MARRIED!!!!

Sorry I have been gone from the wired world for a while folks. I was busy getting hitched! (And showing my parents around Japan....) We just got back from a tour around Fuji....got to get some more of Bayern Meister Beers and some BAIRD. Of course Chris showed us a great time!!!!!!

Be back soon with some more beer reviews, and a shakedown of the wedding. Wild times. Until then, enjoy these shots of your boy looking last The Last Fat Redneck Samurai.

And this goes to show you boys. THERE IS HOPE FOR YOU ALL.

Shiga Kogen Beer

The lovely couple in front of Tamamura Honten, makers of Shiga Kogen Beer.

What, these display bottles aren't full???

I made it to Nagano and back. I had a great time, hanging out with the soon to be wife, our two older friends from Tahara, and three Italian high school students. Yes I know, that last one is random and I assure you, it is true.

Shiga Kogen IPA and Miyama Blond. The Blond was good, but not my style of brew, but the IPA was spot on.

When I found out that we were headed to Nakano City, I was super exited becuase we were within driving distance from where Shiga Kogen Beer is made, Tamamura Honten. (Of course this is not TAmura Honten, which I spelled mistakenly in several earlier posts. You would think that if you ask someone if they have heard of Tamura Honten, that they would be able to discern that you really meant TaMAmura Honten. That was not the case. I would hope if someone asked me in English to give them directions to the "Town Ha" I could use some deductive reasoning and point them the right way. OK. Rant over.)

We did find the spot and it was in a beautiful little town with a river flowing out of the mountains that cuts it right in two. I would have loved to have spent all day just walking around the town sightseeing, but we had places to go and onsens to soak in. Priorities.


We didn't get a behind the scenes tour, but we did get to talk to a girl working there for quite a while and taste some of the Miyama Blond (7%) on tap from the shop. I bought a case of several different kinds, and of course my friend from Tahara had to buy a $100 bottle of sake. Only the best. I was able to pick up a bottle of their Saison 1: Yama Bushi. It's not my favorite style, but it was the only one left and the impulse shopper in DH took over and I was unable to control myself. I will be taking it back to the states.



By fay the best beer was their IPA. Really really good. Lovely aroma and taste and bitterness stood up well too. I could have drank it all day, and actually wished I had skipped on buying the porter and pale ale and bought more IPA. The collab. brew with Nogne, Not So Mild Ale was good, but I wouldn't say it was better than the IPA.

The "Canadian Fridge"

We had a great time, and even the snow was still on in full force. In fact, the last night we were there we got about six inches more! Of course, we made use of the "Canadian Fridge" as we say in KY and kept the beers outside in the snow. Of course, I didn't account for so much snow and accumulation so quickly, because when I went in search of some of the bottles (and cans of Super Dry for the others) they were buried. It took some digging, but I am 98% sure that we found all of the bottles. I wouldn't be surprised that if when the snow melts another bottle appears!

The "Canadian Fridge" after about six inches of snow...had to dig to find the bottles!

All in all, the beer was good, it comes from a beautiful place, and you should drink it. I don't like the fact that they don't have a brewpub, because I would have loved to have saddled up to the bar and had the IPA from the tap. I know you can find this beer in Tokyo, and if you do, buy the IPA. Also, it was only 360 yen a bottle, and for what it is, you can't beat that price!!!!

DH & SHIGA KOGEN BEER TO FINALLY MEET?

Is there a chance I could be drinking some of Shiga Kogen and Nogne O's collaboration Not So Mild ALE this weekend?

So I admit I have been pretty bummed about this upcoming weekend. The fiance wanted to take a trip with some old friends of ours to their summer house in Nagano. This of course would be fine, if A. it was summer, and B. it wasn't the same weekend as the Baird Lucky 7 Stout Week. However, being the kind guy that I am, I conceded and said that we could go to Nagano this weekend, as long as we get to spend several days in Numazu before heading back to Kentucky.

