Part of the 1212 yen trial set for new customers direct from the brewery via their Rakuten page. I’m happy they switched labels the bottles look much better than the photo online. They need to update their webpage. It pours a great honey brown with a light beige verging on tan head. The aroma is powerfully malty, toffee, figs, maybe even fruitcake? Some fruitiness & possibly a touch of sourness. The taste is malty but has some cardboard, grainy & slightly bitter. I feel it is a bit off. It is alright but not their best, that was their kolsch.

Bottle from the brewery. Medium to dark amber color with a middling head. A bit cloudy. Earthy, dry aroma of chocolate, caramel, earthy hops, and just a bit of fruit. Nice and genuine. Restrained caramel malt flavor with nice dark chocolate and very nice hops. Nicely bitter, dry, finish. This finish lasts a long time. Much nicer than the last time I had it, when it obviously was off. Good, though I would prefer just a bit more malt sweetness, actually.