Fresh Hop Fiend: Strata
Stoup Brewing Brewery & Taproom

 

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a very slightly hazy, medium golden amber with a two finger white head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of lightly caramel malt, mixed fruit hops, melon, a little dankness and bit floral. Flavor is lightly caramel malt, mixed fruit and piney hops, passion fruit, cantaloupe, mint, a touch of lemon and dankness. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. I've always found Stoup's malt base to be on of the very best to deliver fresh hop flavors for me and this is a great example. Strata hops are not likely to be my go-to single hop choice because they are mostly fruit forward, but I'm really enjoying this one, easily the nicest use of Strata in memory. I missed this hop variety last year and was happy to find it was done again this year. Another entry in my current fresh hop is the best fresh hop of the year list. I love this season.

2023-10-13
16oz can served in a big snifter. Can is dated 09/18/23.

Pours clear brassy amber with a small, fine head that turns into a surprisingly even ring with a surprisingly round, wide, thin island of skin. Smell is melon rind, vegetation, a slight mustiness, honeysuckle or other floral sweetness.

Taste is dominated by a bitter background that mostly takes the character of citrus pith and fruit skin. Slight sweetness offsets the bitterness nicely.

Mouthfeel is light and very dry. Nice beer.