Shiga Kogen - Porter

Shiga Kogen - Porter - Nagano Prefecture - 5.5% - 330 ml bottle:
Taste: Medium-bodied and somewhat dry, flavors of nuts, watered-down coffee, cocoa-powder and a subtle smokiness. Nice lively mouthfeel which leans a tad more hoppy than creamy.
Smell: Deep aroma of roasted malts, mochaccino, traces of smoke and molasses.
Look: Pours out in a dark brown colour with a small beige head.
Verdict: While a good porter for sure- and probably tied with the best I've had here- this is shy of being an excellent beer. Porters to me are a very tricky beer, I like them to be a full-medium bodied experience and complex - which this light/medium bodied beer just misses out on being. Recommended none-the-less.

Shiga Kogen - House IPA

Shiga Kogen - House IPA - Nagano Prefecture - 8% - 330 ml bottle:
Taste: Both sweet and hoppy to a balanced perfection, raisins, fruity- mandarin, floral, and pine are the big players here; medium bodied and resiny.
Smell: Sweet fruity aroma with pine.
Look: Hazy deep orange copper, small head and just a little lacing.Verdict: This is a great IPA, love the high ABV without ever realizing it! Another victory for Tamamura-Honten!

Shiga Kogen - Pale Ale

Shiga Kogen - Pale Ale - Nagano Prefecture - 5.5% - 330 ml bottle:
Taste: A fruity, hoppy flavor, caramel in the back ground; smooth, malty character with a nice medium-bodied mouthfeel; nicely balanced taste right through with a lingering bitter finish; crisp and drinkable.
Smell: Hoppy aroma, fruity, pine, earth, some citrus, along with some sweet malt.
Look: Lovely yellowish orange colour- somewhere between pale amber and deep golden; poured with a foamy head and some lingering lace.
Verdict: This is the quintessential session ale- at 5.5% and with its perfectly balanced flavor, it is due for repetitive visits in one sitting. If you ever felt the need to shy away from the intensity of an IPA but still wanted a quality hop taste this is where to go! As with all the Shiga Kogen beers I've had, this is a superb ale and is highly recommended.

SunSun Organic Beer - by Yo-Ho

Yo-Ho - SunSun Organic Beer (Lager) - Nagano Prefecture - 5% - 350 ml can @ Nagano Sake Village:
Taste: All malt taste here, very sharp, accustomed metallic bite, hops aren't established enough, grassy.
Smell: Hops are a little more noticeable here, some whiffs of malt as well.
Look: A clear light golden, carbonated, weak head.Verdict: Unimpressed with this beer, period. Okay it's organic... so? I can't even recommend this over certain macros. My opinion - if you want an all malt premium beer and don't want to support the big guys, go with an Echigo Ikinama -- actually scratch that- get yourself a Coedo Ruri- at the moment it's easy to find and so much better!

Minamishinsyu - Golden Ale

Minamishinsyu - Golden Ale - Nagano Prefecture - 5% - 330 ml bottle @ Nagano Sake Village:
Taste: Fruity upfront, malts and hops lay dormant here.
Smell: Very nice fruity aroma is present, but again not much else.
Look: A very golden look, clear and carbonated, with a bright white head which settled at a somewhat leisurely pace, leaving some lace in its wake.Verdict: This is a very drinkable beer, with more of a fruity taste than bitter or earthy. This is probably the best of the lot I've had from Minamishinsyu, but still would appreciate it more if they just gave it a little more umph! I could consider this a session beer, and would definitely recommend it to those who are not into bitter beer and are also not fond of all malt beers.

Minamishinsyu - Dunkelweizen

Minamishinsyu - Dunkelweizen - Nagano Prefecture - 6% - 330 ml bottle @ Nagano Sake Village:
Taste: Roasted wheat grain, sourness, not really hoppy in character, taste in general is subdued.
Smell: Sweetness from the roasted grain.
Look: Dark brown, poured without head and not much lace trailed.Verdict: The third Minamishinsyu I've now tried and the third I've came away from mainly unimpressed. This has to do with the intensity of the flavor, not the flavor; the quality is fine for sure, its just that nothing stands out in particular, its well balanced for what it is (a dark wheat beer) - they just need to pump up the volume!

Aooni IPA - by Yo-Ho

Yo-Ho - Aooni IPA - Nagano Prefecture - 7% - 350 ml can:
Taste: Sharp bitter hops, not enough malts - this is unbalanced, fruits are here though, fizzy, pine-y, spicy, and soapy; quite dry- leaving a fair amount of bitter aftertaste.
Smell: Fruity (pineapple, grapefruit) & hoppy aroma.
Look: Golden orange, quite beautiful, semi-opaque, head in place, nice lace too.Verdict: I was really looking forward to drinking this beer; gotta say I feel pretty let down. After having three great beers by Yo-Ho - I've been stung twice in a row now by some average-at-best beers -- first was the SunSun Organic Beer and now this. I see what they are trying to do, make an intense West Coast style IPA... but this is a miss. Not enough malts, nor fruit to balance the amount of hops here. Cannot recommend this one unfortunately.

