Heisei Futou Fukutsu is an 8% double IPA from Heisei Brewing, based in Nagaoka, in Niigata, Japan. It’s part of their winter lineup and can be found in both bottles and on tap. Heisei Futou Fukutsu takes it names from the Japanese word 不撓不屈 which roughly translates to “inflexible” – I guess if you drink enough then you too could be too stubborn to change. Heisei Futou Fukutsu is brewed using Magnum, Centennial, Chinook, Citra, and Simcoe.
Heisei Futou Fukutsu : At A Glance
- Alcohol: 8%
- Style: Double IPA
- Hops: Centennial, Chinook, Citra, Magnum, and Simcoe
- Adjuncts: –
- IBU: –
Sale Information
- Availability: Winter seasonal
- On Sale: From October 2022
- Size: 330 ml
- Price: From ¥790
Aroma & Taste
- Notable Aroma: Pine with some melon and grapes and a strong malt base of pilsner malt.
- Notable Taste: Bitter punch to start with a sweet malt base that has some pine, melon, and grape notes to it. Hints of plasticky phenols when warm.
Heisei Futou Fukutsu : Aroma & Taste
I must get this off my chest – I drank Heisei Futou Fukutsu when I was coming off of a cold and I could have sworn that my wife and I were drinking something completely different. As such, this review is more of her telling me what this beer was like as I honestly thought that Heisei Futou Fukutsu was completely off and a mess of a beer.
Heisei Futou Fukutsu poured out a dark golden amber colour with a medium amount of frothy white head that left some lacing down the side of the glass. My initially findings of this beer was that something was off – I could have sworn that all I got were phenols and plastic. Thinking that it was bad, I offered my wife some and she said “ooh it’s like melons and grapes”. There was quite a strong malt base presence to Heisei Futou Fukutsu, which led me to believe it was more like an American strong ale – think Stone Arrogant Bastard – than an actual double IPA.
While the body led off with a strong bitterness, it was the fruitiness that came through with some notes of pine in the body. One thing that was present for both of us was a plasticky taste to Heisei Futou Fukutsu – not a flavour anyone really likes in their beer.
Heisei Futou Fukutsu : The Bottom Line
Heisei Futou Fukutsu isn’t a bad beer but a confusing one. No idea what it is supposed to be.
Heisei Futou Fukutsu : Where to Buy
Heisei Futou Fukutsu can be bought online at the following places:
