Alpino
Oxbow Brewing Company in Newcastle, Maine, United States 🇺🇸
Lager - Imperial Pils Rotating|
Score
6.60
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Alpino is a strong lager brewed with European malts and hops.
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7/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 8
The label calls this beer a dry-hopped amber lager and also gives an ABV of 6.5%, just saying. 16 oz can that was delivered by Half Time Beverages, now is the time for a tasting. A tulip glass from ABGB in Austin sits ready before I pour. The appearance is a semi-transparent dark amber-gold carrying a slender skim of fully white foam. I smell grain assuredly and a bit of earthiness. The taste shows considerably more character with baked bread, a caramel sweetness, malt and a small hoppy bitterness. The beer gives a nice, full feeling in the sampling, I like that. A good or better beer in one of the basic styles, whichever one you want to call it.
Tried
from Can
on 26 Jun 2026
at 01:37
7.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7.5
Texture 7
Overall 7
Can to becher glass.
Appearance is shown in the picture.
Aroma: soft wet grains, sweet earthy to floral tones, light honey and a good dose of caramel/toffee sweetness
Flavor: very earthy to caramel sweet toned character initially with light bitterness rounding out the corners for a nice balance; finishes semi-dry and slightly grainy with a subtle sweet note
Texture: light to medium bodied; sessionable; slight smoothness with a little bit of earthy grind nicking the tongue; good carb to this beer
Overall: works as an amber lager but I don't see this as an Imperial pils. And as I look around on the sides of the can the can even says amber lager. Hmmmm ...
Appearance is shown in the picture.
Aroma: soft wet grains, sweet earthy to floral tones, light honey and a good dose of caramel/toffee sweetness
Flavor: very earthy to caramel sweet toned character initially with light bitterness rounding out the corners for a nice balance; finishes semi-dry and slightly grainy with a subtle sweet note
Texture: light to medium bodied; sessionable; slight smoothness with a little bit of earthy grind nicking the tongue; good carb to this beer
Overall: works as an amber lager but I don't see this as an Imperial pils. And as I look around on the sides of the can the can even says amber lager. Hmmmm ...
Tried
from Can
on 17 Apr 2026
at 02:53
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6.5
Texture 6
Overall 6
Pours hazy gold with an off-white head. Taste is light malt, honey, floral notes, almost an herbal component.
Tried
from Can
from
Central Market - Austin (N Lamar)
on 04 Apr 2026
at 04:03
6.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 8
Overall 5.5
Very bold notes of caramel underlined by hints of toast and apple, with an outsized floral bitterness on the back end verging on medicinal when coupled with the sweetness of the front. Spicy Euro hops are prominent in the fade, but I wish this pint was toned down overall. Lacks subtlety.
Tried
from Can
on 11 Mar 2026
at 00:12
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Can at home in Hackney - cheers to the Duke! Pours rich honey-gold with a voluminous, frothy off-white head. Light-medium sweet flavour with pleasant sun-baked pale malts, bread crust, a hint of toasted caramel, pine. Medium bodied with massaging carbonation. Rich toasted bready malt finish, a little oily-piney bitterness, crackers, toasted hay. Very tasty stuff.
Tried
from Can
on 29 Aug 2023
at 16:18
6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 8
Surprisingly low rated style for me. Golden orange and large frothy head. Nose is caramel and light herbal notes. Tatsss similar of caramel, herbal, malt, corn, wet wood, silver coins. Chewy mouthfeel. Some alcohol.
Tried
on 08 Jan 2023
at 06:19
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Canned 2/18/22, drunk 3/22/22. Clear amber with a large, light-beige head showing moderate-to-strong retention. Mineral, raisin, date, caramel and a touch of alcohol crowd out what potential hops might be here. Just a touch of herbal/floral character makes its way through. In the mouth it's sweet, strong, rich, malty with caramel and raisin. It's clean, malty, well-attenuated (could be a touch more dry) and has some melanoidin-like acidity on the end. Spicy/floral hops in the background could be a bit more pronounced as well. Just a weird middle ground that these mid-high strong lagers occupy. I kind of want something lighter, crisper, easier and more refreshing, or conversely a doppelbock or baltic porter. But it's fine for what it is, just a bit monotonously caramel-forward.
Tried
from Can
on 23 Mar 2022
at 00:10
6.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Pours deep hazy amber into a shaker. White foamy head with excellent retention recedes to coat surface. Caramel and cracker aromas. Thick with hot caramel, meadow, spicy plastic and bitter nut shells front to back. Lasting dry earth finish.
Tried
on 27 Jan 2022
at 23:13