Belching Beaver Crush the Kaiju Review (WCIPA 6.9%)

Craft Beer Review: Belching Beaver / Crush the Kaiju / (WCIPA 6.9%)

This article is based on a past tasting experience and was updated in June 2025.

Here’s an introduction to a recommended craft beer! Use this as a reference for your next beer choice!

What Kind of Craft Beer Is This?

Beer Characteristics

While Belching Beaver is famous for their one-of-a-kind Peanut Butter Milk Stout, their IPAs are also award-winning caliber in San Diego, the holy land of craft beer.

Their No Worries IPA was even selected in the Nikkei newspaper’s “Top 10 Craft Beer IPAs” — their accomplishments just keep growing!

This time, at the initiative of Belching Beaver’s Sales Director Marc, a limited IPA was brewed exclusively for Japanese fans.

The recipe, style, name, and package design were all created by the Belching Beaver team and Nagano Trading.

A giant kaiju appearing in nighttime Tokyo… but its face is kind of cute, don’t you think?

Brewed with generous amounts of Mosaic and Citra hops, this is a clean-drinking, clear-colored West Coast IPA.

The can features an eye-catching label of the beloved beaver mascot strolling through nighttime Tokyo, but the taste is ultra-orthodox — a masterfully crafted IPA with meticulously balanced hops.

Hop fruitiness, bitterness, body, carbonation, and drinkability — they aimed for a comfortable balance that never gets old, no matter how many you drink.

“Crush” literally means to destroy or pulverize, but in beer slang, to “crush” a beer means to drink it down in no time.

This was air-shipped immediately after completion, arriving in Japan in peak-fresh condition.

This is a limited quantity release, so don’t miss out!

From the importer:

【ふるさと納税】 ビール クラフトビール 鶴居村 12本セット Brasserie Knot レギュラービール4種各2本 + 道東 限定 ビール 4本 craft beer ブラッスリーノット お中元 パーティー お歳暮 価格：30000円（税込、送料無料) (2023/1/21時点) 楽天で購入

Check out our regularly updated list of recommended craft beers available on Rakuten!

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Craft Beer Review

Appearance

Absolutely opaque haze — you can’t see through it at all. And this is a WCIPA?

Aroma

Aroma (Orthonasal)

Citra Mosaic Elegant. Refined. Slightly oily — there’s almost a rich ramen broth quality to it, but the tropical character is even stronger. The tropical notes aren’t overdone. Ripe melon oiliness and lollipop candy.

Flavor (Retronasal)

Slightly grassy. A hint of licorice, followed by tropical Mosaic. The Mosaic expression is beautiful. They’re right on the edge — any more and grassy or earthy notes would start to stick out. Delicious. Despite the strong malt, I was slightly surprised the black tea character wasn’t more prominent. Yet there’s a slight toasted malt-like flavor. (Without any unpleasant burnt malt bitterness.)

Taste

Mouthfeel

Heavy. Slick mouthfeel. Has a hazy quality.

Body & Texture

Citra’s freshness hits the palate, then Mosaic’s gum and chicle quality bursts open. Beautiful Citra Mosaic. Not spicy at all. Seems like it would appeal to Japanese palates. Hard to believe this is a WCIPA, but it’s incredibly delicious. The bitterness profile and malt character do feel WCIPA-like. The barley tea-like quality that accompanies the bitterness is really nice. However, it feels a bit heavy to be called a WCIPA.

The Swallow

Gentle. No harshness at all. Hop bitterness spreads softly. Strong chicle quality. Slightly licorice. Fresh lemon.

Aftertaste

Like the coating of karaage (Japanese fried chicken) with lemon squeezed on it, washed down with a lemon sour, then chewing gum to cleanse it all. The complexity of this beer is mesmerizing. How many beverages can express flavors this complex?

Overall Impression

I wish they’d label this as hazy…

At the Bottom

Marmalade aroma. Not spicy. Like overly concentrated marmalade.

Check out our roundup of craft beer Furusato Nozei (hometown tax) picks below.

クラフトビールのふるさと納税完全ガイド

ふるさと納税で手に入るクラフトビールをブルワリー別にまとめました。納税先を検討中の方は参考にしてください。

rihobeer.com

2024.07.05

Check out our regularly updated list of recommended craft beers available on Rakuten!

Best Craft Beer on Rakuten (March 2026 Update)

Best Craft Beer on Rakuten (Updated March 2026)This article is based on past tasting experiences and was updated with th...

rihobeer.com

2022.10.22

Overall Rating

Where to Buy

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Craft Beer Review: Belching Beaver / Crush the Kaiju / (WCIPA 6.9%) FAQ

What does

Craft Beer Review: Belching Beaver / Crush the Kaiju / (WCIPA 6.9%) taste like?

Craft Beer Review: Belching Beaver / Crush the Kaiju / (WCIPA 6.9%) is a West Coast IPA-style beer. Please see the article above for a detailed review of its taste, aroma, and appearance.

Where can I buy

Craft Beer Review: Belching Beaver / Crush the Kaiju / (WCIPA 6.9%)?

It may be available at craft beer specialty stores and online shops. If it’s hard to find, check out our recommended craft beer feature for other great options.

Are there other recommended West Coast IPA brands?

We review many West Coast IPAs on this site. Complete Guide to Dank IPA and DDH/TDH Beer Guideare also great references.

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