West Coast Hop & Escape is a 5% hoppy pilsner (is that a style?) from West Coast Brewing, based in Shizuoka, in Shizuoka, Japan. It’s part of their regular lineup and can be found in both cans and on tap. West Coast Hop & Escape is brewed using Citra and Mosaic, with a pilsner base for the style.
West Coast Hop & Escape Aroma and Taste
This is the third time I’ve had this beer – once at Twelve, second as a crowler I brought back from Shizuoka, and now this. And every single time it’s looked the same – a clear golden yellow colour with a plump white head on top that fades to a few bubbles around the outside. I don’t know if hoppy pilsner is actually a beer style – why not a hoppy wheat? – but that is exactly how West Coast Hop & Escape smells – lashings of lemon and grapefruit with some fruity peaches coming along for the ride too. There was a faint pilsner aroma once it had warmed up, but it was well hidden behind the hops.
Though West Coast Hop & Escape is labelled as hoppy, the bitterness isn’t as strong as say an American IPA, or even an American pale ale, but it is noticeable if you have just been drinking Asahi – family event, no control over the beer on the go. The bitterness fades to a lingering lemon and grapefruit body, with some hints of pilsner malt. However, unlike other West Coast Brewing beers, West Coast Hop & Escape was much drier on the palate both during drinking and after in the after taste. There was very little malt sweetness when chilled, and that only faintly changed once West Coast Hop & Escape had warmed up. It finished with a lingering citrus flavour that was smooth on the taste-buds.
West Coast Hop & Escape The Bottom Line
If only the day had been hotter, then West Coast Hop & Escape would have been great for it.
Where to Buy West Coast Hop & Escape
West Coast Hop & Escape can be bought online at the following places:
