Hakusekikan Brown Ale

A flavourful beer that really hides the 8% really well. Lots of big malty flavours here with solid hop finish. Very smooth and easy to drink so beware!

On tap at Popeye, