Repubrew DDH Citra on Citra is an 8% double Hazy IPA from Repubrew, based in Numazu, Shizuoka. It’s part of their regular lineup, though its availability in cans varies depending on the brewing schedule. As the name suggests, the beer is brewed with a base hazy IPA using Citra hops, and then gets double dry hopped with Citra; however, it’s not solely Citra that goes into making this beer. According to Repubrew, Amarillo and Idaho 7 are also used during the dry hopping stages of making this beer, but not in the same amount as Citra.
At A Glance
Alcohol: 8%
Style: Hazy Double IPA
IBU: 9.5
Hops: Citra, Amarillo, and Idaho 7
Availability: Dependent on being brewed.
Size: 500ml
Price: From 1,000yen
On Sale: From July 2021
Notable Aromas: Citrus with a slight chloride aroma. Not sweet. Later aroma of grapefruit and mango when warm.
Repubrew DDH Citra on Citra Aroma and Taste
Before we jump into talking about Repubrew DDH Citra on Citra, let’s take a look at that can design. It’s unusual to see something as colourful or as vibrant on a can of beer in Japan, and it reminded me of those string painting pictures kids sometimes do. It’s great to see breweries putting more effort into their label designs, as they do stand out more on the shelf from non-descript labels.
Anyway, less commentary about can designs and more about Repubrew DDH Citra on Citra. The beer poured out a light golden hazy colour with a thick, sticky white head on top that left some white streaks down the side of the glass. The aroma coming off of Repubrew DDH Citra on Citra started off with a vibrant lemon aroma, before giving way to a faint salty aroma to the beer. This was expected with the beer being a hazy IPA. With this beer coming in at a 500ml, there was plenty of time for it to warm up, which really opened up the aroma and brought some grapefruit and mango to the forefront, giving it more of a punchy aroma.
In spite of the copious amount of hops that went into making Repubrew DDH Citra on Citra [see box on the right], the beer didn’t come across as overly bitter. There was a slight edge to it, but it was soft and smooth, rather than harsh and abrasive. In terms of flavour, Repubrew DDH Citra on Citra started off with a lemony one before moving onto a grapefruit and mango flavour, with the salty notes bringing some pop to the hops.
What is DDH?
Dry hopping is where brewers will add hops after the beer has finished fermenting, with the aim of improving flavour but not increasing the perceived bitterness.
Double dry hopping, or DDH in this case, uses two separate periods of dry hopping to increase the flavours, usually at two different lengths of time, with a week, and also four days being common rates.
Giving Repubrew DDH Citra on Citra a chance to warm up comes highly recommended as while it’s nice when chilled, much more of the flavour comes out when it has slightly warmed up. The lingering citrus flavours continued on into the aftertaste, with just a subtle sweetness from the malts bringing up the beer.
Repubrew DDH Citra on Citra The Bottom Line
While Repubrew DDH Citra on Citra suffers from sticker shock, it’s actually a decent beer and worth finding if you can.
