A single-hopped IPA using one of the most diversely flavoured hops - Strata. Showcasing its many facets, we went for an East Coast-style.
[Character]A pale coloured IPA with a mild haze contributed by a moderate amount of wheat malt. A light body creamy mouthfeel lends itself to the tropical, berry, and mild floral flavour and aroma from the Strata hops.[Food Pairing]Cajun chicken, herb-grilled mackerel, garlic-sauteed small white fish (such as smelt)[Naming]If IPAs were considered to be a show, there's no denying that the star of it is the hops. Normally it's more like a blend - a band, if you will - of multiple hops performing together. For this series, however, it's a solo artist - a "Hop Idol", showcasing their individual talents on the big stage. Who would you vote for?
The star of this show is Strata, a hop often hailed as the next Citra or Mosaic, and a hop that combines bright tropical notes with subtle floral tones. Its versatility means it often blends well, but its nuances are so diverse that it almost feels like a wonderful blend of hops in itself, and so we felt this a great opportunity to highlight what it can achieve on its own.
[Brewer's Voice]Strata is a very diverse hop. Several years ago, I (James) was at Roy farms in Washington when they were drying several lots of Strata in one room. I sampled each pile of hops and each one had a different characteristic; one was sweet and flowery, the next was very bright and juicy with berry character, and the last had strong pine notes and citrus. I would have been easily convinced these were 3 different hops in this room. This shows why hop selection is so important, and when selecting our strata, I fell in love with the rich fruity berry characteristics this hop can offer. While this is a single hop beer, we used different lots, including some T-45 versions to layer this hop character throughout the beer. I wanted to support this tropical berry hop character with a sweeter softer malt profile, so an East Coast style hazy IPA was the direction we went with this. Using a base of Golden Promise, we added a blend of flaked and malted wheat, with some dextrin malts to carry over some residual sweetness. A mild bitterness balances out some of that malt sweetness with loads of late addition hops for strong aromatics. With drinkability always a focus of ours, this beer is no exception, allowing the sweet tropical berry aromas with a light floral component to stand out. Fermented out with a London ale strain, a haziness remains, with some additional tropical yeast esters intermingling with the hops. Strata is a very versatile hop and pairs well with others, but here is a chance to try it in all its glory!StyleIPASeriesHOP IDOLABV6.0%IBU45Gas Volume2.65OthersFlaked wheatCategoryBeerJAN4589718743103Shipping Start2026/04/01Regarding shipping datesPlease note that, when multiple items are ordered together, they will be shipped out after the shipping start date of the latest product in the order.Best Before2026/11/30