I asked this morning if we knew where we were headed in Nagano, since last night before I went to bed a tiny thought popped into my head. I said to myself, "Self, I wonder if there could be any breweries near the location of said summer house?" (Yes, I talk to myself in that way...)

Michi told me that we were heading someplace near Nakano City, which to my amazement....is not to far from Tamura-Honten, makers of SHIGA KOGEN BEER.

Now, I'm not sure how far we will be, but the chances are good that we will be staying for two days within an hour's drive or train ride from this great brew. I'm officially excited now.*

Many of you living in Tokyo and the surrounding area will know Shiga Kogen for its fairly widespread presence in many of the town's good craft beer bars. Chuwy also tells me there is a place where you can go drink it in the bottle for really cheap. But for those of you living south of Tokyo (Aichi on down), chances are that you've never seen this beer in your local beer shop or craft beer bar, and possibly never heard of it at all. I've lived in Aichi for nearly three years, and I have never seen it available at any store.

You may recall that Nate and I were supposed to visit this brewery last fall, but a untimely snowstorm and piss poor prior planning lead to that excursion's demise. Ahhh....vindication. (hopefully)

I won't write much more about this beer until I've drank it from the source, but suffice it to say that some have called the Shiga Kogen IPA one of the 1001 beers to drink before you die. Barring any tragedies between now and Saturday, I can cross that one off the list.

For those of you who have visited the brewery or tried the beer, care to share your thoughts?

Also, do you know of any other craft beer spots in the area?




*Note: This does not mean that I am happy in the least bit about missing Lucky 7 Stout Week. Still bitter.

KIRIN 1000: This is not good beer

So I try to write about where you can find good beer here in Japan, and sometimes they are hard to come by. That is not the case for the mass marketed crap like Kirin 1000, which you most certainly can find in almost any convenience store in Japan.

For the casual beer drinker: be warned. Stay away. This is the stuff that headaches and early evening puking sessions are make of. Your body was made to process beer, not artificially flavored beer-water with grain alcohol added. Trust me. I know.

MIdweek Update!

I know not everyone has an apartment that used to be an old bar from the turn of the century...but hey, I told you I was Country.

As many of you know, I don't have that much longer in Japan. Only one more month here to be exact. While I am going back to Kentucky to get involved in the restaurant (and one day craft beer) business, I am not leaving Japan in my dust. I will be back many times, since I'm marrying someone who has to come back for yakiniku and Baird's stouts at least once a year.....

This last month is going to be busy. I'm getting married, the parents are coming to visit, and I have to find time to visit a few more breweries, and of course say goodbye to many good friends. Oh yeah, and the wife and I are going to Okinawa for a few days from April 3rd until the 8th. (That means I will be there while the Final Four is going on...anyone know where I can watch the game? I'm also going to hit up the Helios Brewpub, are there any other hot spots???)

For sure I'll be back in KY soon, but until then--there's a ton of good beer still to drink here. Besides, drinking The High Life Light with the boys from home can wait a few more weeks, right?

New Seasonal Releases; Lucky 7 Stout Week Kick-Off; Numazu Hanami Party

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

We kick off our Lucky 7 Stout Week at the Numazu Fishmarket Taproom on Wednesday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day). We wind up the week on the Japan national holiday of Monday, March 22. For event details, please refer to last week’s bulletin. Please join us for the Irish-inspired beer, food and revelry.

We also are marking St. Patrick’s Day with the general release of two seasonal ales: Midnight Oil Export Stout and Imperial Belgian Red Ale.

*Midnight Oil Export Stout 2010 (ABV 6.5%):

Export stouts generally are rich and roasty in flavor, moderately high in alcoholic strength, and sporting some noticeable hop character (normally registering in terms of bitterness and flavor). Baird Midnight Oil Export Stout 2010 enjoys a complexly layered roasted malt character that is balanced beautiful by a kiss of caramel sweetness from additions of two varieties of crystal malt. A firm, straightforward hop flavor rounds this Stout into perfect harmony.

