Two Rabbits Oceania IPA is a 7% Mountain IPA from Two Rabbits Brewing Company, based in Omihachiman, in Shiga, Japan. It’s part of their “ocean” series of IPAs and can be found in both cans and on draught across Japan. Two Rabbits Oceania IPA takes it name from the hops that it uses, with Australia and New Zealand supplying them. The hops used in are Moutere, Vic Secret, Galaxy. Why is this a hybrid IPA? According to Two Rabbits Brewing Company, it is supposed to combing the haziness of an NE-IPA, the bitterness of a West Coast IPA, thus combining to make a mountain IPA.
Two Rabbits Oceania IPA Aroma and Taste
Two Rabbits Oceania IPA certainly got the hazy part down right, with a thick, hazy orange body and a thin amount of white head on top that, while not substantial, did cling to the side of the glass throughout drinking, leaving some thin white streaks down the side of the glass. The aroma coming off the beer was a mixture of fruitiness and dankness, and some minerals, with a slight chloride aroma peeking through. The hops’ aroma was mostly tropical – pineapple, mango, guava all being of note, and a faint underlying citrus aroma coming through more once Two Rabbits Oceania IPA had warmed up. But as the beer warmed up, the mineral component also became a bit stronger. Two Rabbits Oceania IPA had a weak sweetness from the malts – just a pinch of pilsner sweetness – that didn’t detract from the hops.
Two Rabbits Oceania IPA also had a good start with the West Coast IPA bitterness being the first “taste” to come though, but it lacked the punch that is associated with that style of beer. That was more than likely due to the hops themselves being at fault here as there were more flavoursome than bitter in the beer. The same tropical notes in the nose were present in the body, with the mineral flavours also coming through a bit more in the body too. I guess that NE-IPA are associated with chlorides to bring some “pop” into the hops, but Two Rabbits Oceania IPA had a drying effect on the palate. The fruity flavours carried on into the aftertaste, as did the chloride, leaving a slightly parched mouth feel behind.
Two Rabbits Oceania IPA The Bottom Line
Dial back the mineral additions, but then that might dilute the flavour. A tough call.
Where to Buy Two Rabbits Oceania IPA
Two Rabbits Oceania IPA can be bought online at the following places:
