Give Thanks
Alvarado Street Brewery

Had Give Thanks poured from pint can, bottom stamped "CANNED ON 10/29/2025" and "IT'S ALL GRAVY," gift delivered to Miss. by my lil' bro', into nonic pint.

Pours light, moderately hazy, tangerine-juice gold, with 1 & 1/2-finger foamy off-white head, with excellent retention, leaving thick rings of lace down the glass. Aromas of watermelon, complex tart and sweet mango and bitter herbals off pour, then aromas of coconut and pear, with some sweet orange and biting citrus aromas joining as warms. On tasting, begins creamy, sweet but tangy mango, then a little peach and more biting lime, with the lime carrying over a biscuity malt backbone, joined as warms by some sweet pear, into a crisp, resinous, grapefruit, but also long sweet malt finish.

So many grains, hops and yeasts, reviewed without considering the brewer's bill. But: Wow! How I wish mixed fruit smoothies taste.

 

For the 2021Batch! Sweet, tropical hoppy, slightly malty, white wine grape, and citrus-dank nose on this one! Taste follows with a malty-sweet, tropical hoppy, and grapefruit citrus bitter finish...a hint of nuttiness appears on the backend. This is smooth and drinkable, it's just a little muddled with the numerous hop additions. Pretty good...

Yuuuumy. Its essentially a less juicy NE IPA. If you're looking for lots of bitterness and malts (classic WC IPA) this won't scratch that itch. Its still really good and smooth. Its nothing crazy just a perfectly balanced IPA. I recommend having a couple with the family in Thanksgiving, makes for a better time.

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: New England Imperial / Double IPA
Glass: Melvin 14-oz. Spiegelau IPA glass
Price: $19.99 for a mixed 4-pack
From: Blind Lady Ale House in Normal Heights (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: Nov. 25, 2020
Consumed: Dec. 22, 2020
Misc.: Canned on Nov. 11, 2020

Grabbed a mixed 4-pack of Alvarado Street at Blind Lady Ale House. Kind of surprised I save this one this long as I was originally going to have it on Thanksgiving (Nov. 26). Their website described it as “Thanksgiving-inspired, NorthFEAST-style IPA brewed with a cornucopia of malt, hops and yeast. More specifically 9 different grains, 8 different hops, and fermented with 4 yeast strains. Everything you'd want in a progressive, yeast driven IPA; bright aromatics, creamy body, light bitterness...big on hop flavor. Be thankful for beer!” Other info - Yeast: Saccharomyces Trois / Vermont / London III / Cal Ale. Malt: American 2-Row, Admiral Maiden Voyage, Mecca Grade Pelton, Mecca Grade Wickiyup, Spelt, Carahell, Flaked Oats, Flaked Barley, Acidulated. Hops: Denali, Centennial, El Dorado, Azacca, Amarillo, Medusa, Green Bullet, Moteuka. That’s a lot of yeast, malt and hops. Hoping to recognize some of the hops at least.

Poured a hazy medium golden color with two fingers of frothy off-white head. Maybe just a few bubbles coming up along the sides of the glass. Good spotty lacing. Good retention. (Sight - 3.75)

Smelled floral, pine, lime, orange rind, grapefruit, citrus zest, passion fruit, Fruit Loop cereal, wet grass, herbal and melon. For the mentioned eight hops, I recognized (in order) El Dorado, Centennial and Azacca from the nose. Even a little better out of the can. (Smell - 4.00)

Tasted just as good as the nose. In order got passion fruit, grapefruit, citrus zest, Fruit Loop cereal, pine, lime, orange rind, herbal, melon, wet grass, floral and hints of black peppery spice. (Taste - 4.00)

Medium body. Oily texture. Lively carbonation. Long citrusy finish. (Feel - 4.00)

This was an excellent IPA overall. Surprised I liked this as much as I did with all the hops. (Overall - 4.25)

4.04 | 90 | A-

It’s a murky one, gold and cloudy white. The aroma is all Creamsicle meets pineapple smoothy, lots of fruity esters and an expressive yeast. It’s sweet, or sweetish, pillowy and soft. Feels more like a desert beer than I expected.

 

Can poured into an Alvarado Street Brewery beer glass

A: Pours hazy golden amber with a frothy eggshell white head that hangs around, slowly settling to a firm layer and leaving some thick lacing.

S: Spicy pine, grassy herbal notes, fruity underside, tropical and orchard fruit, plus some citrus, a little yeasty, and a bit of caramel sweetness.

T: Grassy, herbal, and spicy up front, then the fruity side comes out, papaya, apricot, peach, pineapple, pear, melon, lemon, lime, tangerine, underlying pine, yeasty presence, biscuity malt, a touch of caramel sweetness, and a bit of alcohol poking through as it warms.

M: On the fuller side of medium body, moderate carbonation, soft on the palate, with a bit of hop burn.

O: Seems like every time I see an IPA that tries to jam this many different hops in together it doesn't quite work. There are so many flavors competing that they don't really come together right. Not a bad beer, but I'm not wowed by it.

L: Vibrant yellow pour and inch and a half of foam.
S: a bit soft on the nose but do get hops and hints of black pepper and some orange.
T: seems complex to me, hard to tell it is a double but great flavor. Taste is the soft peppery notes with citrus and grapefruit.
M: does seem more carbonated and the finish is slightly dry, not overly dry or boozy.
O: another superb beer from ASB, complex and unique for a double NEIPA.

 

 

Hazy maize-orange with an airy white foam dying to a thin chain.

Smell is spicy dank orange, cannabis, peppery pine and a hint of vanilla.

Taste has some heat and some hop burn but leaves room for cracker and wild herbs, plenty of citrusy, juicy hops and some dank resin.

The crisp but light fizz brings the light body into a semi-dry finish.

Canned 11/16/18.
L: Pours vibrant yellow in color. My favorite color for a NEIPA. About a finger of head with moderate lacing.
S: Mango and lemon with crackery yeast presence. Notes of black pepper as well. Slight booze presence coming off on the nose.
T: Yeast forward with a citrusy finish, leaning heavily on grapefruit. Mango and apricot on the finish, but the yeast flavor is represented throughout the entirety of the flavor duration. As I become more adjusted to the beer, flavors of orange and pineapple come out, adding more to the flavor profile.
F: Light in body and light to medium in weight. Carbonation seems slightly above average for other beers in the style. Feel is a bit thin for a beer of this abv but it is manageable. Not up to par with other Alvarado beers.
O: It's an enjoyable beer. If you like yeasty-forward ipas, this might do the trick. Those who know Alvarado beers know they have a distinct yeast profile which really works in most cases. The smell could be more pungent and the feel needs more improvement, but I am enjoying it nonetheless. I am very grateful to have tried. Cheers!