Hakone Pilsener

Draught at "Hakone Brewpub" - in a plastic cup (ølbutikken style). Clear golden - white head. Sweetness, white bread, white sugar, grainy, hay, candy, fruity, a bit too sweet, but ok - clean.

Draft at GJBF 2009, Osaka. Very light gold color. Pale. Fruity, light malt aroma, ok hops, citrus. Clean fruity palate. Not a whole lot of malt, but crisp and clean with a little bit of fruit. Ok finish. Light and nice in the mouth.

Grassy, malty, with a slightly dry grainy finish. Nothing outstanding, but ok for the style. At Yokohama GJBF 2007.

My Bottom Line:
This effervescent Pilsener’s welcoming balance of crisp pils malt cereal flavors and herbal hops support make for a quite effective quencher.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A beautiful head of foam crowns the clear light golden.
-The flavor profile is minutious, yet won’t get noticed if not scrutinized.
-Citrusy leanings increase drinkability.
-The finale is pleasant, herbal hops and hay fading out slowly.
-All Hakone beers were quite similar that day in effervescence, balance, and flavor intensity.

On tap at the market across the street from the brewery.

Tap. We drove south from Tokyo for a few hours to see some sights and stopped here for lunch and beer. Some of the seasonal beers looked impressive but were not available yet. This beer was yellow with some rising bubbles and foamy white head with some lemon in the aroma and a smooth medium body.