Nose Goblin

Ghost Town Brewing — Oakland, CA

28 Jul 2026 · Stephen

Double IPA Ghost Town Brewing

9.2% ABV

115 IBU

Deep golden amber Color

Contributing Factors

Presentation ✓

Character ✓

Experience ✓

Return –

3 / 4 I'd recommend trying it

Tasting Notes

Appearance Deep golden to amber with a light hop haze — reviewers note decent clarity with a light hop sheen, giving it that characteristic DIPA glow. Moderate white head with decent retention. Looks rich and substantial in the glass.

Aroma This is where Nose Goblin earns its name and its reputation. Ghost Town says it throttles your olfactory system, and that's not marketing copy — it's accurate. Nelson brings a unique tropical fruit and Sauvignon Blanc-like wine grape quality up front, Mosaic piles on blueberry, mango, and citrus, and Strata adds passionfruit and a cannabis-adjacent dankness underneath. Blueberry reduction and mandarine are the flavors Ghost Town specifically calls out, and both are immediately identifiable.

Palate Dank, hoppy, resinous and juicy — that's the reviewer consensus, and it nails it. The 115 IBU bitterness is assertive and overt but remarkably clean for the intensity level. The tropical fruit and blueberry character from the hop bill carries through the middle, underpinned by enough malt backbone to keep the whole thing from going one-dimensional. At 9.2% ABV the alcohol is present but well-integrated — reviewers specifically call out how well hidden the ABV is for a beer this strong.

Finish Long, dry, and deeply resinous. The Strata dankness and Mosaic blueberry linger well after the sip, with the Nelson wine-grape quality fading last. 115 IBU bitterness persists without becoming harsh or astringent — sustained, clean West Coast bitterness at double IPA intensity. The kind of finish that makes you respect the beer even as it quietly takes your evening.

The Verdict

Ghost Town calls it the most brazen masterpiece of all the West Coast Imperial IPAs. The name is ridiculous, the can art is unhinged, and the beer behind it is completely serious. This is not a beer for the casual drinker. It is absolutely a beer for you. Nose Goblin is the real deal.

— Stephen · Contributing Factor Brewing · 28 Jul 2026