3.2

Appearance - 3 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 3 | Overall - 14

Bottiglia. Il gusto al naso è indirizzato verso l'orzo tostato. L'olfatto viene stimolato in maniera normale e l'esistenza olfattiva è sufficiente. Il manto birroso superiore è caratterizzato da una schiuma che resiste abbastanza. La grandezza delle bollicine è medio-fine. La parte liquida si presenta velata. Bollicine fini costituiscono la forma del perlage, con carbonazione persistente. Il colore è ambrato. Il corpo è rotondo. L'amaro è pronunciato. La forza gustativa è elevata. La continuità gustativa è buona. Le sensazioni boccali finali risultano di pronta beva. Il retrogusto è di media intensità. Al gusto vengono donati toni di caramello, miele, frutta secca, pane tostato, resina, erba e agrumi.

6.9

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

330ml bottle from School of Animals, Kuala Lumpur. Poured a hazy dark brown colour with a thin off-white head. The aroma is toffee caramel. The flavour is moderate to light sweet, with a smooth, dry, earthy, light sweet caramel malt, light hop bitter palate. Medium bodied with average to soft carbonation.

8.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Recently: Lovely sticky maltiness. Nice hoppiness and a brown bread malty finish. Lovely stuff!

Previously:Bottle at home bought at Morioka Shinkansen station I believe. Copper coloured with golden bubbly head. Aroma is lots of caramel, hint of dijon mustard (!! maybe I have lost it) rich maltiness and orchard fruity. Taste is less exciting, very malty, light caramel but somehow salty too. Nice enough. I quite like it, and will drink it again, but couldn't have more than one in a row. Light bitterness at the finish.

6

Bought a 330ml bottle at Takashimaya near Osaka Namba. Dark copper color, medium carbonation, nice bready caramel malt sweetness balancing the typical dry alt aftertaste. Medium body. Well made alt, better than I expected to find in Japan. Would like to try more from this brewery.

6.8

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

Bottle from Tanakaya back in 2014. Light caramel and malt notes with some light grassy hops. Well-balanced on the palate with average carbonation and a medium body. Malt-forward but with some nice light peppery hops on the finish. Not a bad alt at all.

7.2

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6

On tap at Bakujun in Kyoto. This beer poured a very clear reddish brown color. The flavor was well balanced with lots of maltiness followed by a mild hoppy aftertaste. It was very smooth & easy to drink, I think it would make a good session beer. Looking at their other reviews I guess they got rid of the cloudiness!

----2017---- Bottle from the brewery, it is a pretty classic style alt and much better than most I've had outside Japan (I'm looking at you North America!) and while it isn't the most exciting style it is a solid brew so I am bumbing this up from the original 3.1 to 3.4 which I rank as an alright average brew. For the style I could go to 3.5 or perhaps even 3.6 this year this beer has been consistent, clear, crisp and on point.

5.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

Neutral aroma. Cloudy amber good lace. Mellow, well balanced flavours akin to a pale ale, definitely not a alt. Ok session beer.

6.8

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

Bottled. Cloudy reddish brown, small head. Buttery earthy nose. Sweet and fruity with medium body. Notes of bubblegum and ash. Long salty bitterness.

6.8

Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

2009 version. Draught at Beer Cafe Barley. Cloudy, muddy, brown color. Very unattractive. Aroma of caramel, earth, and some fruit with a bit of hops. Caramel, gumball flavor, with decent hopping. A bit earthy and fruity. Nice balance, and reasonably complex. Very drinkable, with a decent hoppy finish. Relatively genuine. Maybe the best Japanese alt yet.

6.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6.5

Deep mahogany color. Black tea, noble hops and caramel strike me in the nose. This theme continues with an added dose of cookies, in the moderately thin and bitter mouth. On the way to being great, but still needs work.