Cloud Cruiser (collab with Alaska Airlines)

Fremont Brewing — Seattle, WA

19 Nov 2024 · Stephen

IPA Fremont Brewing

6.5% ABV

50 IBU

Clear golden Color

Contributing Factors

Presentation ✓

Character ✓

Experience ✓

Return –

3 / 4 A solid effort

Tasting Notes

Appearance Golden, clear with a white head — clean and bright in whatever vessel Alaska hands you at 30,000 feet.

Aroma Sharp citrus leads — orange and grapefruit upfront, cutting through clearly even in the sensory-suppressed cabin environment. A subtle pine note follows underneath, giving the aroma a Pacific Northwest West Coast identity that's distinctly Fremont. The hop aromatics are expressive without being loud — engineered to register at altitude where flatter aromatics would disappear entirely.

Palate Crisp and sessionable as the drinker consensus confirms. The citrus character carries through the middle with the pine building gently behind it, the 50 IBU bitterness present and firm but integrated rather than aggressive. The body is light enough to feel refreshing in the drying cabin environment without going thin or watery — the sessionable quality that makes this work at 30k ft. On the ground it's a well-made Pacific Northwest IPA. In the air it's genuinely impressive.

Finish Clean and short — the specific quality that matters most at altitude. The citrus fades cleanly, the pine following without a harsh resinous linger, the 50 IBU bitterness resolving completely and quickly. Built for cabin dryness, as the most detailed drinker review notes. The finish makes the next sip as automatic as the next hour of flight.

The Verdict

Fremont and Alaska Airlines built an IPA that takes its context seriously — sharp citrus, subtle pine, crisp body, clean finish, engineered for 30,000 feet of cabin pressure and recycled air. Top 3 airplane IPA (Hop Culture). For what it is and where it's consumed, that's the right verdict.

— Stephen · Contributing Factor Brewing · 19 Nov 2024