Midnight Oil Export Stout will be available at Baird Beer retailing pubs, restaurants and liquor shops in Japan beginning Wednesday, March 17. Bottles (633 ml) also will be sold direct from the brewery via our online E-Shop (http://bairdbeer.com/en/shop/).

*Imperial Belgian Red Ale (ABV 7.5%):

Belgian ales, to the extent that they can be characterized, tend to be yeast-driven and idiosyncratic. We ferment this unique, high-gravity, lovely red-hued ale with a Belgian yeast strain that lends a softly fruity and subdued phenolic character to it. Moderate attenuation leaves a luscious upfront malt sweetness on the palate that lingers pleasantly through the warm alcohol finish. This is a great ale to mark the transition from winter to spring.

Imperial Belgian Red Ale goes on sale Wednesday, March 17 and is available both on draught and in bottle (633 ml).

Finally, the Hanami season is fast approaching and we are planning a festive Hanami party in Numazu sponsored by our Fishmarket Taproom. The party will be held from noon until 4:00 pm on Sunday, March 28 at the Minato-guchi Koen which is just a few hundred meters down the street from the Taproom. Participants can enjoy a tabe-hodai picnic and nomi-hodai Baird Beer (several styles) for 3,000 yen per person. Kids can attend for free. The cost for non-beer drinkers is 1,500 yen. More details will follow in next week’s bulletin. If you would like to reserve a spot in advance, please email the Fishmarket Taproom (fishmarket-tap@bairdbeer.com).

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

March Madness

I know this is a beer blog, but hey--I'm from KY and our love runs deep. The University of Kentucky just won the SEC Tournament Championship, and the NCAA Tournament is just around the bend. This blog and beer will take a seldom used back seat to UK basketball this week, so I might only get a few posts up.

If you don't know about John Wall. Educate yourself. Some call him the best player of all time. Some are calling him the next #1 draft pick. Some call him The Great Wall or Wall to Wall John. In Kentucky, they call him by his real name:

Blue Jesus.

GO CATS.

Bayern Meister Bier

Photo thanks to Bayern Meister Bier

Now this place was a real treat. I remember it was over a year ago when I first heard that there was a German brewing up some great beer in the mountains near Fuji. It was only just last week that I made it there for the first time. Let me tell you, if you haven't had this beer, you are missing out.

DISCLAIMER: This beer is not super hoppy, mixed with any types of black currants or dry hopped with tobacco leaves. This beer probably wouldn't even make the BeerAdvocate's or Ratebeer's top 1,000 because it's not 65% alcohol. BUT IT IS REALLY GOOD.

From left to right: Weizen, Weizenbock, and Pilsner

Stephan Rager is a real German Brewmaster who has a brewery called Bayern Meister Bier. No really, he is a licensed German Brewmaster. Many brewers and drinkers in Japan and around the world throw the word 'brewmaster' around a bit too liberally at times. With one taste of Stephan's beer you will know that he has earned this title. His beer is great. He only makes three styles: a pilsner, a wiezen and a weizenbock. Especially after trying the travesty which is Fujiyama beer, Bayern Meister's beer is top notch.

We made our way to the brewery with Chuwy's navigation and my buddy Jordan's tiny car. Bayern Meister is in the mountains, and when we arrived it was foggy and rainy. We happened to show up on Stephan's birthday, and truth be told, his brewery was closed. However, he kindly welcomed us in to his place and poured us some beers. Each one was excellent. It's hard to say which one was the best, since each one was a perfect example of it's style.

Will you look at those pours? And the color??? Perfect.

But since I must choose a favorite, I will. Weizenbock happens to be one of my favorite styles of beer, and while I prefer to drink it on a lazy summer afternoon, this one was out of this world. This is saying a lot, but his Weizenbock was the best I have tasted. BAR NONE. Great stuff. So smooth. So much malty goodness. Wow. I have one left in my fridge and I better stop writing about it or I may be forced to run home and pop it open now.

Stephan's place is small and it is quaint. It looks and feels like you may well be in the German mountains. It is a bit of a drive, but it is most certainly worth the trip. We were treated to such a great night with amazing service, and we were even lucky enough to hang out with three Germans who came to celebrate Stephan's birthday! Talk about a great night!

