Sapporo Breweries
Commercial Brewery
in Shibuya-ku,
Tokyo,
Tokyo,
Japan 🇯🇵
Associated with 2 Venues
Contact
恵比寿4-20-1, Tokyo, Japan
Subsidiaries
4.1/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 4
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 3.5
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Tried
on 25 Nov 2002
at 13:39
4.8/10
—
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).
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).
Tried
from Can
on 07 Oct 2002
at 08:21
5.5/10
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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.
Tried
from Draft
on 16 Sep 2002
at 21:12
4.4/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 4
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 4.5
Faint hop-flavour and the nothing!..........................................
Tried
on 25 Jun 2002
at 11:01
3.2/10
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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.
Tried
on 15 May 2002
at 08:03
4.6/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 4.5
Golden coloured. Sweet and malty with rather low bitterness. Average........
Tried
on 05 Apr 2002
at 05:03
5.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 6
Black. Somewhat sweetish with burnt flavours. Rather bitter. ..............
Tried
on 24 Feb 2002
at 11:46
5.4/10
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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.
Tried
on 10 Jan 2001
at 12:25
5.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 5
Not what one would call mind-blowing, but a decent dortmunder style lager...
Tried
on 17 Nov 2000
at 22:27
5.9/10
—
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.
Tried
on 09 Jul 2000
at 11:44