7

Malty pale ale. It’s alright!

5.6

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5.5 | Flavor - 5.5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

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

6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5

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.

7

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6

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.

5.8

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

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.

5.1

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

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.

5

Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5

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.