4.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 4
Flavor 4
Texture 6
Overall 4
Bottle picked up at Tokyo Station’s Liquor Hasegawa. Drunk at home from a pint glass. I bought it for about 470 yen to finish off trying all 4 of their beers as they’d been sold out when I went to the brewery. A very clear light copper pour with a foamy head that lingers for quite a while. Buttery fruity caramel in the nose. Medium bodied with a smooth enough mouthfeel. The taste is obviously butterscotch, some grains, a bit of fruitiness and a slight ascerbic lightly bitter finish. This wasn’t bought at the source and tastes the worst of the three - like it has gone off though it says best by July 3rd, 2014. Drinkable but I’d rather not. Diacetyl is quite prominent.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Jun 2014
at 04:16
6.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle from Hasegawa. Chocolate and caramel nose, some soy, raisins, licorice, chewy fudge. Not at all burnt. Black with a low, persistent head. Medium sweetness, low roast, chewy malts, light minerals, slightly fruity with orange. More like a porter, as it isn’t all that burnt. Tasty though, rich malt without being cloying. Pretty good, though not surprising or original.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Mar 2014
at 05:28
6.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle from Hasegawa. Mellow, malty nose, biscuits and soft herbal hops. Helles-like. Bright gold with a low, thick head. Soft grainy malts, biscuit, light lemon, grass, a touch of minerals. Nice helles flavor. Light but solid bitterness, malt-forward. Not too sweet though. Nice. Tasty and very quaffable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Mar 2014
at 02:16
6.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle picked up directly from the brewery in Numazu for 450 yen. Served in a pint glass, A nice looking dark cola looking pour with beige head that quickly vanished leaving behind little to no lacing. The aroma is one of cocoa powder & chocolate. The taste is nutty, roasty, toasted coffee beans & chocolate but the body is medium to thin for the style with a bit too much effervescence. Not bad. Probably the best of the 3 beers I picked up, alas they were out of their Pale Ale.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Jan 2014
at 00:09
6.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Bottle, 6% about 450 yen from the brewery in Numazu, Japan drunk at home from a pint glass. Stylistically they’ve nailed the color again as it pours a clear amber brown with a fluffy beige head. The aroma is malty sweet with mild toffee notes & some fruitiness to it. The taste is syrupy, sweet, cacao, nutty, biscuity while the mouthfeel is a touch chalky. Not bad but it isn’t so balanced, the sweetness begins to get a bit cloying. It needs more hops to balance it out a bit. That being said, I would say though it is in the ballpark for an amber beer and fairly to style.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Jan 2014
at 00:18
6.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 5
bottle picked up at the brewery in Numazu. These guys have a very small distribution network though they do sell online. Crystal clear straw gold lager look, fluffy white head, sweet, fruity(grape?) & grassy aroma. The taste is a bit chalky, soft malts giving mild biscuit/graham notes with a slightly acidic but sweet fruity finish. Kind of unusual for a lager but not bad. Then again I don’t like typical lagers...
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Jan 2014
at 04:35
5.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle, picked up at Lambert wine shop in Kyoto. Fruity, honey nose, cherry, orange, caramel, and toffee. Diacetyl too. Clear reddish-orange-brown with a low, thick head. somewhat pretty. Sweet, medicinal, fruity. Lots of toffee, slightly roasted, candy, cherries. Cloying. No hops to speak of. Not disgusting, but very sweet and one-dimensional.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Nov 2013
at 05:59