Home Beer Review Hakone Odawara Lemon by Hakone Beer

Hakone Odawara Lemon by Hakone Beer

by Rob
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Hakone Odawara Lemon is a 4.5% fruit beer from Hakone Beer, based in Hakone, Japan. It’s part of their late spring / early summer seasonal lineup and can be found in both bottles, though that was limited to 3000, and on tap primarily across the Kanto area. Hakone Odawara Lemon is brewed using locally sourced lemons from Odawara – the main area just before getting into Hakone town itself. There are hundreds upon thousands of lemon trees that line the roads and train lines in the area so it only makes sense for a lemon beer to come from the area. If it matters, a special fertiliser, called umitodashi, was used in the growing of the lemons.

Hakone Odawara Lemon

Peppery and lemony.

Hakone Odawara Lemon Aroma and Taste

Lemon and beer – not one that is often seen in Japan with the preferred fruits being yuzu or oranges really. In fact, the only other lemon beer I remember having is Fukuyama Setouchi Lemon Ale and that didn’t turn out too well, and I remember it for how bad it was. Seriously, go read the review and I bet it says something about being disgusting or foul.

Thankfully Hakone Odawara Lemon poured out a bright golden colour with a light frothy white head on top that faded to a few bubbles around the edge of the glass. It had a subtle lemony nose with hints of pepper and some light biscuit malt. So far, not a bad smelling beer though fairly one dimensional in times of aromas expected and got. There was no hop aroma from it, but if there was, then the lemons masked it.

The peppery snap in the nose was present in the body, with hints of lemon coming through too. Hakone Odawara Lemon was definitely all about the lemons, with the flavour being neither overpowering nor tart. Again, like the nose, the body was one-dimensional; however, on a hot day, I can imagine Hakone Odawara Lemon going down very well when it is chilled down. If you’re looking for a malty flavour, then you might be disappointed as it was lacking until some light sweetness in the aftertaste but that was it.

Hakone Odawara Lemon The Bottom Line

Hakone Odawara Lemon is a nice drinkable fruit beverage but to call it a beer is a bit of a misnomer. It’s fruit all the way with it.

Where to Buy Hakone Odawara Lemon

Hakone Odawara Lemon can be bought at the following places online:

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