Chichibu Kireina Shirokuma is a 7% NE-IPA from Chichibu Beer, based in Chichibu, in Saitama, Japan. It’s part of their limited edition lineup and can be found in bottles and on tap in a limited number of places. Chichibu Kireina Shirokuma is a collaboration beer with Chiba-based craft beer bar Beer O’Clock, who celebrated their sixth anniversary in 2019. It’s brewed with apple juice and also black honey to show the image of a jumbo curry toast – though why they chose that image from the media is a bit weird.
Chichibu Kireina Shirokuma Aroma and Taste
Chichibu Kireina Shirokuma poured out a hazy brownish orange colour with what can only be described as a very thing white head on top – it was so thin that soon after the picture had been taken, it disappeared to a couple of white foamy spots on top of the beer. I would love to say that the aroma coming off Chichibu Kireina Shirokuma was a beautiful nuanced bouquet of apples and rich honey, but it wasn’t. It was a muddled mess of oxidised juice and hops, along with some funky yeast aroma that could have been phenolic but also had some slight sulphur-like nose to it. Moreover, the beer had clear lumps of yeast floating around – I knew what was going to happen on later that evening because of that remaining yeast, but I shall spare you all the details.
The body to Chichibu Kireina Shirokuma was noticeably thin from the outset. It lacked body and tasted much thinner than other NE-IPAs. And the saltiness was also apparent too – a little bit is to be expected but Chichibu Kireina Shirokuma was of a level higher than usual. The only good thing I can say about the beer was at least the honey brought a faint glimmer of hope with its sweetness but then the funky yeasty flavours came through, bringing with it some oxidised papery notes to it.
Chichibu Kireina Shirokuma The Bottom Line
Chichibu Kireina Shirokuma is a terrible example of a NE-IPA – give it a wide berth.
Where to Buy Chichibu Kireina Shirokuma
Chichibu Kireina Shirokuma can be bought online at the following places:
