As a follow-up to the review of the “green letter” Sapporo Classic, I dutifully tested a “blue letter” Classic. Between the two, I can say the 2010 Vintage “green letter” has a stronger malt flavor with a more Pilsener-style bitter. The “blue letter” is more of a traditional Japanese dry pale lager. I am now curious to see if the difference between the “blue letter” Classic and regular Sapporo Black Label is primarily the point of origin. Whereas the two Classic varieties and the “gold can” are brewed at a facility in Hokkaido and are set for retailling only in Hokkaido, the standard Black Label sold nationwide could have been made in any number of regional breweries. Both Classics have a similar color and level of carbonation, but remember, this wasn’t a side-by-side test. Although I said the “green letter” Classic had a more pronounced maltiness, the “blue letter” was not without a solid malt flavor. The Classic will be available beyond the production cutoff of the 2010 Vintage Classic, so it will be available into the forseeable future. Give one a try when you’re on Hokkaido! Continue reading ‘Beer is Good – Sapporo Classic lager’
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The dark version of Suntory’s premium Malts lager, this dunkel arrives with the same high quality ingredients and solid taste foundation. If given the choice between all the standard offerings from the major Japanese mega-breweries, I’ll usually reach for a Suntory Malts above all others. The moderate hoppyness and full malt flavor makes it my favorite. This dark version has a slightly different flavor than the regular Malts. The obvious difference is the smoky flavor imparted by the darkly roasted malt, but there is a hint of a sweet note, perhaps from a stronger decoction resulting in a less complete attenuation: I’m not convinced that the sweetness is from something different in the hopping, and the mouthfeel does feel a little thicker than regular Malts. This dark is an interesting change from the regular Malts, so if you see one, give it a try! Continue reading ‘Beer is Good – Suntory Malts Kuro lager’
I don’t have a can of the “blue letter” Sapporo Classic to do a side-by-side taste test, but this limited edition brew from Sapporo Breweries is definitely a winner. Like the standard Sapporo Classic, this “green letter” variety is supposedly only available in Hokkaido. The color, mouthfeel, and structure is essentially the same as the generic Sapporo Black Label lager available worldwide, but the flavor is distinct. Typical of most Japanese dry lagers, this one is well attenuated with no unconverted sugars available to taste. A good hit of bittering hops makes sure the “dry” point is driven home. The initial bitter is followed by a good, rich maltiness that fades smoothly to a clean finish. Just a little more bitter, and they will be approaching Wernesgruener territory! This one is up there with the “gold can” Sapporo brewed with 100% Hokkaido barley and hops. As this is a limited edition both for time and sales territory, give it a try if you have the chance! Continue reading ‘Beer is Good – Sapporo Classic 2010 Vintage Lager’
Went by the theaters in Sapporo Factory last night to see The Expendables. People in The USA can’t complain about ticket prices hitting the $10 USD, as admission in Japan is 1800-yen! That’s over $21.50 USD at today’s exchange rate! F me running! I don’t know if being able to get a Sapporo Classic draft beer for 600-yen, or a large size for 800-yen makes up for it. Being able to hit Taj Mahal afterwards for some Brinjal Bharta and Chana Masala did though!
This Yebisu varietal is available year round, unlike the Kohaku and Silk seasonals, along with the standard Yebisu Premium lager and “The Hop” Pilsener. A dark lager, The Black pours slightly thicker than standard Yebisu or the Kohaku amber. The decoction seems to be slightly heavier, and as a result, the attenuation is lower which lends a slight sweetness – not quite a molasses sweetness as found in some darks, but more of a hint of kuromitsu or brown sugar. The color is very dark, even darker than coffee. The initial flavor is dominated by the smoky overtones of the dark roasted malt and the bitter of the hops, but the malt flavor comes forth in the middle followed by an even finish. There is no significant sweetness or floweryness from the hopping. The head comes on strong at the outset, but disappears quickly. The carbonation didn’t seem particularly strong. Although I wouldn’t say this is my “go to beer” in the Yebisu lineup (that honor would go th the Kohaku and Silk in that order), it makes for a good change from the norm. Give one a try if you encounter the choice. Continue reading ‘Beer is Good – Yebisu Premium “The Black” Dark Lager’
Wow! This mass-produced beer encroaches on the flavor territory of many good Japanese jibiiru. As the name “Kohaku” implies, this amber lager is distinct from its pale lager forbear. Released on 10 November 2010, this limited seasonal variety from Sapporo Beer’s more upscale division brings a warmer, richer malt flavor to the table. The pour, head, and mouthfeel is in line with what you get from the standard Yebisu, but there is a deeper flavor and less of the ethanol bite common to JDM production beers. This easily makes me twice as happy as regular Yebisu. If I can’t find any interesting jibiiru to bring back with me this time around, I’m seriously bringing some of this back! Continue reading ‘Beer is Good – Yebisu Premium Kohaku Amber Lager’
I guess I’ll fill in the fourth offering from Saitama’s Coedo Brewery – the Shikkoku dark lager. The name uses the kanji for “laquer” and “black”, forming the compound “jet black”, and as is fitting to this name, this dunkel pours an almost opaque dark brown with a moderate but transient head. Although the head becomes filmy, the carbonation remains constant throughout the beer’s existence in the glass. This carbonation, along with the almost completely attenuated decoction gives this dark beer a dry bitterness with little detectable sweetness. The initial flavor is bitter from the noble hops combined with the smokiness from the darkly roasted malt. The two flavors dominate throughout, masking any cereal-malt flavor that may be there. The aroma is actually rich and warm, belying the almost two-dimentional quality of the flavor. Don’t get me wrong here – I like this beer – it’s just not a very complex mouth experience. Continue reading ‘Beer is Good – Coedo Shikkoku’
Yesterday afternoon, the first breaking reports of the arty exchanges between the DPRK and the ROK were all over the news in Japan. Lee Myung Bak is a paper tiger, so he won’t deliberately escalate things, but who knows what the nutballs in the North who believe their own myth will do. If the DPRK launches their nukes at Seoul and Yokosuka, I might not be getting home as expected next week…
(0)Fabio’s favorite news anchor, Grace Lee, is leaving to take a job at the CBS affiliate in the Bay Area.
(0)Driving home yesterday, I saw a dude in a flourescent work shirt with a Litespeeed Ti road bike several houses down from the Cachola Clinic on Kalihi Street. Nothing screams “stolen bike” more than a road bike that’s the wrong size with the drop handlebars rotated back so the brake levers are beneath the hands!
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