Bottle from Yamaoka, 2017 version. A clear deep yellow gold with a thick white head. First wort of the year but brewed 12.20.2016??? I am left scratching my head by that. Peppery spicy saaz hop bouquet and soda bread crackery light malts. Medium bodied with a decent subtle sweetness but a crisp finish on a smooth almost slick mouthfeel. The taste is bready, white pepper, mint and even a touch of caramel sweetness (bread pudding?). Man can Bearen do German brews well, though it did go down in my estimation a bit as it warmed.

Sweet, malty, grainy mouth. Touches of honey and hay. Pleasant, but nothing outstanding.

Bottle from Yamaoka san. Aroma of rich, creamy, just slightly buttery pilsner malt with a bit of grassy hop. Slightly Urquell-like malts. Deep golden color, clear, witha nice bubbly head. Creamy, rich malt flavor, very bready and filling, more hops in the mouth, with grass and a touch of citrus, though rather moderate bitterness--just enough to balance the huge malt flavor. Full, smooth mouth. A rich and tasty malt showcase, though it needs a bit more work on the hops to be truly great.