Thanks to Stephan for showing us such an amazing time, and for making an awesome beer. He truly is a master of his craft.

Fuji Breweries Scuttlebutt

I'm going to post more about the beer trip soon, but wanted to share with you some of the beer news I was able to hear while traveling last weekend.

Gotemba Kogen Beer: Word on the street is that Gotemba is branching out soon. The brewers there are putting their heads together and each crafting some really cool styles in the near future. Look for an IPA, some darker brews, and even some cask and possibly some real ales. This is good news from a brewery that makes good beer (and steak!).

Baird: I don't have to inform you that Baird is always coming out with new beers and new styles. They make more styles of beer in a year than all of the other breweries in Japan combined.* While we were sneaking around the brewery last weekend, I heard that a Super Double Secret Probation Quadruple Dry Hopped Upside Down Suruga Bay(IIIIPA) was in the works, as well as some other really cool brews. I might have heard that the Harajuku Ale would be going through a change as well.

Fujiyama Beer: Fujiyama has some really excited news as they are going to continue making beer that tastes like carpet cleaner!

It's an exciting time to be a beer lover in Japan!





*I totally just made that up.

Lucky 7 Stout Week @ Fishmarket Taproom (March 17 - 22)

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

March 17 is the Irish holiday St. Patrick’s Day. We take this occasion every year as an excuse to celebrate a beer style long associated with Ireland: Stout. Stout, of course, is a wonderful pitch-black ale that enjoys many stylistic manifestations. We serve up seven different interpretations of Stout during our week-long celebration which we call Lucky 7 Stout Week.

Lucky 7 Stout Week @ Numazu Fishmarket Taproom (Wed. March 17 – Mon. March 22):

This year’s Stout selection is as follows:

1. Shimaguni Stout
2. Mama’s Milk Stout (served on hand-pump)
3. Midnight Oil Export Stout 2010
4. Great American Stout
5. Citrus Wheat Stout
6. Morning Coffee Stout 2008
7. Morning Coffee Stout 2010

In addition to these Stout selections, we also will be honoring the Irish with the 2010 Real Ale debut of Luck of the Irish Red Ale. Special Lucky 7 Stout Cards, which include punches for all seven seasonal Stouts will be available for purchase and use during the week (Pint cards @ 5,000 yen; Half-pint cards @3,500 yen). Enthusiasts who purchase and complete a card during the week will be entered into an end-of-the-week raffle in which seven Baird Beer prizes will be awarded. The lucky 7 prizes to be awarded are:

1. Fishmarket Taproom Nonbei Pint Drink Card
2. Fishmarket Taproom Nonbei Half-pint Card
3. Shimaguni Stout (360 ml) 6-Pack
4. Midnight Oil Export Stout (633 ml) 4-Pack
5. Shimaguni Stout T-Shirt
6. Set of two Baird Beer logo glasses (pint & half-pint)
7. Set of two posters (Shimaguni Stout & Baird Beer logo)

Great Irish- and Stout-inspired cuisine, of course, will be served up by the Fishmarket Taproom kitchen during the week. A special Lucky 7 Stout Week food menu will include the following:

1. Irish Beef Stew
2. Roast Beef
3. Potato Gratin
4. Traditional Fish & Chips
5. Fisherman’s Seafood Pasta
6. English Cheese Plate
7. Stout Cake & Chocolate Platter

Warm Irish-style camaraderie and revelry will also be in abundance all week long. Please note that the final day, Monday, March 22, is a Japan national holiday and thus the Fishmarket Taproom will be opening its doors at noon. For all you Tokyo denizens who have not made the Numazu pilgrimage recently, this represents a great chance! We look forward to seeing and drinking/eating with all of you.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Fujiyama Beer

This past weekend I made my way to Shizuoka with a friend from the mountains near me. Our plan was to rendevous with the infamous Chuwy and spend a few nights at The Taproom, and hopefully take in some great views of Fuji while visiting some the breweries that surround the mountain.

