AJB Sane is an 8% double IPA from Anglo-Japanese Brewing, based in Nozawa Onsen, in Nagano, Japan. AJB Sane is part of their collaborative range with this being another entry into their Waste 2 Beer series. Though AJB Sane is available in cans and on draught, its availability is assumed to be a limited edition at the time of writing. AJB Sane uses waste products from pineapples that have been harvested in Okinawa and deemed to be misshapen or unsellable by growers.
AJB Sane : At A Glance
- Alcohol: 8%
- Style: Double IPA
- Hops: –
- Adjuncts: Pineapple
- IBU: –
Sale Information
- Availability: Limited
- On Sale: From November 2022
- Size: 350 ml
- Price: From ¥900
Aroma & Taste
- Notable Aroma: Pineapple and some light citrus notes. Low malt sweetness and bitterness.
- Notable Taste: Pineapple forward with low bitterness and sweetness. Full bodied though with lingering pineapple and citrus notes.
AJB Sane : Aroma & Taste
AJB Sane poured out a very hazy dark amber orange colour with a thin layer of white head on top that didn’t last long; however, it did leave some sticky white rings around the side of the glass. As AJB Sane uses pineapple waste, the aroma was not a surprise with it being so pineapple forward. There was a touch of light citrus to the beer as it warmed up – not enough to dominate over the pineapple but enough to be noticeable, though the malt profile was considerably muted by the pineapple and didn’t really develop into a strong enough aroma to cut through the pineapple.
AJB Sane was not that bitter considering it is an 8% double IPA. The pineapple did have a faint twang of tartness to it that was not too dissimilar to the fruit itself, but lacked the bite that fresh pineapple has on the tongue. Though AJB Sane was full bodied compared to your regular American IPA that is much lighter, this beer didn’t really have the sweetness from the malts to go with the pineapple. AJB Sane finished off with the pineapple lingering into the aftertaste and a smidgen of citrus to take off some of the edge.
AJB Sane : The Bottom Line
I like pineapple and I like IPAs but AJB Sane seems to be a case of being a pineapple beer with some alcohol added in.
AJB Sane : Where to Buy
AJB Sane can be bought online at the following places:
