Totopia Tartphilia : Background
Totopia Tartphilia is a 4.5% sour IPA from Totopia Brewery, based in Aichi, Japan. It’s part of their collaborative line up, with this effort having been brewed in conjunction with Sakamichi Brewing, from Tokyo, Japan. Totopia Tartphilia can be found in cans and on draught and uses Motueka CGX hops, alongside locally grown lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla beans as additional adjuncts in the beer.
Totopia Tartphilia : At A Glance
- ABV : 4.5%
- Style : Sour IPA
- Hops : Motueka CGX
- Adjuncts : Lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla beans.
- IBU :
Totopia Tartphilia : Sale Information
- Availability : Limited
- On Sale : From September 2024
- Size : 500 ml
Totopia Tartphilia : Appearance
Vibrant hazy yellow colour with a plump white head on top that collapsed to a few bubbles around the edge of the glass, and left some sticky streaks down the edge. Yeast sludge in the bottom of the glass though only noticeable at the end of drinking.
Totopia Tartphilia : Aroma
Lemon from start to finish – all the way through! Sourness from the lemon started off smooth when chilled, and became rougher as the beer warmed up. Light vanilla notes during the warm part but muted on initial aroma. Slight creaminess on the nose as well – perhaps from some lactose that had been added?
Totopia Tartphilia : Taste
Starts off with a sour twang that wasn’t too dissimilar to your usual sour IPA but this one had more of a lemony twang than a bacterial funk in it – if that makes sense?
The main flavour throughout drinking was lemon – not a surprise there really – but the vanilla did come through at the end. I didn’t really get the idea of a lemon meringue pie, if that was the flavour the can was alluding to, and it felt like an alcoholic lemonade in the end rather than a beer.
What are CGX hops?
CGX is a new method that helps to preserve more of the lupulin goodness that makes hops smell like, well, hops. The process also means less vegetal material coming through and in turn, a purer product.
Totopia Tartphilia : The Bottom Line
I’m in two minds about this – I liked but not loved it. I was left wanting something more.
Totopia Tartphilia : Where to Buy
Totopia Tartphilia can be bought online at the following places:
