Kunitachi Hop Filament Tango is a 6% American IPA from Kunitachi Brewery, based in Kunitachi, in Tokyo, Japan. It’s part of their single hop series of beers, with this one using imported German Tango hops from BET. Kunitachi Hop Filament Tango can be found in bottles as well as on tap, though its availability is limited.
Kunitachi Hop Filament Tango : At A Glance
- Alcohol : 6%
- Style : Single Hop American IPA
- IBU : Unknown
- Hops : German Tango
- Availability : Limited
- On Sale : From September 2021
- Size : 350 ml bottle
- Price : From 700 yen
- Notable Aromas : Citrus aroma with strong dank resinous nose. Berries and passion fruit also present when warm. Light dusting of malt that was sweet.
Kunitachi Hop Filament Tango : Aroma and Taste
This is the second time I’ve had this beer – I was at a beer event space in Komae and they had Kunitachi Brewery beers on tap. I enjoyed them so much that I ended up getting a four back to take away and Kunitachi Hop Filament Tango was one of the highlights of that. How did it translate into being bottled and stored cold? Very well.
Kunitachi Hop Filament Tango poured out a darkish golden orange colour with a plump white head on top that faded to a few bubbles around the side of the glass. The aroma was an interesting one – the typical citrus aromas came through, but it was the other mixing of the other aromas that got me hooked. The nose was loaded with a strong dank resinous aroma that got stronger as the beer warmed up, but it wasn’t that that caught me. It was the other aromas of berries and passion fruit that drew me in. A single hop beer is always a tough balance but with Kunitachi Hop Filament Tango, the aromas were delightful.
With such a delightful nose to a beer, Kunitachi Hop Filament Tango had a tough act to follow in the body but it did follow it up and it did it very well. The dank citrus flavours were at the forefront of the flavours, balanced out by a smooth, but generous, bitterness to the beer. But once again, it was the other flavours that came through, with the berries and passion fruit proving to be the star of the beer. There was just a light dusting of malt sweetness but not much to detract from the hops.
It Does Take Two to Tango.
If you haven’t heard of Tango hops, then you’re not alone. Their original name was the catchy “2011/02/04” and have been grown since 2020 in the Hallertau region of Germany.
Tango hops are the offspring crossing between US Cascade and German Hüll hops.
The aftertaste was a lingering fruity one, with the dank stickiness leaving a sticky feeling on the tongue that meant the berries and passion fruit continued to remain. The only regret I have of this beer is buying just the one.
Kunitachi Hop Filament Tango : The Bottom Line
I hope Kunitachi Hop Filament Tango is made again in the future as this was a brilliant beer that I would easily drink more of if given the chance.
Kunitachi Hop Filament Tango : Where To Buy It
Kunitachi Hop Filament Tango can be bought online at the following places:
