Beer Review: Alvarado Street / Brujos “Sixes” West Coast IPA
When two of California’s most respected contemporary hop-forward breweries join forces, expectations run high. “Sixes” is an ultra-modern 6.6% ABV West Coast IPA born from a collaboration between Alvarado Street Brewery (monsters of clean, expressive coastal IPAs) and Brujos Brewing (famed for their cult-followed, dark-magic-themed brewing style). Engineered as a showcase for cutting-edge hop processing techniques, this release features an intensive blend of Citra, Mosaic, and Nelson Sauvin hops, utilizing both classic pellets and advanced concentrated cryo-hop extracts to deliver maximum aromatic saturation.
Appearance
Sixes pours a brilliant, crystal-clear, deep golden straw color that shimmers in the glass, perfectly embodying the visual standard of the modern West Coast revival. It builds a tight, frothy, bone-white head with excellent retention. As it slowly subsides, it leaves an impressive display of sticky, uniform, lace-like sheets tracing the glass.
Aroma
The nose is incredibly loud, sharp, and highly defined. Immediate top notes blast out with intense ruby red grapefruit zest, pungent diesel fuel, and dank cannabis resin. As the initial wave clears, a complex fruit structure reveals itself, showcasing bright passion fruit, white wine grapes, gooseberry, and a clean hint of generic tropical juice, all entirely unencumbered by heavy malt aromatics.
Palate
On the palate, Sixes is an absolute laser beam of clean hop flavor. The first sip carries a sharp citrus punch of bitter orange peel and pink grapefruit, which quickly transitions into a deeply resinous mid-palate laden with damp pine, passion fruit pulp, and Nelson-derived diesel characteristics. The malt base is purposefully minimal, offering just a whisper of clean, crackery malt crispness that serves entirely to support the hops.
Mouthfeel
The body is light, lean, and incredibly well-attenuated. It features a sharp, lively carbonation that accentuates the beer’s refreshing, palate-cleansing nature. There is absolutely no syrupy weight or lingering residual sweetness here, making for an exceptionally high level of drinkability given the 6.6% alcohol content.
Finish
True to its roots, Sixes finishes with a firm, assertive, and tongue-drying bitterness. It leaves a long, refreshing, and beautifully clean aftertaste of resinous pine needles, grapefruit pith, and a lingering, dry herbaceousness that immediately begs for another sip.
Summary
- Style: Modern West Coast IPA
- Brewery: Alvarado Street Brewery (Monterey, CA) x Brujos Brewing (Portland, OR)
- ABV: 6.6%
- Hops: Citra, Mosaic, Nelson Sauvin (Pellets & Cryo)
Alvarado Street and Brujos have crafted an immaculate example of the contemporary West Coast IPA movement. By stripping away heavy, sweet caramel malts and focusing on high-extraction hop tech, Sixes delivers all the dank, resinous, citrus-heavy bitterness purists crave, while maintaining a lean, bright, and endlessly refreshing drinkability.
To best appreciate the vibrant Nelson and Citra notes, serve it cold in a classic IPA glass.
Please Note: To ensure absolute freshness and optimal storage temperatures, all craft beer arrivals are sold exclusively in-store and are not available for online ordering.
Available at SF Tequila Shop
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