The BeerCast

Sooner or later everyone who writes about beer is asked one of two questions; ”What’s your favourite beer?” or ”How did you get into beer?” (the usual responses being ‘I can’t say’ and ‘I can’t remember’). The first question is tricky because it changes on a weekly – or if you’re particularly dedicated – daily basis. The second is tough because these moments of conversion are often lost in the muddled mists of time. However, they can resurface when a trigger presents itself – the return to a favourite pub, re-acquaintance with a beer fan who’d taken you under their wing – or in my case, a particular beer.

I don’t think I’ve ever answered the first of those questions above with Green Flash IPA, from the Green Flash Brewery in San Diego. That’s not to say it isn’t a great beer – it really is – but that I usually forget it’s importance in my beer journey when compared with notable stepping stones such as McEwan’s 80/- (the first non-lager I drank regularly), or Harviestoun’s Bitter & Twisted (when I realised there was a nicer alternative). I saw a bottle of Green Flash IPA in my local Edinburgh bottle shop the other day, and straight away it brought back memories of a chilly night in Tokyo, and nine strong IPA’s…

In October 2007 I was on holiday in Japan and just beginning to appreciate the depth and range of flavours available in craft beer. Five minutes wandering around the Tanakaya store in Mejiro brought home the Japanese attitude, with its astonishing selection and underground, secretive feel. Keen to find out more, I had discovered a Tokyo-based tasting group – the wonderfully named ’Beer Enjoyment, Education and Research Society’ (B.E.E.R.S.) chaired by a Canadian ex-pat named Tim Eustace, so I signed up. The society met on the third Tuesday of the month – so on the 16th I nervously made my way into a college room in Nihonbashi, and prepared for ‘IPA night’.

Of course, with hindsight I was totally unprepared for what happened next. In a room filled with an even mix of young Tokyo-ites and older westerners we polished off one strong beer after another over the course of a couple of hours. Each one was mightier than the last, and I frantically scribbled notes as my tastebuds struggled to keep up with the hop overload that my mouth was experiencing. I remember having brought Tim a bottle of Bitter & Twisted as a gift (all the way from Scotland), then being almost scared to hand it over following the onslaught of flavours we’d been through. Nonsense, of course – B&T is outstanding – but by that point I’d had nine beers over 6% and the grey matter had taken something of a pounding.

I still have those notes I made, hastily written on the back of a sheet of A4 filled with Japanese phrases I thought might be useful – Mo ichido itte kudasai: “Please say it again?”. The first beers we tried were from Japan – Shiga Kogen IPA from Nagano and Ise Kadoya IPA, at 6% and 7% respectively. Both were extremely good – ’really hoppy, dries the mouth out’ was my considered opinion of the latter. Moving on to American beers, we moved through North Coast Brewing’s ACME (’grapefruit…citrus’) and Full Sail IPA from Oregon – which I summed up with the tremendous oxymoron ’subtle…delicate…lots of hops’ – to the ’has everything’ Stone IPA, a comment I stand by to this day.

There was a short break at this point, which I filled by chatting to the two Japanese girls I had found myself next to, and trying not to fall over. This was very definitely my road to Damascus moment – the point at which I discovered the sheer joy of drinking rich, flavourful beer instead of tasteless mass-produced bilge. You can never go back. When Tim stood up and announced we were moving on to Imperial IPA’s – “well, bring it on” I thought. Hair of the Dog Blue Dot Double IPA (7%), Dogfish Head 90min IPA (9%) and Moylan’s Hopsickle IPA (9.2%) hammered the point home, one after the other. I described the Hopsickle as ’Bloody hell. Floaty, dark. Strong. Major. Triple hopped! Food pairing – blue cheese! (food pairings also being unheard of – aside from a packet of dry roasted).

The final beer of the night was something of a palate cleanser compared to the full-frontal assault of Moylan’s dark, floaty monster. It was of course, the aforementioned Green Flash IPA, which I scrawled as ’pine fresh. Nice for a last beer’ at the very bottom corner of the bit of paper. Then that was it – the B.E.E.R.S. club dispersed, I gave Tim my thanks – and the bottle of Bitter & Twisted – then stumbled off into the dark forgetting where I was. Eventually I made it back to where I was staying, and once the hangover had stopped shredding my brain I realised normal beer just wasn’t going to cut it any more. And so, several years later when standing in front of a beer fridge in an Edinburgh off-licence, I suddenly remembered the answer to the question ”How did you get into beer?”. An October night in Tokyo…

