North Island Full Swing is an 8% double IPA from North Island Beer, based in Ebetsu, in Hokkaido, Japan. It’s part of their seasonal lineup, and can be found in both bottles and on tap. North Island Full Swing is brewed using Cascade, Centennial, and Simcoe hops. North Island Full Swing takes its name from North Island Beer’s efforts with various local baseball teams and the idea of taking a full gulp of beer after a game.
North Island Full Swing : At A Glance
Basics
- Alcohol : 8%
- Style : Double IPA
- Hops : Cascade, Centennial, Simcoe
- IBU : 100
Sale Information
- Availability : Spring seasonal
- On Sale : From March
- Size : 330 ml
- Price : From 620 yen
Aroma & Taste
- Notable Aromas : Pine and caramel aroma, with subtle citrus fruits. Light alcohol heat when warm.
- Notable Tastes : Big, bold, brash bitterness with dank pine notes and citrus background. Lingering alcohol heat.
North Island Full Swing : Aroma & Taste
I first had North Island Full Swing at Beer Bar North Island while I was in Sapporo – it’s pretty rare for me to see some of the seasonal and limited edition beers from North Island Full Swing on tap, so you bet I was going to try some. North Island Full Swing came out a slightly hazy golden amber colour with a large, frothy white head on top with left some white streaks down the side of the glass. The aroma was a classic American West Coast IPA, though with it being a double IPA, everything was amplified – a big brash pine dank aroma with some citrus lemon and grapefruit. As North Island Full Swing warmed up, there was an underlying alcohol heat to the beer but not abrasive.
The body started off unashamedly with a big, brash, bitterness to it that was a punch to the taste buds. Once they had recovered, North Island Full Swing brought with it a dank, pine flavour and then some citrus flavours too. North Island Full Swing doesn’t hold back – I guess apt really with its name – and carries all of flavours through into the aftertaste, which is more of that lingering pine and citrus body. There was a touch of alcohol heat to the beer as it warmed up, but unlike the flavours, it wasn’t bold or brash, more warming.
North Island Full Swing : The Bottom Line
North Island Full Swing harks back to a day of big, bold, brash beers – nostalgic and tasty but not for all.
North Island Full Swing : Where To Buy
North Island Full Swing can be bought online at the following places:
