at the same time seeming a bit light and refreshing, and there's enough overall character to it between the wheat and the yeasty fruitiness and the grassy hops that it could stay interesting for more than a serving or two. Very nicely done. Superbly balanced and rounded.
1,180 characters
3.23/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Bomber from K&L Redwood City. I was so excited to see Alpine there that I just had to buy this one.
All right, time to Free Willy, or as iTunes' idiotic censorship algorithm puts it, Free W***y. Willy comes out of the bottle looking the color of, well, something that came out of a willy: pee. If not for the fact that it had better head retention than the infamous yellow liquid, I would be a little wary of drinking this. The beer is crystal clear and I don't see much to differentiate it from, say, Budweiser.
The aroma is wheaty, grainy, and subtle. Just a little citrus, without much real hop presence.
The flavor is also very simple. Wheaty and grainy with sweet pale malt and lemon. Very mildly sweet and not very bitter - not much of anything really. This is subtle as all hell.
Very smooth on the mouthfeel. Goes down almost like air. Fairly dry mouthfeel with a body on the lighter side.
Overall, well, I guess it's decent for what it is. Session beer? HELL NO! Not a session beer! There are British people who would kill me for claiming that, being >4.000% ABV. It is sessionable, or successionable, though.
1,126 characters
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Bomber from K&L Redwood City. I was so excited to see Alpine there that I just had to buy this one.
All right, time to Free Willy, or as iTunes' idiotic censorship algorithm puts it, Free W***y. Willy comes out of the bottle looking the color of, well, something that came out of a willy: pee. If not for the fact that it had better head retention than the infamous yellow liquid, I would be a little wary of drinking this. The beer is crystal clear and I don't see much to differentiate it from, say, Budweiser.
The aroma is wheaty, grainy, and subtle. Just a little citrus, without much real hop presence.
The flavor is also very simple. Wheaty and grainy with sweet pale malt and lemon. Very mildly sweet and not very bitter - not much of anything really. This is subtle as all hell.
Very smooth on the mouthfeel. Goes down almost like air. Fairly dry mouthfeel with a body on the lighter side.
Overall, well, I guess it's decent for what it is. Session beer? HELL NO! Not a session beer! There are British people who would kill me for claiming that, being >4.000% ABV. It is sessionable, or successionable, though.
1,126 characters
3.57/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured into a pint glass from a growler picked up at the brewery less than a week ago. Pours a clear(unfiltered?) deep straw with a short lived half inch of head. Lacing is likewise light but present, along with a surface ring. Closer to a Kristalweizen in appearance, this beer isn't pretending to foray into the Hefeweizen arena as are many of the style.
Smells of light malt, wheat germ, wet bread dough and a drop of vanilla. I pick up an occasional tiny bit of sour lemony funk. Minor enough that I won't find it if I seek it.
Taste is smooth and crisp with definite wheat on the palate as well as a subtle and light hazelnut in the background. A light sweetness closes with some nondescript fruit flavors. Mouth feel is good as the beer has a light yet decent structure in the finish and a good carbonation. This, along with the light ABV make it quite drinkable, yet not extreme for the style.
A nice non pretentious and subtle ale that likely gets frequented during those hot summer months in Alpine.
1,012 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured into a pint glass from a growler picked up at the brewery less than a week ago. Pours a clear(unfiltered?) deep straw with a short lived half inch of head. Lacing is likewise light but present, along with a surface ring. Closer to a Kristalweizen in appearance, this beer isn't pretending to foray into the Hefeweizen arena as are many of the style.
Smells of light malt, wheat germ, wet bread dough and a drop of vanilla. I pick up an occasional tiny bit of sour lemony funk. Minor enough that I won't find it if I seek it.
Taste is smooth and crisp with definite wheat on the palate as well as a subtle and light hazelnut in the background. A light sweetness closes with some nondescript fruit flavors. Mouth feel is good as the beer has a light yet decent structure in the finish and a good carbonation. This, along with the light ABV make it quite drinkable, yet not extreme for the style.
A nice non pretentious and subtle ale that likely gets frequented during those hot summer months in Alpine.
1,012 characters
3.77/5 rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured into a becher pint glass.
The appearance was a soft yellow transparent color with a finger's worth of quickly dissipating white foamy head. What looks like some rings of bubbly to foamy lace want to form and stick modestly.
The aroma had a soft sweet to bitter citrusy hoppiness rolling all around the front end becoming more so sweet lemon quality as it warmed. Light muffin character coincided with lemon and some grassy whiffs.
The flavor took all of the prior mentioned aromas to play sweetly with a sly bitterness at the end. Some wheatiness started to come out ever so slightly. Mild lemon to sweet wheaty aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was between light and medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt appropriate. Smooth lemon muffin sort of finish.
Overall, it's like drinking a lemon muffin with a little bit of wheat in it, which to me was pretty damn good. I'd have again.
925 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured into a becher pint glass.
The appearance was a soft yellow transparent color with a finger's worth of quickly dissipating white foamy head. What looks like some rings of bubbly to foamy lace want to form and stick modestly.
The aroma had a soft sweet to bitter citrusy hoppiness rolling all around the front end becoming more so sweet lemon quality as it warmed. Light muffin character coincided with lemon and some grassy whiffs.