We’ve been considering for a while the idea of recording a podcast involving canned beer rather than bottled – although we’ve not managed one as yet. In late 2007 I was in Japan and picked up four cans of interesting-looking jibiru with a view to recording our first ever canned episode. But it always seemed to slip away and we’d be onto something else more exciting instead – including two bottled Japanese specials (BeerCast 7 and BeerCast 18). So the metalbound foursome remained in the back of my cupboard. Recently though I’ve been wondering what exactly they would taste like being so far out of date. Well, there’s only one way to find out I guess. I doubted any of the other panellists would have been up for this one, so this is a solo blog post rather than a podcast. Thankfully…

1. Suntory MALT’S (5.0%abv) 330ml can
Suntory, Katsura, Kyoto.
Best Before Date: April 2008

Suntory’s Katsura plant in greater Kyoto produce several of their mainstay beers, such as Suntory SUPER HOPS and Suntory MALT’S (sic). Being the largest alcohol producer in the country they must know a thing or two about the stuff. Mind you, according to their website they are also involved in “pharmaceuticals, restaurant operation, sports, music and film, resort development, publishing and information services.”

What They Say – “Made with 100% malt and 100% natural water, and bringing out the full fragrance of the finest quality aroma hops, MALT’S has been received huge acclaim from beer lovers.” [Official Website]

What it’s Like…
It pours very frothily at first but then totally loses the head (not surprisingly). There’s a couple of faint trails of carbonation rising, but it tastes very flat. Colour is slightly cloudy straw, vaguely urine-like quality, and it smells of damp hay that has lain too long in a stable. Tastewise, it’s like drinking a dead pint from a long-abandoned table at closing time. No discernable alcohol, and a long malty aftertaste. Or should that be a long MALT’Y aftertaste?

2. Ginga Kogen Weizen Beer (5.0%abv) 330ml can
Ginga Kogen Brewery, Sawauchi, Iwate Prefecture.
Best Before Date: November 2007

Ginga Kogen started in 1996, and the preparatory members visited the beer producers of Germany before building the brewery, drinking 80 kinds of beer in one week. Iwate apparently has a similar climate to Bavaria too, so you’d expect the odd wheatbeer to feature in their range. They named the brewery after the recurring galaxy themes of local poet Kenji Miyazawa, and are situated near the wonderfully named Oouu Mountains. One for Scrabble fans there.

What They Say – “Enjoy and taste live yeast. Refrigerated and delivered fresh from our brewery on the tablelands. The fruity aroma and rich flavour is original to Ginga Kogen.” [Official Website]

What it’s Like…
If there’s one thing that would be interesting 16 months after expiry date, it would be live yeast – this particular one is an unfiltered hefeweizen. It froths up spectacularly and was almost totally cloudy, I could hardly see my hand behind the glass. Looking like a stagnant pond (although thankfully not green), the small grey clumps of yeast slowly spiralled their way to the bottom through the dark golden suspension. Remarkably, it tastes like a regular wheatbeer – albeit slightly vinegary towards the end. It lingers quite a lot and isn’t that nice – but is that because it’s out of date or because it’s a wheatbeer?

3. Kirin Ichiban Shibori Stout (5.0%abv) 330ml can
Kirin, Yokohama.
Best Before Date: May 2008

Kirin – now owned by Mitsubishi – are another of Japan’s largest brewers. But they were actually founded by a Norwegian, Johan Martinius Thoresen, who opened Yokohama’s Spring Valley Brewery in 1869. Sadly he sold up when his wife died, but the concern was re-opened and by 1888 renamed Kirin after the half-horse half-dragon creature from Chinese mythology. Thoresen died in 1901, and Kirin employees still leave tins of beer at his grave. Despite the name, Ichiban Shibori Stout isn’t a stout – it’s a dark lager they first released in 2007.

What They Say – “Just taste Ichibanshibori Stout. The first wort gives a marvellously deep taste. The aroma of roasted malt and smooth creamy foam enrich your precious time.” [Official Website]

What it’s Like…
Well my time is precious, there’s no doubt about that – otherwise why would I be drinking expired tins of Japanese beer on a cold March night? This one looks like a slightly darker glass of Coca Cola and is impossible to see through. The smell is intriguingly of dark treacle, but the taste is a highly unpleasant burnt metallic coffee with hints of cigarettes. Massive coffee aftertaste. One to avoid, as I get the feeling it was probably like this when fresh from the brew copper.

