On tap at CRAFT Sukhumvit, pours black with a small tan head. Aroma brings out toasted malt, a touch of caramel and some molasses. Flavour is soft, with molasses, toasted malt and some bitter cocoa on the finish, with an almost sour tinge. It's decent, but doesn't seem optimal in this state. Not bad.

Rich deep dark brown coloured body with a nice tan head, about two centimetres tall. Aroma of rich malt, roast, raisins and a good deal of toffee and caramelised sugars. Medium-bodied; Rich malty flavour with some scotch, peat, grain, alcohol and a lot of roast noticeable and some good sugars. Aftertaste is a bit more robust with some scotch and peat notes throughout, but a lot of caramel and toffee and a robust maltiness near the end. Overall, a very good beer with a great flavour throughout that you don’t expect much from Japan, with the rich caramelised malts coming through in a big way. I sampled this 333 mL bottle purchased from City’Super! in Harbour City, Kowloon, Hong Kong on 02-July-2014 for HK$24,00 sampled at home in Washington on the other end of the world on 15-July-2017 a few hours before leaving for Japan.

Bottle from Saveur Biere. Black with a light brown head. Aroma is sweet, malty, roasted malt and dark bread. Flavor is medium sweet and light bitter. Sweet and roasted light bitter finish. 040717

Bottle 330ml. @ 32th Pigs Ear Beer and Cider Festival 2015, at The Round Chapel in Hackney, London, England. [ As Coedo Shikkoku Black Lager ].[ Courtesy of WingmanWillis ]. Clear dark red brown colour with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, bread, roasted, dark malt. Flavor is moderate sweet and light to moderate bitter with a average to long duration, dark malt, bread, malty. Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft to flat. [20151203] 6-4-7-3-13

Bottle shared at Leightons place 31/05/2017. Many thanks the Wingman Dave for this one. A dark mahogany brown coloured pour with a halo of beige head. Aroma is sweet brown malts, rustic Rye bread, kvas, apple, malty. Flavour is composed of tangy malts, brown bread, apple, Rye bread, dusty. Palate is dusty, semi sweet, moderate carbonation. Malty.

Bottle split at Hackney Levels, thanks to the Wingmane, 31/05/17. Mahogany brown with a decent tan cap. Nose is spice, charr, dark malts, cocoa, burnt toffee. Taste comprises charr, dark fruit rinds, treacle toffee, charr, spice, cocoa rub. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, drying close. Ok for style.

Bottle shared in London - thanks to Dave. Pours clear brown with a foamy, off-white head. The nose holds lightly toasted brown bread, a little toffee, earth. Light sweet flavour with more brown bread character, raisins, light cocoa, paper. Light bodied with average carbonation. OK balance to finish, with further light cocoa, raisins, brown bread. Not bad.

Bottle thanks to WW. It pours deep brown with a small beige head. The aroma is earthy, toasty, roasted malt, coffee grounds and dirt. The taste is drying, bitter, earthy, wood, leather, toasty nut, mild acidity, charred stuff, dried fruits and tar with a drying, earthy coffee finish. Medium body and average carbonation. Not so bad.