3.9

Appearance - 2 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 3.5

Can. Seems still to be made at Niigata Beer. Nose is caramel. Not particularly rich or nice, but nothing completely off either. Maybe a bit metallic. Pours a muddy, ugly brown. Not close to Blonde, and crappy looking. Flavor is not pleasant. Sweet caramel, metal, plastics. Not gross, but close to it. Probably will be gross once it warms. Body is also soft and flabby. Seems Niigata is making whisky now too. They never learned to make beer.

5

Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 4.5 | Flavor - 5.5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5

Dirty coppery blond. Bready and yeasty with a touch of butterscotch. Caramel and bready notes with a light apple in the finish.

5

330ml can from 7-11 at the Miyajima ferry terminal, filled 20 days ago. 4.5%. Very light red, with little head. Low hops, but an interesting caramel malt flavor, hints of salt almost like soy. Slightly sour. Not bad. From the other reviews (fresher beer maybe better reviews?) I expect it's got wild yeast and that would of course make it change (worse in this case) over time. Curious if they make natural/spontaneous fermentation beers.

4.1

Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4.5

Bottle thanks to Dusan & Simona. Probably infected. Fruity, apricot, acetic. Not really good unfortunately.

4.2

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

Can, picked up by my loving wife in Kyoto. (My wife went to Japan and all I got was this lousy blond ale :)) Pours quite hazy apricot, small fizzy white head, dissipates quickly with a bit of lacing perhaps. Aroma is very corny, grains, honey. Flavor is light plus sweet, light bitter, hmmm. Light plus body. Corn and more corn.

4.9

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 4.5

Bottle shared at a tasting at Alexey & Rafaela’s place. Thanks mom for this bottle! 4.5%. Cloudy golden with a white head. Aroma of some honey, some fruitiness, a bit of graininess, and yeast. Slightly sweetish flavor with a sourish note, honey, a candy note, some fruitiness and yeast. Light to medium-bodied.

5.9

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

330 ml can from the Miyajima ferry terminal shop. Yellow with off-white head. Aromas of caramel, malt, syrup, candied citrus. Tastes of caramel, light floral, sweet malt, applesauce. Medium-light body with a dry finish.