Of course, if the weather doesn't want to cooperate, you end up with views of Fuji that look like this:



For those of you who don't know, there are several breweries that almost make a perfect circle around Fuji. If you were to start at Gotemba Kogen Brewery, you could make your way to Fujiyama Beer, Fujizakura (Sylvans), Bayern Meister, and then end up at Baird's The Fishmarket Taproom in Numazu.

We made it to The Taproom on Friday night in time for some good beers and chats with some old friends. Early in the morning on Saturday, we headed to Gotemba Kogen and the wonderful onsen there.

After relaxing there, we went to Fujiyama Beer.



Fujiyama Beer is housed in a gigantic building. HUGE. It's a massive beer hall type building near the Radar Dome Museum of Fuji. Chuwy warned us that the beer might not be in tip-top form, but we had to stop and try it anyway.

Inside, we were greeted by an enormous room, pristine brewing equiptment, and several people working. There were only about 10 people in the entire place, and Chuwy said that is about par for the course. We sat down and ordered one of each style of brew: Pilsner, Weizen, and Weizenbock.



We were served the brews by a young waitress who quickly disappeared. It might have been a good thing, because I would have been embarrassed for her to have seen our reactions. This beer was about to change our day.

The Weizenbock was really really off. In fact, all of the beers had something wrong with them. I am convinced that their brewing equipment might have something wrong with it, and maybe they could get Fletch to take a look and see if it's a bad Fetzer Valve. The Weizenbock was the worst one, and had a distinct public pool taste to it.

We laughed as we drank the brews. We also ate some delicious fried potatos. Those were good, and redeemed the place just a tiny bit.

A nasty weizenbock and a delicious fried tater.

All in all, this place is worth the visit just to check and see if the beers have improved. Don't order too many there, as good beer at the breweries before it (and after!) await!

What a weekend again!!!

I'll post some pictures and a full review soon, but this past weekend was great. Went to The Fishmarket Taproom both Friday and Saturday night, Gotemba Kogen Brewery to see brewer Scott Brimmer, Fujiyama Beer to drink some "interesting" beers, Fujizakura Brewery at Sylvan's to find it closed, and Bayern Meister with brewer Stefan for his birthday party with a bunch of Germans. Talk about a fun filled weekend.

And someone took a Number 2 in Chris Poel's upstairs potty that I'm pretty sure was illegal to dump without a permit. His name starts with a 'C' and ends with a 'huwy'.

In all seriousness, a big thanks to all of the great people in the 'Zoo: Chris Poel, Bryan Baird, Robert Yellin (Rob the Potter), Cajun Chris the Chef, Shinya, and many others. Thanks to Scott Brimmer of Gotemba Kogen, and Stefan of Bayern Meister. And of course, thanks to Chuwy, and my good buddy Jordan who drove Chuwy and I to all of the breweries around Fuji.

It can never be said enough how welcoming the craft beer makers and craft beer drinkers can be. I will take the memories of my jibeer in Japan buddies with me everywhere I go!

2010 The Carpenter's Mikan Ale

This year The Carpenter came through with some good mikans, and the boys at Baird succeeded in turning them into some good beer. This one doesn't have as heavy of a mikan taste as I remember in the past, but it is still really good.

If you can imagine a warm spring day (I know it's hard after the winter we have been though) , this is the perfect beer to sit and sip on the front porch as you watch the world pass you by. And of course, you won't mind a bit.

This is also the beer that you reach for when wedding planning with dual MacBooks. Whatever works for you.




If you find yourself in Numazu (as I will this weekend) it's not uncommon to look up and see The Carpenter: the man responsible for the mikans, the rustic wooden decor of all three taprooms, and the coolest guy in the room. No, "The Carpenter's Mikan Ale" isn't just a clever name. The Carpenter is real. And if you are lucky enough (and are a certified Grade A badass- like yours truly) you can get a picture of him as he sips his beer and gazes over the harbor into the Numazu night.

