Aoi Brewing Paid Vacation IPA is a 6.5% English IPA from Aoi Brewing, based in Shizuoka, Japan. Aoi Brewing Paid Vacation IPA is part of their bottled lineup and has also been seen on tap across primarily the Chubu and Kanto areas. It’s brewed using Maris Otter Ale Malt, Crystal Malt and Munich Malt with Challenger, Fuggle, and Kent Golding hops from the UK.
Aoi Brewing Paid Vacation IPA Aroma and Taste
Having not tried any of Aoi Brewing’s beers before – not for want of looking – it was only a chance mail from the brewery that I came across Aoi Brewing Paid Vacation IPA. It poured out a dark amber copper colour with a small amount of frothy white head on top that faded to a beige oily ring on top. The beer was more malt forward than your usual American IPA, so don’t go expecting bold hop aromas as Aoi Brewing Paid Vacation IPA is very much a restrained English IPA. The sweetness from the caramel came through immediately, until some mild spicy floral hop aroma followed through, but like most things from Britain, the aromas were mild and restrained.
Drinking Aoi Brewing Paid Vacation IPA made me think of the English IPAs I grew up drinking – malt forward with some hints of bitterness but nothing overpowering or offensive. The body was slightly woody, with hints of cedar, and some lemony flavours but they faded as soon as they came through. Aoi Brewing Paid Vacation IPA was medium bodied, with caramel being perhaps the strongest flavour out of all, though it was rather muted. It finished off with the mild bitterness lingering for a few seconds before quickly fading away.
Aoi Brewing Paid Vacation IPA The Bottom Line
Aoi Brewing Paid Vacation IPA is an easy-drinking beer, but to call it an IPA is stretching it as the bitterness is towards the bottom end of the IPA level.
Where to Buy Aoi Brewing Paid Vacation IPA
Aoi Brewing Paid Vacation IPA can be bought online at the following places:
1 comment
I just had a bottle, bought at Hasegawa in Tokyo station last week. I like it, as some of the strong bitter IPAs are a bit too bitter for me, so this one is just fine for me. But as you said, calling it an IPA does not really fit for this beer.