Category Archives: Japan

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Japan, Stout - Milk / Sweet, Vertere

Vertere Globba

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Brewery: Vertere
Country: Japan
ABV: 7%
Style: Stout – Milk / Sweet

Brewer Description: (from can) Chai Latte Stout.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 500ml can with a best before date of 10th June 2026, poured into a Bokke tasting glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown in colour with a one finger tanned head that dissipated fairly quickly, but settled to a ring around the glass while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Chai spice dominated, cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, green apple, light roast.
Taste: Lightly sweet, chai spices, cinnamon, brown sugar, ginger, cardamon, light roast, toasted malts, with some light bitterness on the backend.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: This “Chai Latte Stout”, is chai spice dominated, especially the cinnamon and ginger, while the latte and stout portion can be found, but are considerably more muted. It basically means that as long as you enjoy chai spices, you are probably more likely to enjoy this.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Japan, Stout - Imperial, West Coast Brewing

West Coast The Black Book BV

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Brewery: West Coast Brewing
Country: Japan
ABV: 14%
Style: Stout – Imperial

Brewer Description: (from can) Imperial Stout w/ blueberries and vanilla beans.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.25
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 500ml can, canned on 9th April 2024. Poured into whatever glass was available at the hotel room in Bangkok.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin brown head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Dessert, cake, milk chocolate, blueberry, vanilla, with notes of coffee.
Taste: Light to moderate sweetness, chocolate, blueberry, vanilla, with a roasty, coffee, bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice blueberry dessert characteristics, but not like overly sweet pastry stouts as there is enough roasty coffee bitterness to balance. A good enjoyable sipper.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Inkhorn Brewing, IPA - New England / Hazy, Japan

Inkhorn Silvereye

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Brewery: Inkhorn Brewing
Country: Japan
ABV: 7%
Style: IPA – New England / Hazy

Brewer Description: (from can) Hazy IPA. Hops – Galaxy, Citra, Mosaic, Strata, and HBC638.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.26
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 355ml can, with a best before date of 31st August 2024. Poured into whatever glass was available at the hotel in Tokyo.
Appearance: A hazy yellow orange colour, with a thin white head that had decent retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Light mango notes, grapefruit, orange zest, citrus pith, and maybe a touch piney.
Taste: Light mango sweetness, bitter grapefruit zest, citrus pith, with notes of pineapple, black tea, and pine. Nice light fruity bitterness at the end.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable aroma and flavours, and drinks real easy.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Inkhorn Brewing, IPA - New England / Hazy, Japan

Inkhorn Kingfisher

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Brewery: Inkhorn Brewing
Country: Japan
ABV: 6.5%
Style: IPA – New England / Hazy

Brewer Description: (from can) Hazy IPA. Hops – Mosaic, Mosaic Cryo, Mosaic Incognito, Citra, and Strata.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.1
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 355ml can, with a best before date of 15th August 2024. Poured into whatever glass was available at the hotel in Osaka.
Appearance: A hazy yellow orange colour, with an almost one finger white head that had pretty good retention, while leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Mandarin orange, citrus zest, grapefruit, floral perfumy.
Taste: Light tropical, mango, grapefruit zest, citrus pith, a touch grassy, with a lightly bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Light, easy drinking, with good aroma and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, IPA - New England / Hazy Triple, Japan, Uchu Brewing

Uchu Grand Cross

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Brewery: Uchu Brewing
Country: Japan
ABV: 10%
Style: IPA – New England / Hazy Triple

Brewer Description: (from Untappd) TDH TIPA. Hops – Motueka, Nelson Sauvin & Rakau.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.07
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 350ml can, with a best before date of 29th July 2024. Poured into whatever glass was available at the hotel in Osaka.
Appearance: A hazy murky yellow orange colour, with a thin white head that dissipated quickly, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tropical and citrus fruity, mango, grapefruit zest, citrus pith, light melon, and a piney grassy note.
Taste: Light mango, melon, grapefruit peel, citrus pith, with a moderate but lasting bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice aroma, while flavour was perhaps affected by being too cold at first, but definitely improved as it warmed a bit. Booze was well hidden, with an appropriate amount of enjoyable bitterness.