Malty pale ale. It’s alright!

Cloudy gold with a small white head. Grainy pale malts. Light lemon and grainy pale malts.

33 cl bottle thanks to Ingo! On May 18, 2014. Marked 14. 9. 15.Hazy amber color, medium off-white head. Sweet, banana ester, herbal, spicy, blood orange scent. Herbal, light burnt, grainy, herbal taste. Herbal, dry, burnt pop-corn aftertaste. Medium mouthfeel, dry ashy bitterness.

Bottle, 500 yen, from Shirayuki Choujougura. A clear orange gold pour with a nice head of off-white foam. Malty caramel, grains plus orange & peach fruitiness, maybe even some saison type notes. Interesting flavor, biscuit, crackers, light caramel from the malts & fruity yeast notes-mostly lemon. Sweet but balanced by a solid malt base. A surprisingly decent everyday type of ale. Canned at a konbini I could go for this in a pinch.

330ml bottle from Yokohama Hakurankan @Yokohama Chinatown. Pours with a nice head, colour is dirty copper, hazy. Aroma is quite simple - initially some alcohol spikes, bit of fruits (apples?), also some malty bread. Quite pleasant. Taste feels a bit like a traditional homebrew - yeasty, taste variations limited, some acidity ending up in a rather dry aftertaste. Yep, it does remind me "koduõlu" that was brewed in Estonia last summer by Saku Brewery - considering that this beer should be made after the recipe of "the very first Japanese beer", this feels appropriate. Overall interesting experience, I do like it more than your usual lager.

Bottle from my wifes relative in Nagoya, Japan. A cloudy, amber coloured pour with a small white head on top. Vague fruity, yeasty aroma. Tastes similar, slightly hoppy, fruity, yeasty. Struggled to finish this one unfortunately.

Draught at Namba Craft Beer Live 2011. An attempt to re-create what legend holds to be the first beer brewed by a Japanese, in 1853. Looks and tastes like a cloudy, yeasty lager, though they say it is an ale. Grainy nose, with some tangy fruit. Cloudy pale copper color. Sweet, yeasty, cider flavors Low hops. Ok, but a bit boring.