Duet
Alpine Beer Company

DuetDuet
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From:
Alpine Beer Company
 
California, United States
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #23
ABV:
7%
Score:
96
Ranked #946
Avg:
4.33 | pDev: 7.85%
Reviews:
932
Ratings:
4,571
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 21, 2023
Added:
Dec 31, 2005
Wants:
  820
Gots:
  952
SCORE
96
World-Class
DuetDuet
Notes: A soon-to-be favorite, if it's already not. This single IPA boasts pine, citrus, and cedar notes from Simcoe and Amarillo hops.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of MonDak_Joe1953
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

4.32/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
12oz can. Can bottom is stamped 'BEST BY 04/17/23 BATCH 033B'.
Mostly clear, pale gold colored body. One thick finger of white head, but this retreats quickly to a puffy cap and ring. Leaves behind partial walls of lacing.
Aroma is as advertised with pine, citrus, and a true note of cedar.
Taste has a solid malt base over which hops express flavors of generic citrus and pine. Sweet and woody cedar also. Slight bitterness picks up in the aftertaste.
Medium mouth feel, with a drying aspect. Very good carbonation.
Savors as a classic IPA in the West Coast style.
Feb 21, 2023
Photo of AphidRuin
Reviewed by AphidRuin from Singapore

4.07/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pour deep yellowish-orange with a white head that lingers long. Smells mildly of pine and citrus. Tastes heavily of hops, but delicately balanced with sugar sweetness. Mouthfeel is dry and a tad too bitter. Overall, a beer that should be a IPA standard.
Feb 19, 2023
 
Rated: 3.59 by bruindre from Massachusetts

Feb 08, 2023
 
Rated: 3.85 by Backpacker1 from Georgia

Jan 30, 2023
Photo of AdmiralOzone
Reviewed by AdmiralOzone from Minnesota

4.06/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a cloudy straw yellow with a thick long-lasting white head that leaves generous lacing. Aroma is faint, citrus and pine. Flavor is bolder than the aroma. Feel is medium bodied and could use a bit more carbonation IMO. Overall, a decent enough beer.
Jan 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.39 by LA2ED7

Jan 08, 2023
Photo of JohnniEMc
Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania

3.71/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
This episode involved emptying two twelve ounce cans into a clear glass liter mug. The pours produced an overabundance of white foam on the top of a bright and light amber liquid. This one is about as translucent as any beer with a reasonable color can get. The aroma is mostly of hops, resinous and piney in character. It's not particularly rich. There's much less hop bite to taste than expected. What is there mixes poorly with whatever starch combination was used. There's an unpleasant, almost soapiness to taste until the finish. At least then, the Simcoe hops kick in and provide some clean and dry bitterness. All that foam and no glass lacing bears witness that this is short on body for an alleged IPA. On a positive note, the 7% ABV is nicely delivered. That should complete the compliments.
Jan 03, 2023
 
Rated: 5 by Zoman

Nov 25, 2022
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

3.82/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Pours a hazy, orange-yellow body with a modestly-sized, foamy, white head. Light lacing.

Smell: Pulped citrus supremes, pith powder, stonefruit juices, an unctuous drizzle of pine sap and a grassy herbaceousness.

Taste: Kicks of with a lean, light biscuit-innards maltiness, with things going pretty dry and pretty bitter quickly. Pithy citrus, a charged grassy element and a touch of PNW pine resin rounded everso slightly by pineapple and peach. Staunchly bitter making for a nigh austerely dry, potently bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Overall: Not bad.
Oct 17, 2022
Photo of BalancingBrooms
Reviewed by BalancingBrooms from California

4.03/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Golden orange with chill haze and a one finger white head. Nose is orange, tangerine, and some sugar. Taste follows the nose with a nice bite of grapefruit, orange, and tangerine pith and flesh followed by a short hint of pale malt. Body is light to medium with similar carbonation. Ends with a bitter citrus nuttiness. Overall not a bright as I thought it would be but solid characteristics. Maybe an older can? Cans says best by 12/22/22 and I’m opening it 9/2/22. Not sure how old it is?
Sep 10, 2022
Photo of Brumaster77
Reviewed by Brumaster77 from North Carolina

4.59/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
A well balanced citrusy IPA with a mixture of Pine and cedar notes. Displays a lighter orange color with nice head and nice citrus aromas. From the first sip you can taste the citrus, which was soon followed by the pine. This beer paired well on a warm day and was easily followed by a second. Exactly what I remembered from a west coast IPA.
Jul 25, 2022
 
Rated: 4.34 by gooddaydiablo from Texas

Jul 17, 2022
 
Rated: 4.21 by magic_swaggin from Georgia

Jun 26, 2022
Photo of 3rdwave
Reviewed by 3rdwave from Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Really solid beer. I had this one a few years back - it seems a bit different from what I remember or just what I expected in a West Coast IPA, but really a great beer. I have rounded my 'overall' up since my lower scores are probably more of a personal preference vs. a fault with the beer. I downgraded in the look and feel dept - looking ('hazy') and feeling ('juicy') like a NEIPA is not a positive for me. I was hoping for a crisper feel and clearer look. Nonetheless, I loved the foamy pour, the piney smell, and a real nice level of maltiness that tames the hoppy-ness. There's no doubt I would have this again.
Jun 13, 2022
 
Rated: 4.36 by Orny18 from New York

Apr 15, 2022
Photo of AzfromOz
Reviewed by AzfromOz from Australia

4.38/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Old school West Coast IPA. Piney and bitter with some citrus elements, backed up by a silky, full mouthfeel. Pours a bright coppery orange with a thin, persistent head. It's possibly being overrated here due to the pleasure of drinking an actual West Coast IPA and the sentimentality of a beer style that first introduced me to craft beer (and which I forced down in horror at the hoppy bitterness of it all!).

