Duet | Alpine Beer Company
Brewed by:
Alpine Beer Company
California, United States
alpinebeerco.com
Style: American IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.00%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
A soon-to-be favorite, if it's already not. This single IPA boasts pine, citrus, and cedar notes from Simcoe and Amarillo hops.
Added by SteveO1231 on 12-31-2005
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 4,451 | Reviews: 900
4.8/5 rDev +10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.54/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.27/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.33/5 rDev -23.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Loved it when I first had it but the last few times I just felt it was boring. Surely a classic but not keeping my interest.
Well-balanced but it’s just a citrus and pine old school west coast IPA. Very good but once again, not my favorite.
244 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Loved it when I first had it but the last few times I just felt it was boring. Surely a classic but not keeping my interest.
Well-balanced but it’s just a citrus and pine old school west coast IPA. Very good but once again, not my favorite.
244 characters
4.68/5 rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
pours with a yellow/golden color; the smell is very citrusy, hops and pine. Taste is wonderful balance of the hops, citrus (grapefruit; tropical fruit); some malts and a bit of hops bitterness at the end. The feel is crisp and clean. Awesome beer.
247 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
pours with a yellow/golden color; the smell is very citrusy, hops and pine. Taste is wonderful balance of the hops, citrus (grapefruit; tropical fruit); some malts and a bit of hops bitterness at the end. The feel is crisp and clean. Awesome beer.
247 characters
4.43/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a hazed copper color with a compact, frothy cap. Simcoe fruitiness mingles with cookie dough malts in the nose. Citrusy, peach, melon hops abound in the taste. A solid, clean pale malt ballast keeps things in check. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a light carbonation. Tons of floral, fruity hops in the everlasting finish.
This is a fantastic, benchmark, super hoppy IPA. Complex, very high bitterness, but easy to drink. A must try.
452 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a hazed copper color with a compact, frothy cap. Simcoe fruitiness mingles with cookie dough malts in the nose. Citrusy, peach, melon hops abound in the taste. A solid, clean pale malt ballast keeps things in check. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a light carbonation. Tons of floral, fruity hops in the everlasting finish.
This is a fantastic, benchmark, super hoppy IPA. Complex, very high bitterness, but easy to drink. A must try.
452 characters
3.88/5 rDev -10.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.23/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Clean citrusy and piney amber ipa. This west coast ale has a certain bitterness. It's crisp and drinkable but the mouthfeel could be improved. Some herbal notes. I was hoping for something a bit more complex
207 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Clean citrusy and piney amber ipa. This west coast ale has a certain bitterness. It's crisp and drinkable but the mouthfeel could be improved. Some herbal notes. I was hoping for something a bit more complex
207 characters
4.37/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This is currently one of my favorite California IPAs. From the first pour, the smell wafts up and darn near makes me salivate thinking about the first sip. For an IPA this is crisp and clean, really nicely hopped, with hints of citrus and pine. The malt which I tend to dislike, is nicely covered by complex flavor. The lacing on the glass, and the finish which lingers perfectly without change makes this a great beer. I have done several blind tastings flights of California IPAs, and it is almost shocking how the Duet makes the following IPAs taste flat and boring (or how I imagine dishwater would taste). At 7% it is right at my sweet spot.
651 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This is currently one of my favorite California IPAs. From the first pour, the smell wafts up and darn near makes me salivate thinking about the first sip. For an IPA this is crisp and clean, really nicely hopped, with hints of citrus and pine. The malt which I tend to dislike, is nicely covered by complex flavor. The lacing on the glass, and the finish which lingers perfectly without change makes this a great beer. I have done several blind tastings flights of California IPAs, and it is almost shocking how the Duet makes the following IPAs taste flat and boring (or how I imagine dishwater would taste). At 7% it is right at my sweet spot.
