Strata
Alvarado Street Brewery

Great pale ale. To be honest it just tastes like a sessionable IPA (that's a good thing). It's refreshing, hoppy, fruity, and ultra drinkable. When you pour it, you can tell it's def a pale. My main critique is that the mouth feel is a bit foamy. Other than that, this is a great beer. Soooo yummy!

 

 

Here's a little banger from back when I found out how awesome Berkeley Bowl's beer selection was. Steep can prices, but man Alvarado is top notch so I bought a single for like 5 or 6 bucks. Might have been the first Strata beer I had not from Oregon.

Pours a hazy yellow into a Nevada pint glass in the backyard. 2/5" white head. Its not the most attractive beer, but the upside it every other category was stellar. Plenty of tropical notes in the nose, could have swore this was Mosaic if I didn't know better, papaya, guava and weed notes all over it.

Taste was very well done. No skimping on hops, a real nice mellow mouthfeel that would make you think you can't use Strata as a bittering hop, but no, it bangs every which way but loose. Keeps pushing passion fruit, melon, light mint and weed notes. Very easy to drink. Super quick 16 oz down.

I'd really like to destroy a beer like this on the regular. Very well done.

 

 

Pours a clear light yellow with fine head.

Smell is fruity with notes of mango, gooseberries and honey dew. Clean and crisp.

Taste is fruity, crisp and clean. Notes of gooseberries, honey dew, citrus and mango. Soft bitterness, but plenty of hoppiness and very refreshing.

Mouthfeel is medium, well carbonated.

Overall, a very nice, easy to drink APA.

I enjoyed this on tap.

The beer pours golden, thin cap of foam. Citrusy, hoppy aroma with fruit notes. Tropical fruit on the palate, crisp and tasty.

Incredibly well done lighter beer.

 

Can poured into a Russian River Brewing Co pub glass

A: Pours hazy golden yellow with a frothy off white head that settles to a light layer and leaves some spotty lacing.

S: Jumps out of the glass, big time fruity, tropical, orchard, citrus, and berries, slight dank herbal notes, a touch of pine, spearmint, biscuity malt, and a little caramel sweetness.

T: Tropical fruit, passion fruit, mango, peach, and apricot, citrus, orange, lemon, and grapefruit, hints of berries and faint melon, slight dank herbal notes, pine, biscuity malt, light caramel sweetness, and a kinda menthol/spearmint thing on the back end.

M: Medium body, moderate carbonation.

O: Always fun to try out new hops and this one has got a lot of good stuff in it. Very nicely showcased.

 

Rating this as an APA, as it is with it's below 6% ABV. What an awesome brew. Light, juicy, hoppy. This thing looks, smells, and tastes the part to how a "modern" hazy pale ale should be like. You won't regret it.

Canned 10/22/18.
L: Pours a muttled dull yellow color. About 2 fingers of a bubbly white cap that dissipated rapidly. Minimal amounts of lacing.
S: Very citrusy on the nose with hints of black pepper and pine.
T: Wow. Wasn't expecting it to be this flavorful. Loads of citrus and mango up front, leaning heavily on grapefruit and tangerine. There is also flavors of cantaloupe and apricot. Finish is slightly bitter with a grassy/pine complex.
F: Light in body. Watery and thin. High amounts of carbonation but not overly done.
O: I am really starting to enjoy the pale ales in the NE style. For 5.4 abv, you can't beat this. This could be a daily drinker for me. I am very grateful to have tried, and I sincerely hope ASB puts out more pale ales. Cheers!

 

 

Pours a brilliant golden color with a creamy head that has nice retention

Smells of white peach, grape, tangerine

Has a delicate, well balanced fruit flavors with peach and white grape

Soft mouthfeel, slightly sweet without being sugary. Great