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Finally! I have been on a bit of a jibeer drought up here in the hills... I have been staying around these parts for the last few weeks or so, and this means that I haven't been able to trek into the big city in search of some good brews.
But never fear, my good friend Derek came to the rescue last weekend. We all met at his place for his local town festival, and these two bad boys were my birthday present from him!
These are Komagatake Brewery's Minamishinsyu Beer's Golden Ale and the Amber Ale. Both of them were easy drinking, good brews. I remember seeing their names at the GJBF in the past...I think they make the Apple Hop as well?? This beer comes from a beautiful spot here in Japan, and I highly recommend to anyone who has never visited Nagano to do so! (Of course, the jibeer that Nagano has to offer is just and added plus to the beautiful scenery!)
15 comments:
I'm pretty sure I tried one or both of those before, but I don't remember the details. Which means they weren't awful -- THAT I would have remembered! Glad you finally had something other than Super Dry. (I still can't get over warm SD -- that's just disgusting, no matter what the circumstances.)
Chris, that sounds about right. Good beers, but not mind blowing excellent....for sure nothing close to bad.
And the SD wasn't THAT warm.....
!
Looking back, I have to quote:
"while drinking a hot beer"
And now you're changing your story? It wasn't "THAT warm"? So we've gone from hot to not that warm? I call BULLSHIT!
THE FIFTH!
They make a few brews. Thier winter ale isn't bad. Their dunkle weissen and amber are perhaps their most famous. I don't really rate them, personally. Too expensive in bottles, around 500 yen. You can get Shiga Kogen for 380 and that's a better beer in my opinion. Not terrible beers (and improved in the last 5 or 5 years), Minami shinshu and the brewery is supposed to be in a gorgeous setting, with mountains etc.
You can get these plus most Nagano craft beers (Yaho, ShigaKogen, OhLaHo! etc)for shop price at the Nagano Saker place in Shimbashi, Tokyo (Sorry, Mr.Inaka dweller!).
Yes, the apple (or Alps) weissen was interesting. Really did taste of apples but was a tad on the sour side.
Happy Birthday. didn't realise.
SD warm is nasty ass.
SD cold becomes nasty ass quick, if u try to drink more than one.
Chuwy, thanks for the added info! I was hoping you could shed some more light on those brews! I hope to get up to Nagano more this fall. I should since I am only about 30 minutes away!
And the SD isn't desirable...but I was in a tight spot! Come on guys!
Also...looks like I might be heading back to Tokyo for more immigration stuff on November 2nd...probably stay the night and have the 3rd there as well...
Any plans?
Also, I will be in Numazu on the 22nd and am thinking about coming up on the night of the 20th.... Chris...you and the Big B free to chat it up any? Chuwy, when you coming down? I'd love to make a weekend of it, and finally hit up a few of the spots I haven't been to yet!
DH, I guess you mean Nov. 22, right? If Nakameguro is any indication, the Beer for Books thing that day will be wild. BB will be there pretty much all day, I imagine, and I'll be over as soon as my work is done -- Sunday is usually brew day. I'll make sure I go in early so I can get done early and make my way over there at a reasonable time.
Looking at a Fujinator bike trip soon, before it gets too cold to camp out at the lakes. Got a schoool festioval on 25th but other dates MAY be ok. Will let you know.
Well IMO Minami Shinshu is a great brewery, whose beers don't do well in bottles and draft is not as good as at the brewery. Their Dunkle Weizen is outstanding and the Amber is fairly good. I think the Apple Hop was a very good apple beer for those that are into those sort of things (would like to try side by side with Baird Yamanashi Apple beer). The Alp Weizen I thought was too light and some of their offerings are mediocre, but overall a great great great brewery, located in a wonderful setting. Worth the trip if you can make it.
DH - if you are up for it, we are thinking of a hike to Tsukuba on the 3rd and then hit Chateau Kamiya after. We likely wouldnt leave Kamiya until 9pm or so, which would mean you would need to take the Shink back home, but it is doable I think (Ushiku station is where we will be). This isn't firm yet, but I will decide in the next short while. Also, speaking of Nagano, I am trying to gather people for the Fire Festival in January, but so far no takers. If you are interested, please let me know.
http://www.snowjapan.com/e/features/features-75.html
Had them all in bottles about 6 years ago, after finding them in a small sotre. Bought 4 btotles I think and downed them all. Remembered thinkig they weren't very good but the dunkleweissen was the best of the bunch. Still, they tasted a tad off. They are 500 at the Nagano Sake place and not as good a dfeal as the Yahjo or Shiga Kogen beers. I'd liek to go to the brewery, though. Some great places to visit out there. I remember Tim E's account of the visit and it sounds like a cool place. This weekend the Yokohama oktoberfest is finishing and should be good plus Shonan have their own Oktoberfest in Chigasaki on Sat.Good time to pop to Yokohama.
TimE said, "IMO Minami Shinshu is a great brewery, whose beers don't do well in bottles and draft is not as good as at the brewery." That, to me, is a huge problem. If bottled beer doesn't do well and even draft doesn't travel well, then any "great brewery" is demoted to mediocre at best. Something's wrong in their brewing process. I find the same thing with Sankt Gallen beers -- go to the brewery and sample a fresh keg, and it can be very very good. Buy a bottle or pint outside and it's hit or miss. Aizu beers were the same. An occasional bad bottle is somewhat forgivable, but anything more than occasional off bottle (or pint) is totally unacceptable. That's what's giving Japanese craft beer a bad name and that more than anything is holding back the growth of craft beer in this country.
People have talked up their amber and dunkleweissen. I havent had those for a while and it would be presumtuous for me to assume that the bottles I had 5 or more years back represented the same quality of today. I had the alps weissen on tap and it was weird but not badly made. THe minami shinshu I may try again in Nagano sake but just the dunkle weissen perhaps. I rememebr the seasonal winter ale wasnt bad but didn't exactly rock my boat.
I still think of them as mediocre but would like to try the beer at the source. May even cycle through the Minami Alps to get there! Some other beers I'd love to try at the brewery include Shinano, Swan Lake and Shiga Kogen. Met the brewer a few times now, in Tokyo.
TimE....I will let you know about the 3rd...Might not be able to do it, since I have to find my way back to the inaka by some time on the 4th....but there are ways!!!
Will we be seeing you in Numazu on the 22nd of November? I've got some bourbon barrel ale from KY to bring with me for all to try...and maybe some other fun stuff that I can scare up. I'd love to meet up there the day before and have a chat and drink some brews with any interested!
Chuwy, i will get to Shiga Kogen this winter! Oh yes, I will!!!
Chris
Fair point. I also realize that breweries need to make beer that will shine in bottles as well, but I would still prefer a brewery that can make good beer at the source and OK beer in bottles, vs. a brewery that just does OK beer regardless of how or where it is drunk. I had the Dunklewiesse awhile ago in Tokyo and it was very good.
I don't know why their bottles seems so mediocre. The only one that was very good in the bottles was the Apple Hop, which I have not tried on draft. The Winter Seasonal isn't bad in bottles either.
DH - the plan would be to leave Tokyo in the morning, say 9am at Tokyo station. We SHOULD get to Chateu Kamiya around 5pm or 6pm. You could leave by 8pm and make it back, though it would be a long journey.
Tim
Tim, fair enough. But, like you, I really can't understand why quite a number of breweries have such a disparity between their draft and bottled beers. Filtering problem? That's what I'm leaning toward.
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