Kawaba Premium IPA is an 8% double IPA from Kawaba Beer Company, based in Gunma, Japan. It is part of their all-year round lineup and can be found in both bottles and on tap at various places across Japan. Despite Kawaba Premium IPA being a double IPA, Kawaba Beer have not announced what hops or malt went into making it.
Kawaba Premium IPA Aroma and Taste
Kawaba Premium IPA poured out a dark golden orange colour with a large amount of frothy white head on top that clung to the side of the glass throughout drinking. Kawaba Premium IPA had a prototypical American pale malt sweetness to it, with a dash of caramel thrown in for good measure, before the lemon and grapefruit flavours came screaming along. There wasn’t any hint of off-flavour to Kawaba Premium IPA, but this was a fresh bottle, less than a couple of weeks old.
With Kawaba Premium IPA promising so much with the blurb on the label, it was never going to live up to its own hype. Kawaba Premium IPA started off not with a bitter kick to the taste buds, but more of a sweet, caramel flavour before segueing into a lemony, grapefruit flavour that ended up being quite dry, yet sweet. The lingering sweetness and citrus flavours were ok, but the profile never really got past that. At 8%, there was a subtle hint of booziness to the beer when it was chilled, but that got stronger as Kawaba Premium IPA warmed up some more.
Kawaba Premium IPA The Bottom Line
Kawaba Premium IPA is an old-school double IPA. Not bad but not what I wanted.
Where to Buy Kawaba Premium IPA
Kawaba Premium IPA can be bought online at the following places:
