Hop Kotan Love Parade is a 6.5% American IPA from Hop Kotan Brewing, based in Kamifurano, in Hokkaido, Japan. It’s part of their “Freedom” lineup of beers, and as such, its availability at the time of writing is unknown. Hop Kotan Love Parade has been triple dry-hopped, which means it has seen three sets of dry-hopping during the post-fermentation stage, with the hops used in Hop Kotan Love Parade being a mix of 5 fresh ones, though which is unknown as Hop Kotan Brewing did not release that information.
Hop Kotan Love Parade Aroma and Taste
Excuse the picture, the light suddenly got turned out when I took the picture and before I knew it, Hop Kotan Love Parade had been drunk and I had no more left in the beer fridge to use.
However, Hop Kotan Love Parade did pour out a clear, golden colour with a frothy, plump white head on top that left white streaks down the side of the glass during drinking. The aroma was big, bold, and punchy, with lots of fruitiness coming through. There was lashings of aromas going on – with pineapple, mango, and guava being of note, with then a lemon and grapefruit citrus aroma following. Then there was a light dusting of pilsner malt sweetness to help move the hops along but all the hops smelt clean and fresh.
Though Hop Kotan Love Parade is labelled as an American IPA, there was some definite influence from the darling style of the moment – NE-IPA. Not in terms of appearance, but in terms of flavour as Hop Kotan Love Parade was not overly bitter, but it did pack a big fruity punch during drinking. The same aromas from the nose were apparent in the body, with the tropical and citrus flavours blending nicely with one another, and a faint sweetness in the body too. The hop flavours lingered into the aftertaste as well, with just a hint of resinous dankness coming through.
Hop Kotan Love Parade The Bottom Line
Pick up several bottles of Hop Kotan Love Parade – it’s damned tasty.
Where to Buy Hop Kotan Love Parade
Hop Kotan Love Parade can be bought online at the following places:
