Minoh Osaru IPA, aka the monkey beer according to a young family member, is a beer that started out as a seasonal beer from Minoh Beer, though it has ended up as being a quasi-regular beer now. Perhaps. Minoh Osaru IPA was first released to celebrate the Snow Monkey Beer Live 2013 event and is brewed using three different American hops. Due to its popularity, Minoh Osaru IPA is available on both draft and in bottled form. I promise not to put too many simian jokes in this review.
Minoh Osaru IPA Aroma and Taste
With the saru range slowly expanding, the Minoh Osaru IPA is the daddy monkey of the range and as such, the monkey on the label is the biggest out of the three monkeys so far, with Kozaru IPA being the smallest. Although last time I checked, monkeys didn’t drink beer. Perhaps Minoh Beer knows something about those monkeys at Shiga Kogen that we don’t. Minoh Osaru IPA poured out a light brown colour that could be mistaken for golden in some bright light. The head was a frothy and white but didn’t last long in the glass. With three different kinds of hops though, Minoh Osaru IPA had plenty of going on in the aroma department, with lemons, pineapples, and grapefruits coming through along with the usual skunky, pine smell that is associated with American IPAs.
Minoh Osaru IPA was also a pleasure to drink too, though the bitterness may not be as potent as some would like for a triple hopped IPA with more of a sweetness than is usual for an American IPA. The citrus flavours did play a big part in flavouring Minoh Osaru IPA but the sweetness came through from the malts with a caramel undertone being carried along to a bitter finish in the end.
Minoh Osaru IPA One Line Review
Minoh Osaru IPA is a good, drinkable American IPA that isn’t going to offend your tastebuds any time soon.
Where to Buy Minoh Osaru IPA
Minoh Osaru IPA can be bought from the Minoh Beer homepage here. I got my bottle from GoodBeer.jp here.