Seasonal 2009 ESB - by Yo-Ho

Yo-Ho - Seasonal 2009 ESB - Nagano Prefecture - 6% - 350 ml can:
Taste: Bitter, IPA like, sweet sharp maltiness, pine, subtle underlying fruitiness- peach, orange & grapefruit.
Smell: Fruity aroma, malt is at the forefront while hops stay in the background.
Look: Clear deep golden color, carbonated, weak head, and no lace.
Verdict: Another great beer by Yo-Ho - this time in their ESB, a perfect take on this American style. Tastes like an IPA; similar to their Yona Yona but a little more intense. Not a overly complex flavor, but hits the important notes very nicely. Highly recommended.

Miyama Blonde - by Shiga Kogen

Shiga Kogen - Miyama Blonde - Nagano Prefecture - 7% - 330 ml bottle:
Taste: Citrus, floral and fruity flavors, malt stays in background, medium amount of hoppiness here; crisp, dry finish that is sharp rather than sweet. Body was not light (as is associated with blonds)- more of a medium body, some wheat-like notes and a hint of pepper.
Smell: Lemon is apparent, hops, sour fruity aroma.
Look: Light golden, carbonated, poured with strong head and lace is abundant and holds well, this is in between clear and cloudy.
Verdict: I've always enjoyed a good blonde, in-fact my drinking buddies can attest that I usually go for a Checker Cab when I reach my hop-boiling-point (get it?). Puns aside this is the best blonde I've come across in awhile; and I especially like the uniqueness which Tamamura Honten brings by adding Miyamanishiki (home-made sake rice) into the pot. You see, sake rice is of higher quality than rice used in macro produced beer, and thus is not intended as a cheap substitute to barley, but rather it imparts its own flavors - the quality can be tasted immediately! This saison comes highly recommended.

Not So Mild Ale - by Shiga Kogen & Nøgne Ø

Shiga Kogen (in colabartion with Nøgne Ø) - Not So Mild Ale - Nagano Prefecture - 5% - 330 ml bottle:
Taste: Hops, roasted malt - both prominent, not really sweet- more of an earthy edge, just a taste of sour plum.
Smell: Hops & sweet malt, banana, apple, pear...
Look: Murky chestnut brown- mahogany even, no head, nor carbonation, little stings of lace but not much.
Verdict: Honestly this is not as grand as I was expecting it to be considering who they collaborated with for this, more of an experimentation than a true & tested brew. Not saying this was bad- as it's unique in taste, can't think of another beer like it; but definitely not as satisfying as other beers that Tamamura-Honten is doing.

Tokyo Black Porter - by Yo-Ho

Yo-Ho - Tokyo Black Porter - Nagano Prefecture - 5% - 350 ml can:
Taste: Chocolate, coffee, smoked & burnt malt, sweetness, syrup, dates, not very bitter- though it is there.
Smell: Smoked malt aroma is most prominent, subdued sweetness.
Look: Great look, close to pitch black- but held in direct light revels deep tones of brown, dark body, almost no head at all- but what forms is darkly stained, no lacing, this stuff is silk-like.Verdict: I love this porter, one of my favorites - possibly because its so similar to a stout, love the look of the beer and design on the can. Will always bring forth fond memories of my first tastes of jibiru back in 2007 at Ushi-Tora (hand pumped there of-course).

Minamishinsyu - Apple Hop

Minamishinsyu - Apple Hop - Nagano Prefecture - 6.5% - 330 ml bottle @ Nagano Sake Village:
Taste: Sour apples, apple skin, lightly hopped, fizzy, sweet & sour fits this well.
Smell: Apple, sweetness... candy apple, wheat malt.
Look: Opaque yellow, weizen-looking, carbonated, no head.
Verdict: Another strike for Minamishinsyu; while I was happy this was not a hard-cider and was actually a beer brewed with apples, the hops were far too light, and without much other flavors this ended up tasting like apple juice more than much else. Points given for creativity- but that's it.
After-thoughts: Maybe this would work very nicely for fans of white wine; its got that apple-taste, has some fizz, is very lite, hardly bitter... hmm, this might actually play a useful role in certain situations... okay, giving them a half-pass here!

Biere De Rydeen Porter - by Oh! La! Ho Beer

Oh! La! Ho Beer - Biere De Rydeen Porter - Nagano Prefecture - 5% - 350 ml can @ Nagano Sake Village:
Taste: A mild tasting porter, roasted malts, some smokey flavor- but not much, there was a sour note to it as well.
Smell: Malt comprised most of the aroma.
Look: Body was a dark brown, poured a weak head which settle fast, was lightly carbonated.
Verdict: This was an unimpressive porter; the taste was subdued in all the important areas, not enough smoke, roasted flavor, nor hops, although the level of sourness was fine. Not recommending this one- better off with a Tokyo Black!

Minamishinsyu - Amber Ale

Minamishinsyu - Amber Ale - Nagano Prefecture - 4.5% - 330 ml bottle @ Nagano Sake Village:
Taste: More malt than hops- mild hops here, some hints of fruit if your looking for it- very subtle; this is easy to drink and refreshing but ultimately lacking in taste.
Smell: Malts are present, subdued hops, faint traces of fruit.
Look: A light red/orange and clear, didn't produce much of a head nor lace.
Verdict: I was not very impressed with this beer, it's an easily drinkable ale - but I cannot recommend this when an alternative such as Echigo Red Ale is accessible and superior on all counts.