4. Tokyo Black (5.0%abv) 330ml can
Yo-Ho Brewery, Nagano.
Best Before Date: January 2008

Yo-Ho are based in Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture, and unlike the behemoths of Suntory and Kirin are one of Japan’s leading microbreweries. They produce a few beers, notably Yona Yona Real Ale – which I tried unsuccessfully to find on cask when I was over there – and their ‘chocolatey porter’, Tokyo Black. If nothing else, it has a fantastic label – a Sumo wrestler staring challengingly up at the moon, hiding behind a big grey cloud. Nagano is the only city in the world to have hosted events at both a summer and winter Olympic games, if you were wondering.

What They Say – “Tokyo Black is the second brand at Yo-Ho. A robust porter, well balanced between the malt and the hops. The complex chocolate and roast flavours of dark specialty malts are combined with a floral and slightly spiciness from Perle hops.” [Official Website]

What it’s Like…
This one looks like a proper porter straight away – with a lovely thick dark cream-coloured head, similar to opening a bottle of old-style Guinness. Not as strong as the Kirin, it has it’s own rather odd porter flavours. There’s an almost smoked cheese taste at first, which thankfully gives way to dark tangy malts and portery backgrounds. This one’s pretty interesting, and given it’s a year out of date, not at all bad.

Look out for a proper canned BeerCast sometime soon. If you’d like to suggest possible entrants – send us an email to thebeercast@googlemail.com…

BeerCaster Grooben was lucky enough to recently pay a visit to the Far East, and as we’re never off duty managed to pick up some beery treats for the podcasters back in Blighty. His trip to Japan results in our second episode featuring ji-biru, as we tuck into a series of delights from Tokyo and Kyoto. Firstly however, we begin with Sapporo Premium Lager (4.7%), brewed under licence in the EU and a typical Japanese lager. But we quickly move on to more interesting things, as the first beer he brought back is totally in Japanese and even after much Googling cannot be identified. So we call it Kinshachi Sakura Beer (as the flowers adorn the label), but later discover it’s actually Landbeer Kaori No Yutakana (5.0%), (thanks to friend of the BeerCast Tim Eustace in Tokyo). Our third beer is Kyoto Machiya Kölnisch (5.0%), which thankfully has an English label. Finally we end on Ishikawa’s Tama no Meguri (5.5%), from Fussa City to the west of the capital. On the panel this week are Richard, Shovels, Andy (of Andy and Jess), and of course Grooben – who also brings along some little men for us to try…

1. Sapporo Premium Lager (4.7%abv)
Sapporo Brewery, somewhere in the EU.
330ml glass bottle

Sapporo are one of the dominant Japanese brewers, having recently flexed their muscles and bought out Canadian producer Sleemans in a $400m deal. One of those newly acquired plants now churns out all Sapporo for North America, but us Europeans get ours brewed anonymously under licence. Anyhow, the company has Euro roots, having been started by German-trained Seibei Nakagawa in the Hokkaido city that adorns the label. Along with other domestic heavyweights such as Asahi and Kirin, Sapporo’s beers are everywhere in Japan – the ubiquitous golden star logo peeks out from vending machines on every street corner. But is it any good?

What They Say – “Sapporo Premium Lager is an original Japanese beer. It is a bright, golden lager beer with a smooth, firm body, a balanced, complete flavour and a clean aftertaste.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben – It is generic but is better than other lagers 6
Andy – This is an ‘insert Tab A into Slot B’ lager 6
Richard – Very sweet, it gets marks off for being ‘brewed in EU’ 5
Shovels – Taste at the front then you swallow water 5

2. Kaori no Yutakana (5.0%abv)
Landbeer Brewery, Nagoya.
330ml glass bottle

A bit of a mystery this one – the rather beautiful cherry blossom label suggests a Spring seasonal beer, and I managed to detect the Landbeer name somewhere on the back – but that was it. We muddled through the podcast referring to it as Kinshachi Sakura beer, as the gold fish (Kinshachi) features on the bottle, and is the symbol of the city of Nagoya. Afterwards an email to TimE in Tokyo revealed the name is actually Kaori no Yutakana – ‘plentiful smell’, and Landbeer have a range of Kaori (smell) beers. I don’t think they are one of Tim’s favourites, but what about the panellists in Edinburgh?

