Fresh Hop Strata IPA
Ferment Brewing Company

Pours true to the west coast. I get a light fresh hop character on the nose, with more of a presence on the sip. This has a drying, bitter finish. The fh character emerges as it opens into something delightful.

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium golden amber with a one finger white head with good retention and nice lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, citrus and mixed fruit hops, lemon, strawberry and a touch of dankness. Flavor is caramel malt, citrus and mixed fruit hops, lemon, grapefruit, strawberry and mixed tropical fruit with some dankness in the finish. Nice non-assertive, but satisfactory and lingering bitterness. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Another nicely brewed strata fresh hop, showcasing this hop's common fruit character but with a little more citrus added. Fine herbal flavor. I'm pleased that Strata has been one of the first out of gate this year, I've become quite enamoured of its flavors as a single hop. Ferment did a fine job with this one. I don't know if it has changed over the years, but this version is 90% in standard American IPA territory, with little haziness and a more serious bitterness than a New England one. The style may need to be changed.

 

 

From a 16oz. can purchased at the beer store.

Aroma is faint, but maybe that's because of the wildfires? My nose is compromised. Flavor is grassy, herbal, just a touch of lemon. A wisp of bready malt at the finish. The hops don't come on strong, but that often seems to be the case with fresh hopped beers. The alcohol pushes through a little. Not bad, but not knocking my socks off either. Might have to re-assess when the smoke clears.