Category Archives: Country

4 - Good (buy), Asahi Breweries Ltd., Beer Reviews, Japan, Lager - Munich Dunkel

Asahi Black (Kuronama)

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Brewery: Asahi Breweries Ltd.
Country: Japan
ABV: 5%
Style: Lager – Munich Dunkel

Brewer Description: (from Untappd) Since its release in 1995, Asahi Kuronama has become Japan’s favorite dark beer with its rich aroma and subtle sweetness. It is made from three types of dark roasted malt that each gives a different characteristic flavor according to how it is roasted and toasted. “Dark malt” produces the distinct fragrance of dark beer. “Crystal malt”imparts a delicate sweetness, and “Munich malt” adds a fullness of taste. The exquisite blend of these three types of malt maximizes the goodness of each and creates Asahi Kuronama’s distinct richness and smoothness.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.98
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 350ml can, canned in May 2023. Poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a two finger tanned head that had decent retention, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, lightly burnt toast, chocolate, with hints of dark fruit.
Taste: Roasty, coffee grounds, sweet dark malt, chocolate, raisin, nutty notes, with a nice dry, and lightly bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Easy to drink with good roasty notes.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Fruit

3 Fonteinen Pruim Brusselse Datjes

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°6, Season 21/22

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This Pruim features the Brusselse Datjes, an old plum varietal, hand-picked by our team in the summer of 2021 in the small plum orchards of Willy, a retired schoolteacher. With a yield of only 240 kilos, this is a small batch blend. The plums macerated on a single oak barrel for a good four months. We used two- and three-year old lambics for macerating and blending, originating from two barrels and two brews. The weighted average age of the blends upon bottling is almost 24 months, and the final fruit proportion is 400 grams of plums used per litre of finished Pruim. Bottle count: 783.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.22
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°6, season 21/22, bottled on 7th December 2021. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy amber orange colour, with a one finger white head that had decent retention, eventually settling to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Light tartness, plum skins, juicy plums, with a touch of funk.
Taste: Sour, tart, plum, oak, and light funky notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Good aroma and flavours with plum nicely front and centre.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, IPA - Session, Japan, Kirin Brewery Company

Kirin Spring Valley Summer Craft Ale

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Brewery: Kirin Brewery Company
Country: Japan
ABV: 4.5%
Style: IPA – Session

Brewer Description: Galaxy hops.

My rating: 3-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.16
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.1

Intro: A 500ml can, canned in May 2023. Poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: A nice clear golden colour, with a two finger white head that had good retention, and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Citrusy lemon lime with some grainy malt notes.
Taste: Lemon and lime zesty, a touch watery, with light bitterness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied, with moderate carbonation.
Overall: The aroma and flavours were fine, if nothing to shout about. But it was definitely refreshing on a hot summer day.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Fruit

3 Fonteinen Pruim Vroege Tolse

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.8%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°5, Season 21/22

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This Pruim features the Vroege Tolse, an old plum varietal, hand-picked by our team in the summer of 2021 in the small plum orchards of Willy, a retired schoolteacher. With a yield of only 250 kilos, this is a small batch blend. The plums macerated on a single oak barrel for a good four months. We used two- and three-year old lambics for macerating and blending, originating from two barrels and two brews. The weighted average age of the blends upon bottling is almost 23 months, and the final fruit proportion is 285 grams of plums used per litre of finished Pruim. Bottle count: 860.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.12
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°5, season 21/22, bottled on 7th December 2021. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy amber copper orange colour, with a one finger white head that had decent retention and settled to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Plum skin, plum, lemon zest, funk, oak, with a splash of stone fruit.
Taste: Tart, plum skin, plum flesh, lemon zest, lemon, funk, oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: I preferred the taste over the aroma, and on the whole, it was enjoyable.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, Japan, West Coast Brewing

West Coast Hop Wave

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Brewery: West Coast Brewing
Country: Japan
ABV: 8.5%
Style: IPA – Double
Other Notes: West coast Double IPA. Hops – El Dorado, Ekuanot, Simcoe & Simcoe CRYO

Brewer Description: (from website) Reintroducing one of the Hop Dude’s go-to brews, “Hop Wave” is a West Coast-style double IPA that celebrates our local surf scene, backloaded with veritable waves of El Dorado, Ekuanot and garnished with a touch of Simcoe to deliver the bright tropical fruit and candied orange aromatics the Alchemist craves. Hop Dude cleverly disguised the ABV hit with a medium body, citrus / pine on the nose and that classic West Coast-style bitterness, finishing dry, crisp and super clean. #clearbeer

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.68
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 500ml can, canned on 19th June 2023. Poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: A nice clear golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had pretty good retention, while leaving lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Orange peel, grapefruit, pine, a splash of lime, and a touch dank.
Taste: Sweet-ish pine, candied orange, citrus zest, grapefruit pith, light stone fruit notes, with a bitterish finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Easy drinking, but sweeter than I hoped, and looking for more bitterness.