What We Say…
Richard – Tizer colour, slight wheatbeer taste, it’s great 8
Shovels – Like a pale ale, but gives up it’s taste quickly 8
Grooben – The first sip’s nice then it tastes of nothing 7
Andy – Pleasant golden colour and almost orangey taste 6½

3. Kyoto Machiya Kölnisch (5.0%abv)
Kinshi-Masamune Corporation, Kyoto.
330ml glass bottle

In 1781 the Kinshi-Masamune Corporation started producing sake in the then Japanese capital of Kyoto. Like a lot of their fellow producers they added beer to their repertoire after deregulation in 1994, but unlike others seemed to decide on German styles to perfect. As a result, they have three very teutonic beers in their range – an Alt, a Schwartz, and a Kölnisch. The latter of these is a yellow straw-coloured ale with prominent hoppiness, common to the city of Cologne, which is typically less bitter than the pilseners. We’ve yet to sample one of these on the BeerCast, so how will it go down?

What They Say – “When you describe Kyoto, you couldn’t skip the pure water, old wooden house in a row and food culture. This is beer whose mother is the honourable tradition in Kyoto and whose father is the beer boasted of by Germany. A new historical chapter is recorded in our culture.” [Bottle Label]

What We Say…
Andy – All the elements of beers I like, and none I don’t 9
Grooben – Could do with more flavour but nicer than expected 7
Richard – No malt or hops in the taste, something lacking 6
Shovels – I don’t really like the wheatyness to it 5½

4. Tama no Megumi (5.5%abv)
Ishikawa Brewery, Fussa City, Tokyo.
500ml glass bottle

Ishikawa are also a sake brewer who supplemented their output with beer once they were allowed, and four years later (1998) released their first effort. But it came with a history, as they resurrected a one hundred year-old style. Tama no Megumi means ‘the blessing of Tama’ (Tama being the western part of Tokyo where the Musashino plateau meets the Tama hills), and was originally produced in the Nishitama area in 1888. Unlike the other beers tonight, it’s also bottle conditioned.

What They Say – “We use underground natural water to brew this beer, natural beer without the process of filtration or pasteurisation. Enjoy the taste of genuine local beer – bottle conditioned, it can be stored for up to five years, and is secondarily fermented in the bottle.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – Lots of things going on at once, but none unpleasant 7
Grooben – Complex when many Japanese beers are subtle 6
Shovels – Can’t pin the taste down, it jumps around a bit 6
Andy – Fine, but a wee bit watery without a defined taste 5

BeerCast panel verdict

Kaori No Yutakana – 29½/40
Kyoto Machiya Kolsch – 27½/40
Tama no meguri – 24/40
Sapporo Lager – 22/40

Panellists – (from top left) Shovels, Andy, Grooben, Richard

• Listen to the episode here: BeerCast #18 – Sakura Beers
• Subscribe to the podcasts in iTunes or our site feed

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with episode 19 – a Summer Special. Stay tuned for details…and please leave us comments on the blog or iTunes, or emails. Cheers!

Japan has a long and proud history of brewing, and after our European-based early editions, the BeerCast has flown 6000 miles to explore some of their creations. Episode 7 was intended to be our German spectacular – but the lure of Ji-biru proved too strong, and the running order has been somewhat altered. For this episode our panel sample four genuine Japanese beers, three of which were purchased by Richard on a recent trip to Tokyo. Thankfully some information can be gleaned about a few of them, but the Minoh Seasonal beer was almost a complete unknown quantity – but not an unpleasant one, as it turned out. On the panel this week are Richard, Shovels, Andy and Grooben – recently departed from Vancouver and back in Edinburgh (therefore we have a vacancy for a BC BeerCaster. Unless CraigAS wants to take responsibility for the entire country…) Anyway, on with the biru. Irashaimase!!!

1. Yebisu Premium (5%abv)
Sapporo Brewery, Hokkaido.
334ml glass bottle

OK, hands up – this one was bought in Edinburgh. But it was brewed in Japan, as Yebisu (pronounced “Ebisu” is part of the behemoth Sapporo Corporation. First produced in Meguro, Tokyo, in 1890 by the Japan Beer Brewing Company, it was eventually acquired by the Hokkaido outfit, and was resurrected in 1971. As one of the country’s oldest brands, Yebisu is marketed as Sapporo’s luxury product (which explains why we could find it in our local beer retailer rather than any of Sapporo’s other brews). It is named after the eponymous God from Japanese mythology, one of the seven Gods of Fortune. Yebisu is depicted on the label in his usual guise, a portly fisherman with a giant carp under his arm (as he is also the protector of those who catch fish). Will our panel put it in the keepnet, or throw it back?

