Crafty Bastard Brewery | Stratosphere 4.0

Howdy beer fans!

We asked, you responded. What local beer should we check out for a review? You guys gave us a lot of great suggestions so we figured we’d try to hit as many as we could. It’s Sunday, it’s really nice outside for July, so why not run down to Crafty Bastard for a beer? That’s never a bad idea, right? On deck; Stratosphere.

I’ll be honest, apparently this beer has been through a few revisions and I’ve missed it. This version is a New England style IPA – unfiltered, cloudy, deep gold, laces the glass very well. Aromatics tend to lean towards fruit; citrus, mango, tropical fruit. Malt notes are low to none and I may be finding a bit of a yeast note as well but I can’t quite put my finger on it. On  the palate this beer carries through the aroma notes very well, sweet with a significant flavor punch. I’m also finding a subtle hop spice as well as a lactose sweetness that both play into the beer’s flavor.  The body is moderate to moderately full and it coats the palate leaving a very slight bitter note across the tongue.

Final snobs: Stop what you’re doing. Go have one or two of these. While this beer clocks in at 7.4% ABV, the alcohol notes are very subtle and the it is more sweet than bitter. This is a great beer for a hot summer day or any day for that matter. Crafty Bastard doesn’t disappoint and this beer is right up there…in the stratosphere!

PROST!