Archive for the 'Food' Category

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’

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’