Was heading to Takatsuki so I figured I’d drop by the brewery to pick the Kijou Brown to give it a try but smartly called ahead & was told they were sold out. Disapointed but as I had plans in Takatsuki I figured I pop by Matsuzakaya department store to see if they had it-they did! Plus the Amber & Kolsch from Kuni no Cho & some Yo-Ho beers. Not bad. Anyways, 504 yen got me a bottle which I served in a flute like beer glass. A dark nutty looking brown, opaque almost black in some lights especially from a distance. Great fluffy beige head though that lingers & leaves behind tons of lacing that clings to the glass. Interesting nose of malts & fruits with a nutty background that matches the beer’s color. Once it warmed up I also got a hit of spicy hops possibly Saaz. Medium to full body, hmm how to descibe the flavor? A sharp nutty taste followed by some fruitiness & hints of caramel. These kijou beers include a sake component which I think is throwing my tastebuds for a loop, I get a sort of yeasty sake or makkori? kind of vibe midmouth. Interesting stuff, my overall impression is malt sweetness with a smooth body & some fruitiness which reminds me of milky sakes-I think it is called nigorizake but then again I am a sake neophyte. This beer has an interesting pedigree, it won an award in 2010 at an International Beer Competition and is made using US, Czech & German hops plus a New Zealand yeast strain. Hold on, it seems this is their new version of their Marihana Brown(which is the one that won the award in 2010) so this didn’t win the award, a slightly lighter colored and higher ABV 6% beer did. Still pretty good, interesting, drinkable with enough flavors playing in my mouth to keep me interested. Probably the nicest/most interesting beer I’ve had from Kuni no cho.

Draught at Raisin-Do with the brewer. Sparkling sake fermented with lactic acid and the sweetened. Clear, very sparkling. low, Sprite-like head that disappeared immediately. Fruity, lemony aroma with koji. Sweet and sour flavor, lots of lemon, spice, Sprite, sake. Quite sweet, but nicely balanced, great lemon, spritzy. Slightly pop-like, but nice.

3 years old. Orange gold color. Honey aroma, fruity, plums, rice, roasted rice candy. Sweet, rich flavor, plums, cherry, slight mushroom and funk, very sweet but alcohol balances. Complex and luscious. Outstanding.