The flavor took all of the prior mentioned aromas to play sweetly with a sly bitterness at the end. Some wheatiness started to come out ever so slightly. Mild lemon to sweet wheaty aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was between light and medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt appropriate. Smooth lemon muffin sort of finish.
Overall, it's like drinking a lemon muffin with a little bit of wheat in it, which to me was pretty damn good. I'd have again.
925 characters
3.25/5 rDev -3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.32/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
12oz can poured into a pint
Pours a hazy pale straw color with a thin foamy white head that has decent retention. Smells ofntoasted wheat, grains, slightly nutty. Tastes of pasted wheat, sweet malt, toasted nuts & grains. Medium-light body with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel and crisp finish. Nothing fancy, easy drinking and goes down quick
360 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
12oz can poured into a pint
Pours a hazy pale straw color with a thin foamy white head that has decent retention. Smells ofntoasted wheat, grains, slightly nutty. Tastes of pasted wheat, sweet malt, toasted nuts & grains. Medium-light body with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel and crisp finish. Nothing fancy, easy drinking and goes down quick
360 characters
3.75/5 rDev +11.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Some times you find a beer that may not be immensely complex or for that matter it may never win an award, but it delivers a very satisfying and delicious experience. This is one of those beers. The body holds a clean honey complexion while the nose and flavor mirror that. Fresh wheat malt, honey sweetness, a touch of bran or barley and a soft perfumey flower petal meet the nose and palate. The feel is very clean and easy and though it drinks like water it is never watery. Perfect for hot weather or to be a simple sessionable ale.
536 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Some times you find a beer that may not be immensely complex or for that matter it may never win an award, but it delivers a very satisfying and delicious experience. This is one of those beers. The body holds a clean honey complexion while the nose and flavor mirror that. Fresh wheat malt, honey sweetness, a touch of bran or barley and a soft perfumey flower petal meet the nose and palate. The feel is very clean and easy and though it drinks like water it is never watery. Perfect for hot weather or to be a simple sessionable ale.
536 characters
3.53/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
-Can to spiegelau ipa glass.
A: Pristine clarity on a medium orange colored body shows a mid-density of macro-carbonation bubbles building upon a frumpy, lightly dull white head of two fingers. Head retention lasts several good minutes leaving a multiple band lacing down the vessel.
S: The aroma was light in nature, dried lemon peel, a bit of fusels, with freshly baked bread and whole wheat grains. A bit disappointing considering past experience with this brewery.
T: Floral hopping, some honey-lemon hops are wet and thirst quenching along with some sweet grains and orchard notes bring an initial good impression, more in line of expectations from this brewery. The palate is crisp and clean, some yeasty fruitiness that is fresh, with a soft wheaty back-bone. Light citrus and fresh orange citrus notes with a finale of honey-hop spiciness.
M:Light bodied, softly carbonated, slippery texture with a sweet finish off the tongue. Soft delicate honey-hop flower like coating.
O: Overall after a few stumbles to open up (appearance, aroma), the flavor, most notable the clean and smooth polished hopping, brings back some redemption and hope. Alpine has been known to brew some exceptionally smoothly, bitter and flavorful and balanced ipas, however this seems like a entry level, lacking a punch and spectrum of flavors, but still can garnish respect for its clean like brewing nature. Definitely not their strongest offering, there are much better beers to try from them, this sits as a low B overall, and just did not strike my fancy to the tune like their other offerings.
1,591 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
-Can to spiegelau ipa glass.
A: Pristine clarity on a medium orange colored body shows a mid-density of macro-carbonation bubbles building upon a frumpy, lightly dull white head of two fingers. Head retention lasts several good minutes leaving a multiple band lacing down the vessel.
S: The aroma was light in nature, dried lemon peel, a bit of fusels, with freshly baked bread and whole wheat grains. A bit disappointing considering past experience with this brewery.
T: Floral hopping, some honey-lemon hops are wet and thirst quenching along with some sweet grains and orchard notes bring an initial good impression, more in line of expectations from this brewery. The palate is crisp and clean, some yeasty fruitiness that is fresh, with a soft wheaty back-bone. Light citrus and fresh orange citrus notes with a finale of honey-hop spiciness.
M:Light bodied, softly carbonated, slippery texture with a sweet finish off the tongue. Soft delicate honey-hop flower like coating.
O: Overall after a few stumbles to open up (appearance, aroma), the flavor, most notable the clean and smooth polished hopping, brings back some redemption and hope. Alpine has been known to brew some exceptionally smoothly, bitter and flavorful and balanced ipas, however this seems like a entry level, lacking a punch and spectrum of flavors, but still can garnish respect for its clean like brewing nature. Definitely not their strongest offering, there are much better beers to try from them, this sits as a low B overall, and just did not strike my fancy to the tune like their other offerings.
1,591 characters
3.21/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.44/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.19/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Nothing dynamic about this brew. Yeast is the more dominant characteristic of this beer rather then the wheat. Nicely drinkable.
129 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Nothing dynamic about this brew. Yeast is the more dominant characteristic of this beer rather then the wheat. Nicely drinkable.
129 characters
Willy from Alpine Beer Company
Beer rating:
3.35 out of
5 with
186 ratings
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