Cheers
Feb 24, 2022
Photo of ChristianTotten
Reviewed by ChristianTotten

3.7/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Very piney full ipa. Stronger flavor than most. Too much of a piney after taste for my liking. 1 is enough. All around the taste is good strong but the aftertaste is what lessens the score for me. I am a bigger fan of the Nelson and og lemon haze styles.
Feb 23, 2022
 
Rated: 4.14 by Highlonesome1 from Texas

Jan 23, 2022
 
 
Rated: 4.1 by Hawkfish from Washington

Dec 30, 2021
 
Rated: 4.28 by HighwayChile from Kansas

Nov 22, 2021
 
Rated: 4.5 by huckPDX from Oregon

Oct 30, 2021
 
Rated: 4.28 by TheBrewsClues from California

Aug 05, 2021
Photo of bookem
Reviewed by bookem from Virginia

4.56/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Wonderful beer. Piney aroma along with citrus. Also has an earthy vibe to it. Taste pretty much follows the nose. Earthy pine dominates. Medium body and carbonation on the feel. This is an outstanding representation of what I would classify as a West Coast IPA. I use to be able to get this beer at Total Wine in Virginia in bottles. Then it disappeared. Now I can get it only in cans which is better than not at all. It has become my everyday go to session IPA although the cost continues to go up. Still well worth a try.
Jul 25, 2021
Photo of BerkeleyBeerSleuth
Reviewed by BerkeleyBeerSleuth from California

4.37/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Very piney and floral hops with a moderate bitterness. Some tropical fruit and citrus too. Lots of hop character. Finishes clean and with a malty sweetness.
Jul 08, 2021
 
Rated: 3.93 by QuintusHorace from California

May 02, 2021
Photo of Dan2213
Reviewed by Dan2213 from Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Looks beautiful. Golden orange with about one finger of head and solid lacing as it goes down. Smell is pine along with citrus. Also has an earthy vibe to it. Taste pretty much follows the nose. Earthy pine dominates. Medium body and carbonation on the feel. This is an outstanding representation of what I would classify as a West Coast IPA
Apr 25, 2021
Photo of DavetotheB
Reviewed by DavetotheB from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a 12oz can dated 3/5/21 into a weizen glass.

Pours a translucent light amber color with about a finger and a half of white head. Average retention, decent lacing.

Smell isn't overpowering but definitely picking up nice tones of grape, berry, apple and light citrus. Pine and earth linger in the background.

Picking up some grape in the taste but also a decent amount of pine and resiny bitterness.

Slightly thin mouthfeel but sticky. Medium carbonation. Bitter resiny aftertaste.

Overall a really nice WCIPA. Excited to find this freshish (~1 mo) in these parts.
Apr 17, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by carolinabeerguy from North Carolina

Mar 21, 2021
 
Rated: 4.33 by CAcker from California

Mar 20, 2021
 
Rated: 4.19 by TwilightBeerCareer from Illinois

Mar 20, 2021
Photo of RobertB412
Reviewed by RobertB412 from Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz. can (01/06.21) poured into a pint glass with a slightly hazy golden color, quickly receding off white head and minimal lacing. Smells of pine, citrus, grass and some malt. Taste is similar to aroma with grapefruit, pine, earthy hops and malt to balance the bitterness. Medium body with good carbonation and a touch of alcohol. Overall, a good balanced citrus/piney IPA.
Mar 19, 2021
 
Rated: 4.33 by o29 from Texas

Mar 18, 2021
 
Rated: 4.75 by thingman from Alabama

Mar 12, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by hester7 from Texas

Mar 01, 2021
 
Rated: 4.12 by btbcolo from Colorado

Feb 24, 2021
 
Rated: 4.5 by mrmsmith from District of Columbia

Feb 10, 2021
 
Rated: 4.5 by Yungcoolship from Wisconsin

Feb 05, 2021
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
10/31/15:
Beautiful. Gorgeous. Clear, bright golden, lovely chalk white head.

Perfect. Lemon, lime, grapefruit, ...pine and citrus aplenty. Yeah, man.

Taste: yum. All kinds of hop delights. All the best. Mmmm. Lush, luscious, full-on fruity and fantastic. Loads of citrus and touches of tropical. It's so good. It's ....it's wonderful. It's exactly right. Everything is right right now. It's all good.

They know what they're doing out in Alpine, California.

Damn it, this is a good beer and I can drink it. You should, too.

Hey, there's some stuff on the label. Let's read it: "A West Coast IPA that features Amarillo and Simcoe hops "in harmony," giving a bright, floral aroma. Duet is nicely bitter with the perfect amount of malt concealed behind the hoppy goodness. Immensely drinkable, amazingly nimble on it's feet."
Feb 04, 2021
 
Rated: 4.88 by saeh from France

Dec 26, 2020
Duet from Alpine Beer Company
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 4571 ratings