Hida Takayama Brewing Agricultural Company

A few posts ago I told you about my weekend jaunt up to Takayama, a lovely little town in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture. If you haven't been before, I strongly recommend taking a trip in that direction as the views are beautiful, onsens are aplenty, snowboarding and skiing abounds, and there is good beer to be found. Check that. There is GREAT beer to be found.

I am going to say something that may sound a little presumptuous. Hida Takayama Brewing Agricultural Company is my new favorite micro brewer. I didn't say in Japan. I didn't say in America. Hida Takayama Brewing Agricultural Company is my new favorite micro brewer in the world. That's saying a lot people. I love my hometown Kentucky Ale. They don't come much better. I used to swear by Sam Adams in my youth, then others like Bell's came in to take my spot. Bell's still makes some great beer, but Hida Takayama literally is second to none.

Hida Takayama beer comes in sweet short stubby bottles that look like Red Stripe on steroids. They are heavier and fatter. They are half liter bottles and I like that, no messing around. They have sweet labels and designs, which don't distract you, but tell you straight up that they are holding some badass beer.

Hida Takayama makes a Stout, a Pilsner, a Dark Ale, a Pale Ale, a Weizen, an Extra Special Beer, and a Super Special World Beer Cup Winning Amazing Ale that I'm not sure of it's exact name. The latter of these beers is excellent. Taste out the wazoo, 10% alcohol, and I mean flavor and goodness abound. It is great beer. One of the best that I have had in quite a while. The downside to this beer is that it costs about $10 a bottle, but hey...for world class beer sometimes you have to pay a world class price. The Extra Speical Beer is a double fermented Red that is about 7% alcohol, and it is just as good. I also tried the Pilsner, which tasted like a good Pilsner. It was good, but not my favorite style of beer. The Pale Ale was tasty, but a close second to Yona-Yona. We drank a Stout for breakfast that was as good as I have ever had, and come on people, I've drank my fair share of breakfast beer.

I was going to wait to post this until I could upload the high quality pics, but you will just have to wait for the pics. I couldn't keep this info in any longer. I didn't get a chance to visit the brewery, so of course that means that we will be heading that way again. Soon. If you can find this beer around, buy it. We found cans of the Pale Ale in Nagoya, but no bottles that I know of. Beer spies, if you know where we can find this beer in Nagoya or Toyohashi...do tell!!

In closing, I know that I have said something big here. It's not something that I say lightly. This beer is good, and if you shell out the dough for one of the Specials, you won't be disappointed. As soon as I get the high quality pics, I'll put em up...but until then...GET YOUR SELF TO TAKAYAMA!