Minamishinshu Cask IPA : Background
Minamishinshu Cask IPA is a 9% barrel-aged IPA from Minamishinshu Beer Company, based in Nagano. It’s part of their premium range of beers, which is just another way to say seasonal, with this beer being released randomly throughout the year. Each version is is fermented and aged in bourbon barrels previously used to mature whisky from Honbo Shuzo’s Mars Shinshu Distillery. This version uses Mosaic and Williamette hops, though the hop bill does change on a yearly basis, so by the time you’ve got this in your hands, you may well end up drinking something different.
At A Glance
- ABV : 9%
- Style : Barrel Aged IPA
- Hops : Mosaic and Williamette
- Adjuncts : –
- IBU : 57
Sale Information
- Availability : Irregular
- On Sale : –
- Size : 330 ml
Minamishinshu Cask IPA : Appearance, Aroma, and Taste
If you’re expecting something lively or vibrant, then Minamishinshu Cask IPA may leave you disappointed as I’ve seen more life in a glass of water than this beer. As it limped out of the glass, there was the faintest attempt at showing some life, before the beer gave up all hope and just went “screw this, that’s all you’re getting from me!” and then settling into the glass. Even the colour of the beer looked insipid and “off”.
It seems strange to have used such a vibrant hop in the form of Mosaic, and then aging the beer in bourbon barrels for over 100 days – Mosaic is a fresh hop that works so much better in a fresh setting, not in something like this. While the bourbon notes came through, along with a clean woody aroma, the actual hops were muted in comparison and you’d be hard done by to try and pick them out.
The body though did have some smooth, well-rounded bitterness to begin with, before segueing into the prototypical bourbon aged flavours – a little bit of heat was also present from the whiskey notes, and a touch of woodiness. Yet again, the hops were lost in the mix and you’d be hard pushed to actually find anything in the beer that would identify this is an IPA. The lingering woody notes finally gave way to some slight pine but it could have been my brain playing tricks on me – hoping for some sense of IPA in it all.
Minamishinshu Cask IPA : The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a beer that is just bourbon aged and missing the IPA flavours, then go straight for Minamishinshu Cask IPA. If you’re looking for an IPA with hoppiness, then avoid this one.
Minamishinshu Cask IPA : Where to Buy
It can be bought online at the following places:
