Ginga Kogen Weizen

Brewed by Ginga Kogen Beer Company
Style: German Hefeweizen
Waga-gun, Iwate Prefecture, Japan

Serve in Weizen

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Wonderfully wheaty - a wheat explosion! A very tasty weizen - I highly recommend it. Bought in Shibuya neighborhood of Tokyo at the Tokyu Dept store (Level B1) (see Places).

Stumbled upon this great beer yesterday at Sunrise Market in the East Village. What a pleasant surprise. Great nose and very flavorful. I found it to have a great finish as well. Will definitely look for it next time.

Ginga Kougen Weizen brew pours a rich, cloudy, golden hue and is topped by a with a frothy cloud-white head. Little to no lacing clings to the glass. The appearance is very true to the style. The aroma of this beer is also very true to the hefeweizen style. Rich and bready smells are present but an acutely powerful clove aroma pierces through. A mild yeast funkiness is also apparent. Taste-wise, this beer is rock solid. As the aroma would indicate, strong banana bread and clove flavors dominate. The clove is just a bit stronger than it should be, but does help cut through the thick malty flavors. The texture of this beer is a bit thicker than many hefeweizens and with a bit less carbonation than usual. All in all, I could drink this beer on a hot summer day or a cold winter night and be satisfied with either. It’s light alcohol content lends itself to being a session beer, but the complex flavors make just a pint more than enjoyable.

UPDATED: MAY 20, 2012 Tap. Light golden color. Aroma of wheat malt and banana and clove, less fruity, little sour. Rich, rather sweet wheat malt flavor. No citrus, little sour taste at all. Lots of banana and clove. Somewhat cake-like, but not over-bearing. Rich, with a reasonably full palate and medium carbonation. A fuller, more contemplative weizen than the Silver bottle. Better in the cold weather.

Can in trade from miketd. Thanks for this one!
Pours a light hazy gold with a small white head. Smell is sweet and wheaty, and honey like. Very wheaty in the flavor as well with some honey like sweetness and a lemony component. Pretty clean and refreshing. Enjoyable hefeweizen.

Can in Japan from notes on my July 2010 visit. Bought in Kinokuniya. Colour is cloudy yellow nice bubbling white head, fair amount of carbonation. Nose is citrousy, lemon, cloves and yeast. Taste is the same and is very similar to Hoegaarden.

"Silver Bottle". Pours a cloudy amber. Clove and corriander on the nose. A good sweetness/grainyness balance. One of the better Weizens I have had the pleasure to drink.

Cloudy yellow. Marshmallowy, bananaish aroma. Sweet, fluffy character. Straightforward but fairly well made.

Bottled at pre-RBJG festivities in Kyoto. Cloudy yellow. Less estery and phenolic than th Ko Mugi/Silver bottle. Sweet wheat malt eased out by spritzy carbonation. Less flavour than the ko Mugi, but possibly also more of a refreshing summer drink.

300 ml cobalt blue bottle. Pours a very hazy yellow gold that became mostly clear by mid-glass with a thin-moderate white head that left light lace. Aroma is wheat and yeast. The flavor is bubble gum and banana along with some cloves. Very mild bitterness at the finish.