I know, I know – I’ve skewed very much towards IPAs in previous installments of the Afternoon Beer Break. And hey, I likes that I likes, so that’s what I’ve been covering. I recently picked up something that isn’t an IPA, so we thought we’d give you lager-heads something to drool over. In this case, it’s the Stone Brewing Tropic of Thunder Lager.
Even though the Stone Brewing Tropic of Thunder Lager is a lager-style beer, Stone still nicely lets us know what hops are in the mix. Here we’ve got citra and mosaic hops, along with another I’ve been noticing more as of late, cashmere hops. This brings the tropical notes to the style, thought not quite to the extent that you and I are used to with the IPA styles. To my senses, I definitely picked up a fruitier, citrus nose to the beer, though not quite as pronounced on the tastebuds. There is a bit of tartness up front, and then instead of a describable aftertastes, I’d say there’s a bit of a sour tang to it. Even with that, there’s just a clean lager finish to the beer.
The brand puts some pretty high-faluting food pairings with the Stone Brewing Tropic of Thunder Lager (you can see those below) whereas I’d say this is good to go with something starchy and carb-heavy from the backyard grille – burgers, hotdogs, maybe even some pizza. Not to say that you couldn’t go upscale, but that’s just what I associate with a lager. It may not be my favorite of all time, but it was a passable sip. In other words, not something I’d necessarily seek out again, but if I see it on special, or need to pick up a lager for some guests, it could enter the cart once again. Your mileage may vary, of course, but this is not one that will pull my from my current IPA kick. Stone Tropic of Thunder Lager | Stone Brewing
Tasting Notes
- Fruity /citrus nose
- Decent head
- Pale color
- A tartness up front
- Clean lager finish
- A sour tang on top of tongue instead of an aftertaste
Details from Stone Brewing
- STYLE: Lager
- ALC/VOL: 5.8%
- IBUs: 45
- GET SOCIAL: #TropicOfThunder
- RELEASE DATE: October 22, 2018
- PACKAGE TYPES: 12oz six-pack cans, 19.2oz cans, Draft
- AVAILABILITY: Nationwide
- FEATURED HOPS: Cashmere, Citra & Mosaic
TASTING NOTES from Stone Brewing
- APPEARANCE: Straw yellow, clear, fluffy white head.
- AROMA: White wine, melon, citrus and hints of pineapple with clean malt aroma.
- TASTE: Ripe Cantaloupe, citrus and passion fruit. Flavors of fresh hops with white wine and biscuit.
- PALATE: Slight sweetness and good bitterness with a dry, clean finish.
- OVERALL: We have been having fun playing with lagers and making them in our own Stone Brewing style. This beer showcases our love for, and experimentation with hops using Mosaic, Citra, and newcomer Cashmere. These three combine to form an array of citrus, tropical and fruit aromas and flavors in a refreshing, crushable lager.
PAIRING NOTES from Stone Brewing
- STARTERS: Honey Sriracha Quail Knots, Prosciutto Melon Balls, Coconut Shrimp, Sashimi
- SOUPS AND SALADS: White Balsamic Glazed Stone Fruit Salad, Heirloom Tomato Basil Soup, Chicken Pho, Grilled Cabbage Wedge Salad
- MAIN COURSES: Crispy Skin Salmon, Pan Roasted Scallops, Vegetarian Penne Primavera, Szechuan Chicken
- DESSERTS: Fresh Raspberries and Chocolate, Coconut Macaron, Brambleberry Fruit Sorbet, Strawberry Fool
