Vacan Craft 03 : Background
Vacan Craft 03 is a 5.5% American IPA from Utsui Brewery, based in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi. It’s part of their bottled and draught lineup, and is available all year round. Vacan Craft 03 has been brewed using locally grown Nissan koshihikari rice; however, as for hops, that’s unknown at the time of writing besides them being locally grown.

At A Glance
- ABV : 5.5%
- Style : American IPA
- Hops : –
- Adjuncts : Koshihikari rice
- IBU : –
Sale Information
- Availability : Regular
- On Sale : From September 2021
- Size : 330 ml
Vacan Craft 03 : Appearance, Aroma, and Taste
Vacan Craft 03 poured out a slightly hazy golden colour, though that haze was more than likely a chill haze as it had been stored in the fridge before serving. The head, or what was supposed to be the head, was a thin layer on top, that faded away fast to leave just a few bubbles on top.
The aroma was pretty good – I must say. If you’ve been following the write ups from Utsui Brewery, then you’ll know that the beers have really been a crap shoot. Yet I lucked out with this one. Vacan Craft 03 had a large citrus nose to the beer – think along the lines of grapefruit, lemon, and orange and you’re on the right path. It really was a delightful bouquet on the nose. Some light malt sweetness was present for the ride, with just a touch of pilsner lingering on. I couldn’t detect any off aromas in the beer.
IPAs should have a bitter bite to draw you in, and Vacan Craft 03 had just that. A bitter, yet smooth, bite to the beer which when combined with the citrus flavours, made this a really nice beer to sip on. The grapefruit, lemon, and orange flavours were present throughout, and no off flavours were detected. The beer finished off with a citrus flourish before the malts swept in, just to give a touch of sweetness in the end.
Vacan Craft 03 : The Bottom Line
A solid American IPA that while it won’t blow your socks off, is a good representation of what made IPAs so popular in the first place.
Vacan Craft 03 : Where to Buy
It can be bought online at the following places: