Double Cone
Alvarado Street Brewery

 

 

 

Had Double Cone poured from pint can, bottom stamped "CANNED ON 03/25/2025" and "WC IS ALIVE AND WELL," imported home by my little bro', into Willi Becher.

Pours yellow-gold with clarity and fizzing, bubbly, 2-finger near-white head, which soon dissipates to a persistent ring and partial film, leaving splotches of lace down the glass. Earthy and bitter herbal aromas off pour, then aromas of mild pilsner malt and lime, joined as warms by berry, white grape and mild sweet citrus aromas. On tasting, begins biting lime and juicy peach over a moderate, sweet malt body, which gives way to a crisp white wine middle, that carries long and into a somewhat earthy/funky, rather piney, moderately bitter finish.

Not what I expected. Some fruit and a little resin, of course, but the white wine predominates, along with a lot of earthy and herbal elements, and a surprisingly malty body for a Westy. All that, but well-balanced, with the huge ABV well-hidden.

 

 

This latest release is supremely drinkable. Some may say its bit too flat but I really think the mosaic shines in this one. Compared to last year this one has changed a lot, a slight creaminess to the feel and well balanced. The smell is top notch with pine followed by berry that jumps out of the glass.

On tap at the source- looks, smells and tastes like a west coast double IPA. ABV well hidden but finished a bit on the flat side. Not sure if that was intentional or ?

IPA perfection. Alvarado makes yet another great IPA. The only thing I love better than this beer is the Triple Cone from Alvarado. Go get a pint of this stuff, you wont regret it.

For the 2021 batch! Sweet tropical hoppy, orange citrus, slightly malty, and piney-dank nose on this one! Taste follows with balanced, malty sweetness and citrus bitter dankness...definitely getting the Mosaic and Strata influence here. This is smooth and hides the big ABV really well. This is good stuff!

One of the better new beers I've had in a long time! Great balance for a DIPA with a solid hop profile and sneaky alcohol percentage. Alvarado Street hit it out of the park with this one.

 

Canned 9/23/2020. 9.5% ABV.

Poured a light copper color with full clarity and no sediment. At the nose is resinous tree sap with maybe a hint of tropical fruits. The hops are heavy and assertive. The ultimate west coast IPA.

Then upon the first sip, the flavors just exploded. Everything I smelled was just escalated in the mouth. Extremely bitter with heavy resinous sap and pine. Hardly any tropical fruits. It's like walking in a dense coniferous forest.

Mouthfeel was on the heavy side, but it is 9.5%.

Overall for a double west coast IPA, this is excellent. The hop profile is aggressive yet so drinkable.

 

Had on tap. Pours a clear, caramel malt golden tan. I get a lot of sweetness, like a juicy tangerine squeezed into a glass, on the nose and with each sip. Delightfully bitter, with a long finish that makes this easy to savor but hard to put down. Delicious.

Single can from Bottlecraft North Part k in San Diego - enticed by the 2019 GABF Gold Medal. 9.5% ABV. Canned on Feb 14/20 so about 5 weeks old.
Pours a clear golden orange with 1/2 finger white head that fades quickly. Gorgeous colour.
Aroma over ripe orange, pineapple, tropical fruit, slightly dank, a mildly musky note, touch of pine.
Tastes of piney hops, resinous - strong citrus flavours, malt sweetness with tropical notes; becomes more bitter at the back of the palate with building dankness.
Full mouthfeel with a bit of fruity, boozy sweetness, nicely carbonated, leaves with a mild lingering bitterness.

Can poured into an Alvarado Street Brewery beer glass

A: Pours golden orange amber with a frothy off white head that settles to a firm layer and laces beautifully.

S: Dank herbal notes, slightly over ripe fruit, a little bit of everything, tropical, exotic, and stone fruit, grapes, melon, and hints of blueberries, floral, a little citrus, spicy pine, bready malt, and caramel honey sweetness, with just a touch of alcohol poking through as it warms.

T: A little resinous pine that is quickly overcome by the fruity side, gooseberry, white grape, melon, papaya, apricot, peach, and hints of pineapple and blueberry, floral, a little citrus, lemon and orange, underlying spicy and dank herbal notes, bready malt, and caramel honey sweetness. A touch of alcohol can poke through as it warms.

M: Medium to full body, moderate carbonation, just a hint of warmth.

O: Not my personal favorite style, but definitely a well done dank west coast DIPA.

Lemony scent at opening with strong malt body laced with pineapple. Alcohol is noticeable with a nice pithy finish without being too much.

 

Canned 2/14/19, consumed 2/29/10, 9.5% ABV

Thick, strong, danky aroma and taste. Pours crystal clear amber gold with a finger-size head, good retention, and little spotty lacing. Good balance of piney, herbal, weedy, and fruity notes. Full bodied feel with solid bitterness and just a bit of boozy burn. Overall, another top shelf WCIPA from Alvarado.