What They Say – “Well known as a beer with a touch of class. Lavished with select aroma hops from Bayern, Yebisu is mellowed over a long period to be a 100% malt premium beer, with select aroma hops producing a pleasant bitterness without any aftertaste. Yebisu has been, and will be, a brand that contributes to the creation of Japanese beer culture.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – Not a bad malty lager, it doesn’t linger at all 7
Grooben – More to it than some, but it’s not exceptional 6
Shovels – This is just a standard lager really 5
Andy – Has a feeling rather than an aftertaste 5

2. Angry Boy Brown Ale (6.2%abv)
Baird Brewery, Numazu.
360ml glass bottle

The rest of the beers were purchased from the wonderful Tanakaya shop in Mejiro, Tokyo. Baird beers featured quite heavily in their selection, so I plumped for ‘Angry Boy’ Brown Ale to see what the Japanese do with a classic English style. “We will not brew vapid beer” promises the Baird website, which can only be a good thing. Founded in 2000 by husband and wife team Bryan and Sayuri Baird, they produce a wide range of varying beers from their Shizuoka base. With an admirable philiosophy of ‘celebrating beer’, we had high hopes for this one.

What They Say – “Angry Boy is a brown ale that doesn’t quite fit in; it is bigger, bolder, hoppier and more complex than most. It has, if you will, an angry edge. It is somewhat sweet and very full-bodied in the mouth but piquantly bitter and warming in the finish. If you are feeling angst, this is your brew.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Shovels – Plenty going on there, I really like it 7
Richard – This would reward you the more of it you had 7
Grooben – Has a North American brown ale feel to it 6½
Andy – It jumps in your mouth and throws a tantrum, but not an unpleasant one 6

3. Hitachino Nest Sweet Stout (4%abv)
Kiuchi Brewery, Naka.
330ml glass bottle

The Japanese are highly aware of presentation, and the next beer sampled comes with a label designed around an appealing owl logo. Hitachino Nest Beers are the range from the Ibaraki-based Kiuchi Brewery, and amongst their wares at Tanakaya I came across a Sweet Stout. The BeerCast has yet to come to grips with one of those, so into the basket it went. Founded in 1823 this sake producer only took up the challenge of making beer in 1996. After their successes, the enterprising company turned their hands to wine, planting vineyards near their premises. Their stout is augmented with added Lactose, the sugar derived from milk. This can’t be consumed by yeast during the fermentation process, so these types of beers have a certain characteristic sweetness about them.

What They Say – “A perfect mixture of coffee, chocolate, and roasted flavours in the nose and on the palate. No bitterness, but sweet notes throughout to the very finish.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben – Pleasingly subtle and growing on me 7
Andy – Dark flavours but with the volume turned down 7
Richard – Tastes like an old style stout, not too sweet 7
Shovels – Got the burnt toast of a Porter, it’s very nice 6

4. Minoh Seasonal Beer (5.5%abv)
AJI Brewery, Minoh.
320ml glass bottle

Minoh is 15km north of Japan’s second city, Osaka, and home of the Aji Brewery. They release a wide variety of beers on the local market, including some unusual brews infused with hemp seeds (called Ganja High), and grapes (Cabernet Ale). Minoh Seasonal Beer gives little away on the bottle as to the contents (at least, it does for the non-Japanese reading buyer), but according to the brewery website is their Belgian-style blonde ale. Given the BeerCast’s recent double-entry forage into the world of Belgian beer, it was always going to be an interesting exercise in comparison.

What They Say – “副原料は使用せず、ベルジャン酵母特有の柔らかなフルーツ香と複雑なス パイシーさが特徴です” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben – Just as good as other global Belgian style beers 8
Andy – Light, fruity and refreshing 7½
Shovels – Very similar to Belgian beer, very nice 7
Richard – They’ve got this spot on – it’s very drinkable 7

BeerCast panel verdict

Minoh Seasonal Beer – 29½/40
Hitachino Sweet Stout – 27/40
Baird Angry Boy Brown Ale – 26½/40
Yebisu Premium – 23/40

Panellists – (from top left) Grooben, Richard, Andy, Shovels

• Listen to the episode here: BeerCast #7 – Turning Japanese
• Subscribe to the podcasts in iTunes or our site feed

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with Episode 8. Stay tuned for details…and please leave us comments on the blog or iTunes, or emails. Cheers!

