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).

Kawabata - by Aqula

Aqula - Kawabata Pilsner - Akita Prefecture - 5.5% - 330ml bottle:
Taste: Prominent malts, hops present to a lesser extent, citrus hints, delicious creamy head, fizzy body, refreshing.
Smell: Malts, cream and lemon scents.
Look: Body is a light golden brown, steam of carbonation, small but strong head, some lacing.
Verdict: This gold medal winner of the Japan/Asia Beer Cup in the Pilsner-family division is truly a great malt beer- the best I have had so far in Tokyo, which says allot since it's a popular style here. Highlights include the creamy taste of the head, and crisp refreshing feel from the carbonation level.

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!

Taishoken (Ikebukuro branches) - Ramen shop

Ramen has traditionally always been served in hot broth (soup); however a relatively recent trend is tsukemen style, in which the noodles (served luke-warm) are dished separately on their own plate while the broth remains served in a bowl. The idea is simple yet fun, take some noodles and dip them into the hot broth, consume, repeat.

Tsukemen is now a mainstay and is offered at almost all Tokyo ramen shops; however its origins go back about 40 years when then inspiring Ramen chef Kazuo Yamagishi was "caught" (viewed by a customer) dipping his noodles into a separate cup of broth. Today Yamagishi-san is retired and considered a legend for the contributions he made to this once simple dish.
Tsukemen broth is usually a thicker and more hearty than its counterpart's. Taishoken's is made from pork, chicken and anchovies and is boiled down until additional ingredients are added, such as shoyu, miso, or spice.
I've been to the two Ikebukuro branches, unfortunately neither are the original shop- which was torn down a few years ago due to a city construction project. On my first visit I had to go with what made them famous, the tsukemen. The broth was almost sweet & sour in flavors, and was a little thinner than I was expecting. I consider it excellent tsukemen, but not the best I've had. On my visit to their other Ikebukuro store I tried out their traditional soup-based ramen; again the broth was on the light side (though broth can definitely get lighter). And again I very much enjoyed the quality and taste, but... I've had better.