Nagano Sake Village

Searching out jibiru in Tokyo can be a daunting task, it's not as easy as you think it would be -- you know being in a ginormous savvy metropolitan and all. Actually it's been a chore; but as with any problem- solutions are abound. Antenna shops have become one such solution to my dilemma. For those of you who aren't in the know, Antenna shops are stores representing a specific prefecture- the products and produce they sell are from that prefecture. See where I'm going with this? ...That's right, if a prefecture has a local brewery (or two) then it's likely you'll be able to find that beer in an Antenna shop of that prefecture. Whew!
Nagano Sake Village is one such place- representing the prefecture of Nagano (duh)- and the best Antenna shop I've been to to boot. Their set up is more as a standing-bar than a store, but it's this arrangement that makes this shop so rewarding. Since they sell their regional beverages and food at retail, you also have an option to drink & eat there what you purchase- at retail price! Buy a beer and they give you the proper glass to drink it in, order sake or shochu and it's the same deal.
Their back-r00m is lovely, as in it's the type of room that makes my heart flutter. Small, dimly lit and stocked to the brim with hard to find jibiru, sake and shochu. Prices here are very reasonable, and consider this probably the most complete selection of alcoholic beverages from Nagano in all of Tokyo. And trust me, you want to drink beverages from Nagano! The jibiru offered comes from breweries such as: Shiga Kogen, Yo-Ho, Minamishinsyu, and Oh! La! Ho.

Horse meat and beer!? Who would have thunk it?!

As mentioned, the food selection is nice and cheap, all plates are served in appetiser sizes- perfect to compliment your drink(s), and prices range from Y100 to Y300 per dish, honestly this is one of the best deals I've come across here.

I highly recommend stopping by Nagano Sake Village for a quick drink & bite to eat - get a taste of what Nagano prefecture has to offer and buy a bottle of sake or jarred goods to bring home with you. Cheers!

40th Anniversary Ale - by Shiga Kogen

Shinga Kogen - 40th Anniversary Ale - Nagano Prefecture - 8.5% - US Pint @ The Cat & Cask Tavern:
Taste: Bitter & sweet; different somehow... a unique taste... it's pine- very sharp & bitter; this is a funky beer, a mash-up of fruits, butter, caramel, a bit of vegetable.
Smell: Sweet, funky mix of ingredients, and alcohol whiffs.
Look: Opaque, red/orange, no lace, no carbonationVerdict: This is an interesting, though weird beer; I love the high alcohol level, but the beer itself might not have matured quite how they would have liked in taste. Unlike most beers from Shiga Kogen this is a rarity that I cannot recommend, not that its a bad beer per say... get it??
Notes of interest: To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Tamamura Honten (40 years of Sake & 4 years of jibiru), they have released this beer- a specially long-aged version of their House IPA.

Shiga Kogen - IPA

Shiga Kogen - IPA - Nagano Prefecture - 6% - US Pint @ The Cat & Cask Tavern:
Taste: Fresh hops, grapefruit-y, peachy, lightly toasted, medium malts, caramel, dryness, pine, tart.
Smell: Citrus, orange, hoppy aroma.
Looks: Dark amber, deep red/orange; pours with white head.Verdict: I really enjoy Shiga Kogen, one of my favorite Japanese brewers; they do an American style very good, quality on par with West Coast breweries! This is a great hoppy & potent IPA!

Shiga Kogen - Draft Pale Ale

Shiga Kogen - Draft Pale Ale (Harvest Brew) - Nagano Prefecture - 5.2% - US Pint @ The Cat & Cask Tavern:
Taste: Some malt presence, heavier on the hops, grapefruit and other citrus, hints of other fruits, clean & refreshing taste.
Smell: Hoppy aroma with whiffs of citrus, and fruit blend.
Looks: Golden color, very clear, pours with head of which there is good retention, as well as lacing.
Verdict: This is the kind of beer I like, an American-style Ale, heavy on the hops, citrus in place for balance, malt present but in the background. This would fit the American pallet very nicely.
Notes of interest: The DPA is limited to draft only; it uses pilsner malt and four types of American and British aroma hops that produce its strong nose.

Yona Yona Ale - by Yo-Ho

Yo-Ho - Yona Yona Ale - Nagano Prefecture - 5.5% - 350 ml can:
Taste: Fruity foremost, tropical, medium hops, subtle malt, a truly good balance. Although no bubbles to show- it feels somewhat carbonated.
Smell: Fruit variety, subdued hops & malt, a very pleasant aroma.
Looks: Golden and clear, pours with a healthy head- which settles in about two minuets, lace is strong, beautiful.Verdict: As far as jibiru goes, I have a longstanding relationship with this beer- as it was my initial introduction to good Japanese beer back in 2007. What else can I say, I love this ale, except that I love it even more as Real-ale (i.e. cask-conditioned). I've drank this many times and frankly I don't get sick of it; this is a great session beer!