Another week, another BeerCast fieldtrip – although it’s pretty tough to compare Birmingham and Tokyo. After all, one of them is a glittering, fast-paced neon metropolis packed with exuberance and incredible food – and the other is the capital of Japan (you must have seen that one coming). On a recent visit to the far East I was determined to track down some local beer – stay tuned for two special Ji-Biru BeerCast podcasts in the near future. Thanks to local guide Tim Eustace, I attended a tasting session in central Tokyo. Tim runs regular workshops on different types and styles of ale, with discussions and sampling – educational and fun. The few days I was in town, an IPA tasting evening had been scheduled. Here’s what was on the menu…

1. Shiga Kogen IPA (6%abv)
Tamamura-honten, Nagano
Two Japanese IPA’s to start with, the first of them from Tamamura-honten, a sake brewery founded in 1805. They have since developed into a range of beers, and produce a blondes, porters and a couple of IPA’s. The 6%er we tried had little hops about it, but a nice bitterness and a lingering taste.

2. Ise Kadoya IPA (7%abv)
Kadoya Honten, Mie
From the Mie prefecture south of Tokyo comes another Japanese IPA. Ise Kadoya IPA is really quite fantastic – dry, fruity and hoppy, and very moreish. At 7%abv it packs a punch too.

3. ACME IPA (6.5%abv)
North Coast Brewing, Fort Bragg CA
The rest of the tasting event switched to American IPA’s – some of which I was seriously eager to try, others I had never heard of. North Coast’s Californian IPA was one of the latter, but with mouthfuls of citrusy grapefruit was a very pleasant surprise.

4. Full Sail IPA (6%abv)
Full Sail Brewing, Hood River OR
American IPA’s aren’t known for being subtle, but Full Sail IPA is just that. Delicate and zesty, despite the 6%abv – which is high in relation to UK IPA’s, but relatively middling for those from over the pond. I’d certainly drink this again, if I could find it.

5. Stone IPA (6.9%abv)
Stone Brewery, San Diego CA
Bang! This is one beer that needs to be noticed. Over the months we’ve been writing and talking about beer, other (overwhelmingly American-based) websites and podcasts I’ve looked at continually sing the praises of Stone’s beers such as Ruination IPA and Arrogant Bastard, held up as being classics of their type. Their ‘basic’ IPA has everything, citrus, hops, crispness, bitterness, aroma, It’s fantastic. We need to hunt this down in the UK and get it on the BeerCast.

6. Hair of the Dog Blue Dot Imperial IPA (6%abv)
Hair of the Dog Brewery, Portland OR
There are normal beers, and there are Imperial beers – essentially this means everything involved is ramped up a level. In this instance, the %abv is still relatively low (given the direction we were heading), but the taste was certainly not. Frothy and lingering, it was amusing watching Tim trying to explain the meaning of ‘Hair of the Dog’ to the Japanese tasters.

7. Dogfish Head 90min IPA (9%abv)
Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton DE
One from the Eastern seaboard, and another standout American brewery – Dogfish Head. This is what Imperial IPA’s are all about. At 9%abv it’s seriously strong and robust, with a long finish. It goes well with cheese, something I never considered from a beer. But then I’ve never had a 9% IPA before.

8. Hopsickle Triple IPA (9.2%abv)
Moylan’s Brewery and Restaurant, Novato CA
Back west to California and Moylan’s Hopsickle IPA, a triple-hopped Imperial IPA. Tomahawk, Centennial and Cascade hops scream for attention. It’s dark and unbelievably strong. Pouring the last inch out didn’t help, as clumps of yeast added to the mix. The suggested food pairing for this one is blue cheese, which gives you an idea of the taste. It’s really too much.

9. Green Flash Imperial IPA (9%abv)
Green Flash Brewery, Vista CA
The ninth and final beer of the night (and it’s not often I say that) is Green Flash IPA – “It’s all about the hops!” trills the website, but it tastes a bit line a pine air freshner. Having said that, it’s actually pretty good, and a welcome way to end the tasting.

With that, I staggered out into the Tokyo night feeling pretty good. IPA’s are my favourite beers, and I discovered a few crackers. Top three would certainly be those from Stone, Ise Kadoya, and Full Sail. I just need to track them down in the BeerCast’s backyard.

Thanks again to Tim for the organisation, and you can catch up with some more Japanese brews here soon – in a change to the advertised schedule (as they say), BeerCast number 7 will be a four panellist, four beer spectacular from that very country. Check back next week for the podcast…