India Pale Ale | Uehara Shuzou Co. Ltd. / Echigo Beer Pub

3.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked it up at Tanakaya in Tokyo, as I hadn't seen too much canned craft beer in Japan and I like to support microcanning. Didn't have high expectations, as I haven't been too impressed by Echigo's offerings (why is Koshihikari so expensive? I guess economies of scale).

The can art is interesting, with a nautical theme on one side (a ship presumably sailing to India, a compass, and a map in the background), and a funny logo of a goat raising a glass of beer to the viewer surrounded by a wreath of hop vines and barley.

Poured vigorously into a clean tumbler (have yet to purchase good glassware on this trip), and while it is a beautiful, nearly clear amber color with fine carbonation, the thin tan head quickly recedes to a ring and disappears in under a minute.

Faint caramel, toast, diacetyl aroma. No discernable hop. I have no idea why they are calling this an IPA; even by English standards, this is very light in aroma hops. They come out a little more on the palate - well balanced, drinkable pale ale. A little on the sweet side, but English hops come out in the finish. A pleasant enough beer, and certainly a fine alternative to Japan's macro lagers for ale heads (if you can find it), but I think Echigo should have just called it an English Style Pale Ale or ESB rather than trying to capitalize on interest in IPAs.

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