Aqula Kawabata Lager

Brewed by Aqula
Style: Pilsener
Akita, Japan

Serve in Flute, Footed Pilsner

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Draught at the brewpub. Deep gold, almost amber, with a tall, fine head. Malt-centered aroma, Urquel-like, with nice, though mild hopping. Great balance. Very nice Bohemian malt with a good hops grab. Fruity, malty, nice hop. Wow! A big surprise with rich, full-flavored malt.

bottled. i was quite surprised at how hazy this golden beer was. aroma of hay with some alcohol showing, moderate bitterness, perhaps a touch messy around the edges but still enjoyable drinking

My Bottom Line:
The feeble cereals and even weaker citrusy, noble hoppiness of this sleepy lager made me wish for another glass of their Helles.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-Surprisingly headless, this lager’s hazy orange dress fails to make me salivate.
-The complacent carbonation and lack of crisp maltiness didn’t help the mouthfeel at all.
-The finish is near vapid, sometimes watery.
-Hops do have an earthy character once you’ve found their hiding place.

Bottle; thx Tim!

UPDATED: APR 30, 2010 Deep golden color. Very malty nose, full body with a rich malty mouth and hints of apricots and brandy. Rich malty finish. Nice. Re-rate at the brewery- grassy hoppy nose. A bit off balance, but moderately full body. Hops really shine are done nice, but the malt should be a bit cleaner. Still nice beer, with a bit more balance would be spectacular.

WOW, a Japanese Lager that isn’t clear and Golden! This is an Amber, cloudy brew with an off-white creamy head. It’s bottle-conditioned with a layer of fine yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Mildly sweet hay scented, light floral/spice hops. A refreshingly tangy sweet flavor, malts with a kiss of citrus. Sweet follow, clean finish. A very tasty well made Lager (Called a Brown Lager on their Japanese language website) With this very good Lager, a nice Helles and a monster sweet Bock, this is an impressive little brewery!