Wet Season: Strata
Ravenna Brewing Co

This seems to be a perennial in their fresh hop series. Appearance is cloudy amber with long-lasting foam in the Pilsner glass. After some sipping the acidity rears up, but politely, and the usual astringent finish detracts from the pleasure. But overall this is a better than average NEIPA and the fresh hop flavors are quite nice. But if only they had just made it a straight American IPA and let the hops speak for themselves. From the 16 oz can purchased at Special Brews. Not dated.

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a light to medium golden amber with a fine, one finger white head with great retention and solid lacing. Aroma of pale malt, citrus and dank hops, lemon, grapefruit and catty dankness. Flavor of pale malt, citrus and lightly dank hops, lemon, grapefruit, herbal dankness and dried peppers; solid citrus and dank bitterness in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. A fine fresh hop ale that exhibits more of the herbal and citrus character of Strata than the fruitier component. A nice burst of lemon at the front of the taste is followed with grapefruit and dank flavors. Not too complex, but excellent flavor mix. The creamy body enhanced the enjoyment. My first fresh hop from Ravenna and a quite nice one. If I manage to get through my backlog of fresh hops, I'll be looking for another variety, the Ravenna malt displays the fresh hops nicely. Once again, today's is among my favorite fresh hops of the season.

2021-09-30
16oz can served in a large snifter. Don't see a date on it.

Pours a clear light golden with a medium sized head and a small amount of slow, fine active carbonation. Smell is bright grassy/melon-y with a little floral sweetness.

Taste is fairly light, leans toward grassy/melon-y with little else to even it out.

Mouthfeel is thin, not quite watery. Overall, it's not bad
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2024-10-18
No date on the can. Clear and pale. I'd give it better scores this time. Still not a stellar fresh hop, but a good IPA.

Poured from a can on canning day. Clear and golden with a solid head. Not a strong nose. A little lemony on the first sip, really rich oily Strata on the back end. Overall it's a solid fresh hop beer, though not as mind-blowingly good as their Wet Season: Simcoe.