Jul 22, 2019

Stone Brewing Tropic of Thunder Lager

Stone Brewing’ latest year-round offering is a lager. Yup, the makers of the original bad-boy, Arrogant Bastard, and a myriad of IPAs (more than one man can count) has added a lager to their line-up that is available throughout the year. Tropic of Thunder, however, ain’t your average example of the style.

This 5.8% ABV (45 IBU) brew presents your standard lager flavors with hints of crackers, grain and yeast. That’s to be expected. The hints of melon, pineapple, citrus peel and soft floral notes, on the other hand, are how Stone sets this one apart from the rest. A wonderful blend of Citra, Mosaic and Cashmere hop varieties deliver that smooth array of tropical aromas and flavors that are nicely balanced with the core malt characteristics.

A light-to-moderate level of hop bitterness tingles the palate for a good long while as a soft malt sweetness keeps it all in check. The crisp and clean Tropic of Thunder delivers an easy drinking experience that ends with a long lasting and drying finish that just begs for another pull from the glass (or can, if need be).

When all is said and done — and the sample cans have all been drained — Tropic of Thunder combines the smooth hop blend of a tasty IPA with the refreshing crispness of a lager. It’s well balanced and deceptively easy drinking. The lager also reinvigorates quite well on a hot July afternoon.

This is a review of a promotional sample.