651 characters
3.85/5 rDev -11.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.28/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
DATE: May 6, 2018... OCCASION: a good weekend comes to a close... GLASSWARE: Maudite snifter... pours a golden body, clear as crystal with reasonable effervescence, and a soapy white head half a finger wide... a promising, clean-looking ale... I like the idea of paring two hops, and in this case, the simcoe's fruity pine and the amarillo's flowery citrus wed in a 50/50 bliss... the first sip is vibrant, lively, and abuzz at the teeth, while its weight anchors the experience as a nice nightcap should... surprisingly, as aromatic as the scent was, the finish is medium-bodied and suggestive of malty strength... if possible, dry, while also leaving a bitter finish better than its 45 IBUs would suggest... orange, lemon, pineapple, lavender, light spiciness, and an effective bitterness that encourages the next sip... a bit of toasted bread balances the profile, and at 7% ABV, strong but pleasant draw... seems like each Alpine offering is as good or better as the last... this one came courtesy of a break pack mix twelve, and lucky me... I would recommend this one and seek it out again, despite the proliferation of iPAs in this golden age of beer...
1,159 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
DATE: May 6, 2018... OCCASION: a good weekend comes to a close... GLASSWARE: Maudite snifter... pours a golden body, clear as crystal with reasonable effervescence, and a soapy white head half a finger wide... a promising, clean-looking ale... I like the idea of paring two hops, and in this case, the simcoe's fruity pine and the amarillo's flowery citrus wed in a 50/50 bliss... the first sip is vibrant, lively, and abuzz at the teeth, while its weight anchors the experience as a nice nightcap should... surprisingly, as aromatic as the scent was, the finish is medium-bodied and suggestive of malty strength... if possible, dry, while also leaving a bitter finish better than its 45 IBUs would suggest... orange, lemon, pineapple, lavender, light spiciness, and an effective bitterness that encourages the next sip... a bit of toasted bread balances the profile, and at 7% ABV, strong but pleasant draw... seems like each Alpine offering is as good or better as the last... this one came courtesy of a break pack mix twelve, and lucky me... I would recommend this one and seek it out again, despite the proliferation of iPAs in this golden age of beer...
1,159 characters
4.13/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.79/5 rDev -12.5%
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
4.13/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.42/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.1/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at Albertsons. Wow. I can see why this rates so highly. Bitter citrus, but not too bitter. Nice orange copper body, minimal head. Silky slippery body, piney citrus nose and flavor. Classic west coast IPA.
211 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at Albertsons. Wow. I can see why this rates so highly. Bitter citrus, but not too bitter. Nice orange copper body, minimal head. Silky slippery body, piney citrus nose and flavor. Classic west coast IPA.
211 characters
3.74/5 rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
4.23/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: A slightly hazy yellow color, with a light white head.
S: Orange zest, tropical fruit, and grapefruit in the aroma, perhaps with a touch of honey.
T: Citrus up front, with tropical fruits, and a touch of resin in the back. Light honey in the finish with perhaps the telltale signature of simcoe, or one of it's variants.
M: Medium light, crisp, and fairly high carbonation.
O: Overall a prettty tasty brew, and while it is excellent, I don't think it quite deserves the high score it currently has.
508 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: A slightly hazy yellow color, with a light white head.
S: Orange zest, tropical fruit, and grapefruit in the aroma, perhaps with a touch of honey.
T: Citrus up front, with tropical fruits, and a touch of resin in the back. Light honey in the finish with perhaps the telltale signature of simcoe, or one of it's variants.
M: Medium light, crisp, and fairly high carbonation.
O: Overall a prettty tasty brew, and while it is excellent, I don't think it quite deserves the high score it currently has.
508 characters
Duet from Alpine Beer Company
Beer rating:
4.33 out of
5 with
4,451 ratings
0 characters. We love reviews! Turn your rating into one with ≥ 150 characters.
In English, explain why you're giving this rating. Your review must discuss the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) and your overall impression in order to indicate that you have legitimately tried the beer. Nonconstructive reviews may be removed without notice and action may be taken on your account.