Coedo Marihana is a 4.5% session IPA from Coedo, based in Saitama, Japan. It first came on sale in 2014 as part of their Spring / Summer seasonal beer range but it’s been so popular in bars across Japan it seems that it’s now available all-year round. The name “marihana” doesn’t follow the usual standard for Coedo and colours, instead it’s they’ve taken the Japanese name for the part of the hop flower. It’s brewed using 2-row malt, wheat, Carapils, CaraHell, and acidulated malt, with the hoppiness coming from Cascade, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Mosaic hops.
Coedo Marihana Aroma and Taste
Ever since Uetake-san moved to Ushitora, I’ve always felt a bit sad for Coedo – some of their collaboration beers, such as Coedonado, were well-balanced and great to drink. It felt like their bottled range needed shaking up a bit, perhaps with some new styles or some rejuvenation. When Coedo Marihana first came out, I thought “wow, a session IPA from Coedo” and have been a fan of this since, though regrettably, seldom buy the bottles now because of it.
Coedo Marihana pours out a golden-straw like colour with a small amount of crystal white head – depending on where you go it seems. The aroma is full of fresh citrusy hops and a crisp sweetness of malts just managing to sneak through some of the pine nose as well. It’s a souped up pale ale with lashings of hops in there – not a bad thing by any means.
The body is as crisp as the nose with the hops being first and foremost the flavour makers. Coedo Marihana is full on hoppy citrus flavours with some more just waiting for you in the next sip. The citrus and pine notes are balanced well with hints of grapefruit and peaches in there too. The malts are a distant faint flavour in there. With the aftertaste, Coedo Marihana is no different with the hoppy bitterness lingering on the palate.
Coedo Marihana The Bottom Line
Coedo Marihana is one of Coedo’s best beers and an exellent example of a session IPA. Definitely try it when you see it.
Coedo Marihana Second Opinion by Joe – October 2017
Now available in festively green cans, this poured out extremely pale with a super hoppy and piney nose. The hoppy dryness is there in the taste, although it’s not so bitter. It’s very drinkable with a light aftertaste that isn’t too overpowering. It’s quite similar to the new Kyara recipe, though Kyara is a bit more robust and I think I prefer it to Marihana. This is still definitely worth a drink, though.
2 comments
Being a Saitama lad (not born and bred of course, but…) I’ve always been disappointed by “hometown” Coedo’s bottled offerings, which up until recently were about as crafty as a non-beer bar establishment up here would get if they served craft beer at all. But in the summer went up to play tourist in small Edo and got this on draught from one of the cafes on that main drag there, and like you was very very pleasantly surprised. People watching the young couples in their rented kimonos is pleasant enough, but sipping the Marihana was icing — or awa — on the top. Recommendation seconded!
Thanks for the comment. It’s a shame that some of Coedo’s best beers aren’t bottled at all, with no news of them being so in the future.