Style: India Pale Lager (IPL)

ABV: 5.3 IBU: 61.0

95/100

Aroma:	12
Appearance:	2
Flavor:	18
Mouthfeel:	4

12 West Brewing Company Stratadactyl

What the brewers say

Hoppy lager with Strata hops.

What our panel thought

Aroma of Juicy Fruit, coconut, pineapple, passionfruit, earthy pine. In the flavor: kiwi, cantaloupe, oranges. Pleasant and present hop bitterness lingers nicely on the tongue, just enough to balance those sweet flavors. Well executed. Very enjoyable. Nicely put together.

What our editors thought

A bit of diesel on the nose, with light citrus and stone fruit around the edges. In the sip, a hefty malt note attempts to balance the sharp fruit and light astringency, but it gets wide and loses some of the lager-like precision.

Review printed in: The Rebirth of Cool: Inside the Lager Evolution (June-July 2021) (View All Issues)

Print Shelf Talker

How We Review

REVIEWS FOR YOU >

12 West Brewing Company Radial Spines

“In the aroma, spicy herbal notes, barely-there fennel, floral notes, sweet pea flowers, slight lime zest, red berry. Lemony hop notes are punchy up front and allow a slight resinous pine quality to round out the finish. White-bread malty sweetness balances the hops. Luscious, medium body. Finishes perfectly balanced, inviting the next sip.”

12 West Brewing Company Zona Pilsner

Wonderful spicy-floral hop aroma, soft but pleasant, blends with light grainy malt. Herbal and bright, like woodruff with a hint of lemon-lime. Sweet malt up front but thin, delicate on the palate, with slight lime-pepper hop flavor. Goes crisp and dry. Easy drinking. Nice hop character.

Roughhouse Brewing Roughhouse Pilsner

“Grainy and bread-crumb-like malt notes in the aroma with soft herbal spice. The malt character struggles to emerge in the flavor—thin and watery, as the tannic note strips away the more delicate flavors, adding a rough resinous note that emphasizes the bitterness.”

FRESH BEERS >

The best new craft beers available in a beer store near you. Sponsored content.

New Belgium Dominga Grapefruit

New Belgium wood cellar blender Lauren Limbach was gifted a new foeder that she aptly named Dominga—a play on the Spanish word for Sunday. She first created a mimosa-inspired golden sour called “Dominga: Goddess of Brunch.” Now we are excited to introduce the cocktail-inspired version, Dominga Grapefruit Paloma. Inspired by the classic cocktail of Mexico, Dominga packs a refreshing combo of bright grapefruit and lime flavors, along with agave and a pinch of salt.

Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest

Oaktoberfest is our oak-inspired homage to the great German tradition of Oktoberfest. We go the extra mile of maturing this beer in French oak barrels to create an amazingly smooth mouthfeel. The result is a classic German festbier with a hint of West Coast hoppiness. Grab your stein, don your lederhosen, and enjoy!

Firestone Walker Parabola ’24

Parabola is always a beast of a beer, with intense flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, vanilla, and roast coffee—yet each annual release also bears its own subtle imprint. For this latest edition, we aged the beer for a year in 12-year Elijah Craig barrels. These coveted bourbon barrels imparted signature notes of charred oak, caramel, and cinnamon, taking the Parabola experience to new heights. Pour some out in your favorite snifter; behold the impossibly opaque color as you allow it to warm up a bit; and then let the dark magic of Parabola stun your palate with its unrivaled flavor and complexity.

Sierra Nevada Cosmic Little Thing Hazy Double IPA

For the latest in the Hazy IPA series, ride Sierra Nevada’s interstellar wave of tropical flavor in this Cosmic Little Thing, a hazy nebula glowing with Comet, Strata, and Helios hops for notes of citrus, berries, and lychee. Head into orbit with this 8 percent ABV hazy double IPA before the next Hazy IPA rotator hits. Look for Cosmic Little Thing in six-packs and 19.2 oz singles.

Firestone Walker Cosmic Crusher Juicy Imperial IPA

Out-of-this-world flavor that packs a punch—take a journey with Cosmic Crusher. “Cosmic Crusher is our crazy adventure into the realm of imperial juicy IPAs,” says brewmaster Matt Brynildson. Cosmic Crusher is built around two ultra-tropical hops—Galaxy and Strata. The result is a level of flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel that can only materialize at high strength, crossing the line into a whole new cosmos of punchy mango and pineapple character. SKUs available: 12 oz six-pack cans, 19.2 oz single serve, and Mind Haze Variety Pack.

Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion

Luponic Distortion is the Firestone Walker trailblazer that continues to break the rules, back for the first time since 2021. The classic Luponic Distortion base recipe returns with an all-new hop blend to deliver a fresh blast from the past. Brewed with a secret blend of new-age hops, the 2024 edition of Luponic Distortion turns up the volume with mind-bending flavors of lychee, peach, nectarine, and strawberry. Available exclusively in the Beer Before Glory IPA Mixed Pack.