Uchu Brewing (うちゅうブルーイング ) “Dark Matter (#311)” DDH IPA

Name: Dark Matter (#311)
Brewer: UchuBrewing うちゅうブルーイング (Japan)
Style: Specialty IPA: New England IPA
ABV: 6.5%
Review Year: 2021

Dark Matter (#311) is a double dry-hopped IPA brewed by Uchu Brewing from Hokuto City, Japan. An ode to the invisible matter that fills the universe, this beer revolves around two popular hop varieties, Citra and Galaxy.

Uchu Brewing is a space-themed craft brewery in Hokuto City, Yamanashi, and was founded by Masahiro Kusunose and Rumiko Suzuki in 2018. Head brewer Kasunose skipped high school to become a bassist in a hardcore punk band and, has, interestingly, only started drinking craft beer in 2016. Before brewing on his own, Kasunose spent two months in 2017 at Outsider Brewing in Kofu mentored by Satoshi Niwa. The other half of Uchu is Suzuki who traded in her Osaka city life for the quiet farm life in Kochi after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States. She is currently in charge of the brewery’s marketing, creative direction, and events. The two crossed paths as Kasunose and Suzuki became involved in environmental activism in which they practice strongly with their brewery.

STYLE GUIDELINES

This beer is being evaluated as a Specialty IPA: New England IPA (21B) in the context of the provisional guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) for the said beer style. The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.

TASTING NOTES

Hazy pale gold; medium white head with fair retention. A mild duality of floral and bright citrus fruit aromas was noted initially. Revisiting, the duality was at a moderate intensity and featured additional yet low resiny and herbal accents. Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, with a low gritty/ chalky afterfeel. Dark Matter featured a fruity hop-forward flavor profile with mango, pineapple, and orange pith taking the charge moderately. Floral, cantaloupe, and berries followed in a similar fashion with a resiny flavor more evident as the beer settled. Malt character was supportive and bready. Perceived bitterness was moderately low, while finish was off-dry. A subtle yet complex aftertaste lingered with orange pith, pineapple, resin, herbs, and anise.

THE VERDICT

Dark Matter by Uchu Brewing is a superbly drinkable and balanced (bitterness vs. sweetness) beer that showcased candidly hop complexity. The aroma had an interesting floral and citrusy character, but the intensity could still be increased by a notch or two. Moreover, Dark Matter only made its presence known after a while, with a mosaic of hop flavors surfacing late. This is why we recommend enjoying this beer not too cold. The subtle gritty/ chalky afterfeel, which is likely from the water used, could still be lessened. Very good.

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