Alpine Nelson 2017

It's not a single hopped beer. They use nelson and southern cross. The beer is named Nelson after the region in NZ not the hop.

 

There are about 275 acres of Nelson. Compare that to ~5276 acres of Citra.

 

Supposedly, this year, Nelson is not even coming to the US for some distributers due to such a bad crop this year.

 

Correction: Who wants ok beer at craft prices?

I'm just saying that as a beer buyer, we have so many choices now that just ok doesn't really cut it if we can have a better beer, and for maybe even cheaper.

 

Oh that makes perfect sense now. I completely agree. Case in point: Rogue Ales. $13 a six pack for average craft beer.

 

While we're on the topic, There's still some Nelson sitting around at a gas station near me from whenever it was last distributed.

Would this be worth picking up? Not sure I've ever had the hop so I don't know how well it holds up with some age.

 

100% on.

I had Nelson on tap in SF about 5 years ago and a case of bombers driven across country from the original brewery with < 1 week on them at departure around that same time. After that it was the only beer I actually arranged for someone to send me other than PtE. Nelson is still my one and only 5. I did find it a little polarizing--some folks really didn't like it. Those that did found no equal. It was NEIPA before that concept was cool but offered more to me.

We had a keg of Nelson show up at my favorite watering hole about 2-3 mos ago. A shell of the former beer. Uninspiring. I would give it a 4. The bottle versions that made the rare appearances a couple of years ago were the same.

This is a sad example of the magic disappearing with new ownership. VERY SAD.

 

Original Nelson was awesome. Green Flash ruined it. I do wonder though of OG was still around would I like it as much as I did, there is so much awesome local beer in my area now and beer I used to drink a lot is just meh to me now.

 

Count me in as a hater, Toronado SD 2011. My friend next to me loved it. No accounting for individual taste.

 

I had the pleasure of drinking an Alpine Duet that was brewed at the Alpine brewery a few years ago. That beer was excellent!! I have had a number of the Green Flash brewed Duet beers and those beers were not nearly as good.

I have personally stopped drinking beers with the Alpine label.

Cheers!

 

So what about Nelson?

 

Revisiting old beers sometimes leaves me wondering what my initial amazement was but I suspect this one would still resonate with me.

 

not buying it -- if this was the case -- then why didn't GF/Alpine just revert back to making 22 oz bombers in limited qty like they always did? This would have limited their need to no more than historical levels and kept the local beer fans happy. You know -- the SD faithful that turned a tiny (kinda delapitated/dirty) little brewery in a hick little town into CA craft darlings (at least for awhile). I drank plenty of Nelson beers last year from other brewers. This whole "Alpine Nelson" has dissapeared thing has incompetence at its core --- and I'm sure it was exacerbated by the change over in who was planning/procuring for and brewing this once iconic beer once the ownership changed hands. A Harvard Business School worthy case study in brand suicide (or brand management incompetence). The whole management team should have to take a walk of shame (maybe North Park? ....or perhaps OB along the beach?) and let craft fans throw rotting spent grain at them -- kinda like Cersei Lannister in GoT when the High Sparrow roasted her. Shame...Shame....Shame!

 

Believe whatever you want. I got my information from a very reliable source at Alpine. The buyout had nothing to do with it. As I said, the beer has continued to be released every few months, because there are still Nelson hops available, just not the levels needed for Green Flash to distribute that beer in all 50 states. Sorry if you are butt-hurt that it isn't in package currently and want to go all conspiracy theory on the situation, but there are many great beers that are draft only, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Pat and his son are working VERY closely with Green Flash and are still heavily involved in the production of their beers at both facilities.

 

Fine.

Hop shortage or not, this beer is not close to the original. And I am certainly not one of those "you should have had it then" folks.

There were some old postings from GF themselves a couple of years ago--was either face book or a press release and I am not sure-- how they had "Duet nearly dialed in and working on Nelson" so even then, it was clear that reproducing it on the larger scale was not where they knew it should be. I will admit the Duet initially was fairly decent and close.

The other sad thing is the age of the beer on shelves. Locally, the same date code has been delivered by the distributor for 6 mos (Windows Up)---that is poor management on the distributors part but likely reflective of poor sales as well.

Sad--for something with potential to be so great.

 

I watched the below video a year or so ago where this guy does a side-by-side taste test of two Alpine Nelson beers: one brewed at the Alpine brewery and the other by Green Flash. Granted this video was done about 2 years ago but I think it is still a worthwhile view.

Cheers!

 

The hype is real. Alpine has always tried to make it seem like their is a shortage of nelson hops. Maybe there is. Nelson is a top notch beer but Alpine has quite a few other offering that are just as good or better. I love Nelson but if they dont have it at the tasting room its no big deal. They usually have not Nelson or something else better anyway.

 

Thx for the link Jack. Wow - over the top mellow dramatic assessment of the Nelson situation w/GF-- do love the passion. I consider myself butt-sore over the demise of this icon -- but this dude is full on butt-hurt. I traded for a shit ton of the beer in 2013/14 and made the pilgrimage to Alpine in the fall of 2014. One of a kind for sure - hope GF/Alpine get their shit together and restore some dignity. Meanwhile - I've got DDH Stillings St here in Boston to tide me over. Thank goodness JC remembered to order his hops last year...

 

Scott, let me know if you think they ever get there.

At this point in time I have stopped buying Alpine labeled beers: lesser quality and high prices equates to no sale for me.

Cheers!