Otama Ume no Hana : Background
Otama Ume no Hana is a 6% hazy IPA from Otama Brewing, based in Joetsu, Niigata. It’s part of their regular lineup and can be found in both bottles and on draught. The beer is made with sake lees from Yukinakaume, a famous sake from the Joetsu region of Niigata Prefecture and uses Mosaic and Galaxy hops in the making of it. Before being made at Otama Brewing, Iwami Brewing were in charge of making this beer to a contract recipe.
At A Glance
- ABV : 6%
- Style : Hazy IPA
- Hops : Galaxy and Mosaic
- Adjuncts : Sake lees
- IBU : 15
Sale Information
- Availability : Regular
- On Sale : From November 2023
- Size : 330 ml
Otama Ume no Hana : Appearance, Aroma, and Taste
Otama Ume no Hana poured out a slightly dull golden yellow colour with barely any noticeable head on it. What head there was faded very fast to a meagre amount of bubbles on top.
The aroma from Otama Ume no Hana was hop forward with citrus being the most dominant of aromas. Grapefruit, lemon, and orange with a touch of stone fruit being noticeable as the beer warms up. With the sake lees present in the beer, it wasn’t a surprise to have a note of rice quality to the beer, with some sake quality coming through more so as the beer got warmer.
Otama Ume no Hana didn’t have a strong bitterness to it, but the hops did bring a large amount of citrus notes to the body, which were identical to the aroma – so more grapefruit, lemon, and orange. Alongside this was the aforementioned hint of sake to the beer – all very balanced – with a touch of sweetness tying it altogether.
Otama Ume no Hana : The Bottom Line
A solid hazy IPA with a good twist thanks to the sake lees.
Otama Ume no Hana : Where to Buy
It can be bought online at the following places:
