Beer Drinkers, get ready for Nate to start talking smack again. Sapporo is coming out with a new type of limited release Yebisu for late summer 2009. From my crappy Japanese knowledge, it looks to be some type of extra-long fermented type beer that is matured twice as long as regular Yebisu. The site says this extra maturation gives it a higher alcohol content (6%) and deeper, richer flavor.
We aren't kind to Yebisu here becuase really, it's expensive beer that doesn't deliver. The Japanese think of Yebisu as a premium beer, but other than the premium price--it's a farce. Nate said the Yebisu Silk was the "least pallet offending" of the lineup--we will have to wait and see what gem he can come up with to describe this new brew. Their Hop isn't hoppy, the black lacks taste, the regular is blah, the silk is decent, and don't get me started on the "amber".
If you want to drink the best of the Big 4, drink Suntory The Premium Malt's. It beats Yebisu every time.
Check out the page for the new Yebisu brew here, and if you can offer some more details with you better-than-mine skills, comment below.
10 comments:
Apparently, there's real rabbits in this one. Finally!
Well, after listening to the Country Boys going on and on about Suntory Premium Malts, I just had to go to the brewery in Oyamazaki to get a tour and try the stuff first hand. I must say, that at the brewery, the stuff was fan-fugu-tastic. It had an amazingly thick, fine, and creamy head, and all kinds of hop aromas.
One point against it though, especially in the can: there are not enough bittering hops. I mean, you get tons of hop aroma, but no bitterness. After 3-4 tall boys of the stuff, you get sick of it.
Now Suntory Black on tap, that is worth looking out for. I've only seen it once, though.
Mark
Mark, I've never found the black malts on tap!
More bittering hops would be nice, the beer isn't stellar--but it is by far the best that the Big 4 make. And, Nate is right about this: beers out of the can never compare to out of the bottle or on draft.
Chuwy, I heard that the new Yebisu will be made with bits of real panther, so you know it' good.
Hey DH, the BBQ is their anniversary booze fest. They have a few stands selling food and many beers on tap. I can't remember exactly but it was under 3000yen for all you can drink. The brewery is in a residential area across the street from a park so you can go get yourself a draft and chill in the park until its time for a refill. BTW are you on facebook? If you are do a search for Justin Richardson in kyoto and I'll add you as a friend. Make communication a bit easier.
...and I bet 9 times out of 10, it works, every time.
Good call on the Premium Malt's (I think the official name has an apostrophe in there for whatever reason). Runs circles around Yebisu. Broke down and tried that new Silk thing of theirs and thought it was shite.
Suntory's got a limited-release "Malt's Green Aroma" with added hops in it available for a limited time, apparently only in convenience stores. Had a couple of those today as I was out running errands, and it was nice to have a bit of hoppiness in the ol' beer for a change.
p/s - Glad to hear you had a good time at the beer fest. Tried to drag a friend along to it but he would have none of it...
John, right you are about the punctuation. I haven't tried the other Green Aroma yet, but Chuwy did a post about it on Drinking My Brains--if you trust that ole Alkie!
We had a good time in the big city! We will for sure have to meet up at the next big festival up there. By the way, congrats on the job!
Chuwy?
Oh, stay away from that idiot.
He's mental.
Got ymself another can of that new ichibanshibori now, the one that isn't a fake beer but actually contains all malt. My goodness - whatever next?
A serious attempt at making real beer from the big 4? This tuff doesn't seem too bad. I always thought the normal ichibanshibori to be a beer wannabe that I could actually tolerate and maybe even enjoy if it was cold and the weather was really hot and I was really thirsty. WEll, it's gonna bea take two on this beer. Pity it doesn't contain real rabbit, but I supppose you can't have everything.
The Suntory Green has decent hop aroma, doesn't it? Again, not enough bitterness, though, I thought. I did drink it after a couple Rogue Yellow Snow IPAs, but it was quite cloying to me. It seems everyone here is under the spell of "Super Dry" where there has to be NO finish or aftertaste whatsoever.
Mark
DH, I'll definitely be attending the next Great Japan Beer Festival in Tokyo in June. Let me know if you manage to make it out this way. :)
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