Is Spring coming?

I'm headed to the Fuji area this weekend with a good buddy of mine, and hopefully will meet good buddy buddy Chuwy up that way. We've got a weekend full of fun, sun, Fuji, and good Japanese craft beer planned. Too bad that Mother Nature has a weekend of rain and fog planned. We will see who wins!

We plan on hitting the Fishmarket Taproom Friday and Saturday nights, with a trip Saturday during the day to Gotemba Kogen, and possibly Bayern Meister and/or Fujizakura. All will depend on the weather and how long I decide to lay in the onsen.

This week's weather has been a bit spring like. It's sunny and a bit warmer today, which makes me long for Hanami and all the fun that spring in Japan has to offer!

Recently in Nagoya, I was able to stumble upon some good craft beers from Yo-Ho. Now, while Yona Yona can be found at many stores and even some conbinis, these three are much more rare. The ESB and National Trust were good, but the Wild Harvest was very so so.... Anyone out there who has had them, what did you think? I'll go as far as to say the National Trust is the best canned beer in Japan!

Of course the Kinshachi Imperial Stout was good. Just broke the bank!

New Seasonal Baird Beer Releases: Morning Coffee, Wabi-Sabi, Obatarian

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast: The Baird Beer brewers have been busy bees over the past several months crafting a diverse range of unique seasonal brews. Wednesday, March 3 will mark the official debut of the following three seasonal beers: Morning Coffee Stout 2010 (ABV 7%): Each year we combine our passion for stout beer with our love of coffee in the brewing of Morning Coffee Stout. This 2010 version is an export-style stout infused with freshly ground fair-trade espresso beans from Arabika Coffee. This year we added the coarsely ground espresso beans directly to the stout in the conditioning tank in what amounted to a cold beer toddy extraction method. The result is a perfect flavor marriage between stout beer and java beans. Wabi-Sabi Ale (ABV 5.5%): Shizuoka is the green tea capital of Japan. Drinking fine Shizuoka tea is to experience the Japanese wabi-sabi cultural aesthetic in microcosm. We feel the same is true of imbibing Baird Beer. So it struck us: why not skillfully combine the two? This we have done in a richly malty brown ale in which hop character is almost wholly absent (only 15 BUs of hops were added in a single kettle addition). We use the Shizuoka tea (infused into the beer in the conditioning tank) to supplement and make complete the bitter, herbal and aromatic character generally supplied by hops. The result is a wonderfully unique beer best characterized by the following descriptors: refinement, elegance, sobriety, dignity. Obatarian Strong English Ale (ABV 8%): Strong English Ales generally are noted for richness of malt character, alcohol strength which imparts warmth, and a pleasant estery profile. They normally are released only after sufficient aging and maturation. Thus, they tend to be extremely self-assured beers; ones that care little for the opinions or sensitivities of others. In other words, they are the beer version of that old biddy obatarian you sometimes encounter in the supermarket checkout line here in Japan. We promise, though, that your encounter with Obatarian Strong English Ale will prove more satisfying than your experience with the human version at the supermarket. Morning Coffee Stout 2010 will be available on draught and in bottles (633 ml) and sold throughout Japan through the fine family of Baird Beer retailing establishments (as well as direct from the brewery via our online E-Shop). Wabi-Sabi Ale is a small batch beer that will be available on hand-pump as real ale exclusively at our Taproom pubs. Obatarian Strong English Ale, another small batch brew, is draught only and also will be poured exclusively from the taps of our own Taproom pubs. Finally, please mark you calendar for the upcoming Lucky Seven Stout Week which kicks off on St. Patrick’s Day (Wednesday, March 17) at our Numazu Fishmarket Taproom and runs through the national holiday on Monday, March 22. During the week we will be celebrating the quintessential Irish beer style: Stout. We will devote seven taps to different varieties of stout beer, serve a special Stout-inspired food menu and engage in other mischievous fun. More details will be forthcoming in next week’s bulletin. Cheers, Bryan Baird