Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4.5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 5 | Overall - 4
Update: sampled one of the tiny little cans, just for fun. Bright yellow, full creamy head. Light lacing. Sour and lemony aroma. Creamy zesty flavor with balanced finish. Light sourness and a hint of sulfur.
I thought I'd update the old 10/7/2002 rating here on 6/1/2025, though I can't say it needs it, my original notes above are right on the money for the most part. Clear golden yellow, modest head. Nose is sulfur right at first open and pour, just as I noted over 20 years ago. Flavor is grain, mildly bitter hop. Hoppier than most international lagers, with a lingering bitterness. It's a flat herbal bitterness though. No lemon, even though that is a supposed trait of their Sorachi Ace hops. The sulfur sits somewhere between light struck (which its not, this is from a silver can) and catty hops. I've lowered the score only slightly from 4.9 to 4.8, mainly lowering the aroma and overall, and bumping up the texture a little (cuz its not too watery or anything).
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed Yebisu (Premium) from Sapporo Breweries 23 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6
This beer is a study in contradictions: The label calls it a "Stout Draft" in one place (and who knows that that is), then it reads "100% malt" and "brewed from 100% fine barley malt and select hops" elsewhere. Which is it? Anyway, this is definitely the best Asian beer I have come across so far, but still not a great brew. Still, I think Sapporo may be on to something. Pours a very orange color with a medium off-white head. Medium sweet malt aroma. Lightly sweet malt flavor and medium effervescence. There was some hops in the finish but everything seemed understated about this beer. Nothing really stood out, but if I am in Japan I will order this before a Sapporo or Kirin.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4.5
Faint hop-flavour and the nothing!..........................................
Appearance - 2 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 2 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 3
I couldn't pick this out in a blind taste test with Kirin Ichiban. Are there any really good Japanese beers out there? Yellow, fizzy, and weak.
omhper (44752) reviewed Yebisu (Premium) from Sapporo Breweries 23 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4.5
Golden coloured. Sweet and malty with rather low bitterness. Average........
omhper (44752) reviewed Premium Black from Sapporo Breweries 23 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6
Black. Somewhat sweetish with burnt flavours. Rather bitter. ..............
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5.5
Toasty, dryish, with some dark malt development. Could do with a little less carbonation.
Oakes (33493) reviewed Yebisu (Premium) from Sapporo Breweries 25 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5
Not what one would call mind-blowing, but a decent dortmunder style lager...
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Malty sweet, and full-bodied. Nice bronze color. One-dimensional (sweet) but not overbearing, and a good match with most food.