Cone Goblin (collab with Alvarado Street Brewing)

Ghost Town Brewing — Oakland, CA

2 Feb 2024 · Stephen

Double IPA Ghost Town Brewing

8.5% ABV

65 IBU

Deep golden Color

Contributing Factors

Presentation ✓

Character ✓

Experience ✓

Return ✓

4 / 4 I'd order another

Tasting Notes

Appearance Deep golden to light amber, clear to lightly hazy — the Cryo hop additions give this a warm, resinous glow without full opacity. Persistent white head. Looks rich and substantial in the glass at 8.5% ABV.

Aroma The Cryo additions hit immediately and differently than standard hop additions — more concentrated, more intense, almost electric in their lupulin delivery. Kumquat leads — that's the Mosaic and Krush combining their citrus and tropical fruit — followed by the Nelson white grape and floral quality floating above it all. Simcoe Cryo and Columbus Cryo add a deep piney resin and earthy dankness underneath that the Cryo process amplifies significantly. The "trim" Ghost Town references is that resinous, almost botanical quality of the hop plant itself — and at Cryo concentration it's unmistakable.

Palate Outrageously smooth is not marketing copy — it's accurate. For 8.5% ABV and 65 IBU this drinks remarkably cleanly, the Cryo hop additions delivering maximum flavor with minimal harsh bitterness. The kumquat, tropical fruit, and white grape carry through the middle, backed by a sustained earthy piney dankness that builds without ever becoming aggressive. A Japanese drinker describes it as dank and citrus fruity, a little heavy but quite drinkable — which nails it. The ABV is present but integrated, not hot.

Finish Long, resinous, and dank — the "pin" quality Ghost Town calls out is here on the back palate, a deep resinous bitterness from the Columbus Cryo and Simcoe Cryo that lingers well after the sip. The Nelson white grape quality fades last, leaving a complex, layered finish that keeps the annual release on heavy rotation.

The Verdict

The name says it all — a goblin obsessed with hop cones, and Ghost Town and Alvarado Street fed it well. Ghost Town and Alvarado Street combining Cryo technology with a six-hop bill at 8.5% ABV — Cone Goblin is exactly as hyped as advertised. Outrageously smooth, stunningly resinous, mind-numbingly dank. The annual release that keeps getting better.

— Stephen · Contributing Factor Brewing · 2 Feb 2024