Totopia Neophobia is a 7.1% hazy IPA from Totopia Brewery, based in Nagakute, in Aichi, Japan. It’s part of their canned and draught lineup, though its availability is unknown at the time of writing. Totopia Neophobia is brewed using Galaxy and Strata hops both during the boil and in the dry hopping stages. As for the name, neophobia is indeed the fear of new things, and with Totopia Brewery being a “new” brewery at the time of writing, I guess people are indeed going to be weary of trying something from an unknown brewery.
Totopia Neophobia : At A Glance
Basics
- Alcohol : 7.1%
- Style : Hazy IPA
- Hops : Galaxy and Strata
- IBU : –
Sale Information
- Availability : –
- On Sale : From October 2022
- Size : 500 ml
- Price : From 1,100 yen
Aroma & Taste
- Notable Aromas : Pine resinous aroma with a light dankness to it. Medium citrus and melon aroma becoming more pronounced as warm. Light malt sweetness.
- Notable Tastes : Low bitterness with a medium bodied pine and citrus flavour that lingers during drinking. Light malt sweetness in the aftertaste.
Totopia Neophobia : Aroma & Taste
Totopia Neophobia poured out a slightly hazy dull golden colour with a thick sticky head that, as you can see in the picture above, left some thick lacing around the edge of the glass. The aroma coming off the beer though was potent resinous pine aroma, with a light sweet dankness to it – and for want of a better expression or adjective – that was definitely bud-like. And that’s not the beer I am referring to. As Totopia Neophobia warmed up, more of the citrus and melon aromas came though, with the citrus being mostly lemon and grapefruit, and alongside that came a light malt sweetness to round out the aroma.
The body began with a smooth, but low, bitterness that was definitely a misleading punch as quicker after came the pine resinous body that was sticky icky, to quote Snoop Dogg. The dankness did ease up and let some of the citrus flavours come through, and those citrus notes lingered through into the aftertaste, bringing with them a light malt sweetness to round out Totopia Neophobia.
Totopia Neophobia : The Bottom Line
Totopia Neophobia is a damn nice beer that I want more of – let’s hope it is part of Totopia’s regular lineup.
Totopia Neophobia : Where to Buy
Totopia Neophobia can be bought online at the following places: