Fresh Hop Strata Pale
Ilk Beer

Quite hazy greyish-yellowish brew with plenty of coarse foam in the Caution Brewing nonic. Aroma of orange and alfalfa. Pleasant sudsy mouthfeel. Distinctly sweet to start with a lemony note. Fruity as well as cucumber flavor. It does taste like strawberries for a while, and even in the nose after some sipping. I Personally don't think the murky and slippery style helps this any, but it's drinkable. The increasing acidic aftertaste stops me short of finishing the pint. From the 16 oz can purchased at Elizabeth Station. Dated 09/10/25.

draught
Thin, white head. Pretty murky, yellow & golden appearance. Restrained, lemon peel, with a perfumed, light malt note, for the aroma. Quite mineral like, with some bitter herbs, for the taste and light on the malt. Light bodied, with brightness, at the finish.

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a very hazy light to medium straw yellow with a two finger white head with great retention and nice lacing. Aroma of lightly biscuit pale malt, dank hops, 420 dankness, wheat grain, hint of lemon and grass. Flavor is light biscuit malt, citrus, fruit and dank hops, strawberry, lemon, hay, mixed light fruit; moderate bitterness in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Well, I guess fresh hop pale ales are now going to be as confusing as IPAs, with any information on whether it’s a hazy or traditional pale ale style. This is clearly a hazy one, both in look, aroma and taste. I expected mostly fruit notes from the Strata hops, and the fruit character is well within hazy ale territory; the Strata strawberry was a nice note. I really liked the kush part of the aroma, but that dankness was subdued in the taste. Fortunately this had enough bitterness to keep my interest, but it still tasted like yesterday's juice (in this case lemonade) after a while; a common phenomenon with hazies for for me. Not my style, but enjoyable enough; the fresh herbal hop flavors are welcome. I see the Washington fresh hops are arriving, so I'm looking forward to the upcoming season.

2024-09-08
16oz can served in a big snifter. Can is dated...nowhere, as far as I can see. Bought it at Beer Junction a few hours ago.

Pours hazy pale yellow, whitish tinge. Head is large to begin with, maybe two fingers, turns into a clotty layer with peaky lacing. Smell is cut grass, moderately dank, maybe more than moderate, with some overripe tropical fruit in the background.

Taste is similar, with a bit more of an earthy turn. Maybe a hint of banana or some generic fruitiness, hops are clear and resin comes across almost as a texture more than a flavor, but some clear resinous bitterness is pretty undeniable.

Mouthfeel is medium, dry, a little chalky and cottonmouthy. Overall, pretty nice.

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2025-09-21
Canned on 09/10/25. Head is smoother and smaller than previous description. More citrus in the smell, more melon, some herbal. Taste mostly avoids the banana, moves much more toward melon. Bitterness is not too intense. Pretty nice.