The BeerCast

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!