from the twisted minds of snm
Don’t let the black bottle fool you, pours a medium light yellow, medium head. Fairly strong hop bitter and touch of skunkyness. The bitter and strong carbonation gives a feel of dryness, but there is actually a moderately heavy mouthfeel. I can’t say I really like this beer. I’ll drink it, but it wouldn’t be a choice I would make to buy it again.
2 out of 4 sapphiry monkeys.
Part of the current Spring Thaw variety pack. I’ve already reviewed the Alpine Spring, which is one of my current faves. This one is a porter and pours moderate heavy head, an extremely dark brown, almost black. There’s a definite dark roast, and yet it does not taste burnt. The bitter is also moderated by its fairly strong maple sweetness. You also definitely get the nuttyness from the pecan, but can’t readily identify it. I’m generally not a fan of beers with heavy sweetness, but it works pretty good here, and surprisingly the mouth feel is not very heavy or syrupy. However this isn’t a chugging beer.
I give it a 3 out of 4 porterly monkeys.
I can forgive Yebisu from teaming up with a Frenchman instead of a German for a collaboration beer, since this is so wonderful. I didn’t really read the full version that carefully on their website, but using French barley from the Champagne region and premium New Zealand hops from the wine producing Nelson region, Yebisu with brewmaster Joel Robuchon aimed to produce a “champagne of beers”. The heavier carbonation definitely evokes champagne, but if you didn’t know all the backstory, all you would think is that this is a rich, full-flavored beer with a bitter bent. The decoction is strong, so the medium-dark malt color and flavor definitely comes through. The hops are more on the bittering side, but there is still a hint of flowery. There is nothing defining whether this is an ale or lager, but I’d venture a guess that it’s a lager.
Latest SA seasonal, pours a somewhat cloudy yellow with fairly strong head that quickly subsides. Faint floral with a citrusy brightness. A little bitterness comes through, but not strong and does not linger long. I can detect a touch of skunkiness that I did not taste in the first bottle I had a couple days ago. Carbonation is not too strong, mouth feel actually a touch heavier than I would have expected from a beer of this color, but not heavy by any means. A very easy drinking beer. Oddly this second bottle doesn’t fill me with as much joy as the first one I had. I was almost ready to give the first bottle a 4, I really can’t now. Hm, actually seems better as I get near the bottom of the glass and it has warmed up a touch. It will have to settle for a solid 3 of 4 Alpine monkeys.
Pours a moderate dark brown, moderate head that quickly goes away. Roasty aroma, but not strong, nutty tones, well tempered finish, a bit of lingering bitter. Smooth mouth feel, but not heavy syrupy. An easy quaffing beer.
Solid 3 out 4 touch of wheat monkeys.
Pours clear medium amber, small head, light carbonation. Aroma is bam, floraly hops! Can smell it before even taking a taste. Flavor wise the hops is dominant, however not skunky. There is a bit of light roasty malt in the middle, strong lingering bitter finish. Mouth feel is medium, there is a touch of syrupy feel, but not objectionable. For how hoppy it is, I don’t find it offensive, however the bitter is a bit too much for me. I can drink it, but want strong food to go with it. On its own it’s a bit hard for me to drink. Oh, and it’s not my imagination, this does pack a bit of buzz, over 7% ABV is higher than your average beer.
2 out 4 hoppy monkeys.
As a special edition for sale in Hokkaido as omiyage to take back to the rest of Japan, Yuraku confectionery introduced the Shiroi Burakku Sandaa (White Black Thunder) chocolate bar. Since the introduction of Ishiya’s Shiroi Koibito white chocolate coated butter cookies, Hokkaido has been inexplicably tied to white chocolate. This is of course in tune with the image of Hokkaido as a snowy, white realm. Thus, the substitution of a white chocolate overlay on the normal dark, milk chocolate automatically makes the Shiroi Burakku Sandaa “Hokkaido-ish”. I haven’t seen the white version as a single bar for sale in grocery or convenience stores, but I’m generally not looking for candy bars. This gift pack is available at various shops at the Shin-Chitose airport, and according to the packaging is in fact made in Hokkaido. I have eaten the normal version, but I can’t recall what it was like, beyond being not “premium” chocolate. The white version essentially tastes like an inside-out Oreo cookie.
Seasonal offering from Sam Adams. Pours with light head, medium dark amber, almost red. Nicely balanced, crisp. It does have addition of some spices but it really is subtle, I don’t think I could point it out if I wasn’t told. Nice drinking beer, one of the better winter seasonals I’ve tried so far!
3 out 4 ginger sipping monkeys.
Well, “like” Mexican. As I experienced many years ago at Sombrero in the basement dining arcade in the Paseo building adjacent to the JR Sapporo station, it looks right, but doesn’t taste right. The fried chicken and fries weren’t really “Mexican”, but the chili con carne and enchilada were… somewhat. They did a lot better than last time. To this day I don’t know what that white stuff that came with my burrito was, but it wasn’t sour cream (I think it was cream cheese). Continue reading ‘Mmm… Mexican’
From the internet, this Suntory 100% malt beer appears to be a Japan 7-11 exclusive. The name, Fukumi no Zeitaku means literally “depth of extravagance”, intending to convey the over-the-top rich experience of flavor the drinker is supposed to encounter with this beer. Of course, as has been shown in the past, the best intentions and best technique and best ingredients can still yield a marginal product. I wouldn’t say in this instance the product is sub-par, but it is really just average. On first taste, there is a sweet that hits you – not quite the painful sweet of like the gnasty Sapporo Fuyumonogatari “Winter Tale” beers, but a sweet nonetheless. I’m thinking this is an unattenuated sweet and not a hop sweet. There is a decent amount of hops, as the bitter in the finish is evident, but the sweet really seems like a sugar sweet, indicating unmetabolized sugars from the strong decoction. That’s strong, considering the yeast managed to hit 6.5% ABV and still had sugar leftover when they died. Considering the little yeasty beasties went whole hog on the sugars, it is surprising that the carbonation level is so low. The 100% malt part is borne out in the rich malt flavor that overtakes the sweet through the middle and finish, with that hop bitter co-mingling at the end. It’s a bit of a shame that the initial taste is rank, since the finish is so nice. It’s tantamount to going from homeless smell to frying bacon. Continue reading ‘Beer Is Good – Suntory Fukumi no Zeitaku’