Popeye Beer Club - Stong Ale Fest

The Strong Ale Fest at Popeye, having sold-out completely, was split up into two "sessions"; the first group got rolling at 1pm and were allowed to stay until they could no longer stand (or stay awake -- I love how in Japan it's not embarrassing/or illegal to fall asleep in a bar - or anywhere for that matter!) I was in the second group which got started at 3pm. For Y5000, patrons were given 10 tickets (one per beer); included also was a fancy-cheese plate, and a main course (more on that later...).

Having called numerous times to confirm my reservation, they were clearly expecting me; as I walked up to the maître d' he took one look and greeted me with a cheerfull "Ahhhh Justin-san"; and then proceeded to seat me at a table with 3 other locals who knew enough English to entertain me throughout - this was specifically arranged for me and I was truly taken aback by their concern of my comfort. At this point let me say that although I was not taking any particular notice - I did not see any other Westerners. I was surprised but also happy to see so many Japanese taking pride in their domestic microbrews, as I was beginning to get the impression it was Westerners here in Japan that were at the forefront of the consumer end.

But enough introduction -- on to the beers!: [Disclaimer: descriptions are based on my taste-buds & pallet.]
1st up: Ozeno Yukidoke - Heavy Heavy '09 [IPA] [8.2% ABV] [100 IBU] [60ml] -- This IPA was brewed with hops for 60 minutes in honer of DFH 60 Minute; however this was quite stronger in taste to DFH - the hops here were very present and dominated the flavor (nice!). Clear and golden in color, leaving behind layers of lingering lace; and hoppy aroma all around. An impressive IPA that didn't try to balance its hops with other needless fruits!
2nd: Minamishinshu - Kido [Icebock/Winter Ale] [20% ABV] [unknown IBU] [30ml] -- Cask aged for 1 month and yes you read that right - a whopping 20% ABV! They called this style "Icebock" but I'd call it some tasty syrup; sure there were hints of raisins & dates but with its smooth velvet-like texture you could honestly pour this over a stack of steaming pancakes. The color was a deep golden-brown which only helped to further its reminiscence to maple syrup; smelled as sweet as you'd expect.
3rd: Harvestmoon - [Double Stout] [9% ABV] [60 IBU] [60ml] -- I love me some stout and the more coffee taste I get out of a stout the better; needless to say this had the jolt I was looking for! However true to the 60 IBU listed it was more on the sweet side than bitter. A beautiful pitch black, with no lucency even when held up against the light; a stained frothy head held for a few minutes before settling in. The aroma was subtle but hinted of coffee with honey.
4th: Ise Kadoya - [Imperial Smoke Porter] [8% ABV] [25 IBU] [60ml] -- For me, stouts & porters compliment each-other nicely - so it was porter time indeed! Complex in taste (a good porter always is) with an all-around smokey taste and hints of black liquorish; low IBUs allowed the smoke to proclaim itself here, but not overstatedly, a good balance for me. Holding against the light revealed deep dark shades of brown; and whiffs of smoked malts were detectable. I didn't take many pairing notes, but this beer was just begging for some stinky blue cheese -- oh lucky me, I just so happened to have some! A perfect match!
5th: Yo-Ho - [English Ale '07] [9.23% ABV] [67.65 IBU] [60ml] -- Obviously this brewery takes their measurements seriously, as it was the only beer listed where the ABV & IBU each went into double-decimal-point digits! Two years of cask aging helped to add layers of flavor to this ale resulting in a complex taste, featuring bitters, sweets, and dried fruits; with aromas of nectar and whiffs of alcohol contrasting against a nice earthy-malt essence. A lighter shade of brown nicely complimented this elaborate beer.
Main-course arrives: At around this point in my euphoria a waitress arrived with a hot plate of food... well, okay luke-warm - but no reason to complain as I was overwhelmed by the variety of dishes served: Stew-beef baked inside a flaky-critter; a Japanese-style quesadilla, a slice of quiche, a steamed sausage over veggies and all the tempura you could eat -- yeah that's right, a waitress circled the room with a platter of tasty batter piled-high for you to poke at with your chopsticks! I guess the only down-side to all this food was that it completely soaked-up any buzz I was starting to feel... oh well, still had 5 tasters to go!
6th: Hakusekikan [Brown Ale '99] [8.8% ABV] [22 IBU] [60ml] -- I'm a sucker for Brown Ale and anything Hakusekikan! This particular batch had actually been aging since 99' - hard to believe, but who am I to question the Master?! While the hops as expected laid low, tastes of earth, malt, syrup and alcohol danced on my tongue. The aroma was low key as well due to the low bitterness levels, but I detected whiffs of earth and malt. The color was a lovely golden brown reminiscent of a quality brandy.
7th: Preston Ale - BaBakan '08 [Double IPA] [8% ABV] [75 IBU] [60ml] -- Off-the-bat the name "Babakan" struck me funny - however it turns out it is actually someones name... "who's" I'm not sure?... Finally hops were back on the radar here with a nice 75 IBU and as with most ji-biru I've tasted there was a distinctive sweet syrup-y taste in the mix. Also this was lightest hued beer of the evening with what I would describe as a clear liquid-golden color; the aroma produced hops and sugar.
8th: Haksuekikan - [Brown Ale '07] [8.8% ABV] [22 IBU] [60ml] -- Back to my precious Browns; this one the same style as before but from an '07 batch. Nearly identical to my pallet, but definitely had a little more life to it (not that a subdued ale is anything bad if aged with care). I couldn't decide if I liked this one any better though - just another great Brown really! A darker shade of brown was noticeable against the '99; and again, gave-off detectable whiffs of earth & malt.
9th: Hakusekikan - Super Vintage '03 (Dry Hop Verion) [Barley Wine] [14.5% ABV] [35 IBU] [30ml] -- Barley wine is always a great nightcap, especially this one; being a dry hop version brewed in 03' - another oldie! I really think Japanese have a sweet-tooth as again syrup was the overwhelming flavor here - this is not a bad trait though as the quality of sugars is top notch. A beautiful deep golden brown in color and aroma of sugar and dried fruits.
10th: Hakusekikan - Super Vintage '07 [Barley Wine] [14.5% ABV] [35 IBU] [30ml] -- As I wiped away the tears building under my eyes, I reminded myself how all good things must come to an end... and with that I took a sip of the 07' Super Vintage. Seems that the more this ale is aged the sweeter it becomes, as this batch retreated just a tad in sweetness from the '03, and to me that made for a more balanced taste, as fruits got a chance to remind me they were in there... somewhere. Nearly identical in looks & smell to the '03.

So here is my wrap-up on this wonderful experience: This was truly a unique peek into a new world of beer for me. I finally saw Japanese get loud, break glasses, and seem truly enthusiastic about the lesser known breweries from their homeland. If there was one overwhelming theme found throughout the beers, it is this, they are sweet! Coming from American where we love our hops to dominate, it was nice to see the Japanese have found something of their own. I know that this was a "strong" ale fest and high alcohol levels bring out the sugar in beers, but this is something I've noticed in ji-biru of lesser ABV. Hops are here too, just not the dominating factor. This experience only makes me more excited for ji-biru and I'm looking forward to my next drink! Cheers Japan, you deserve it!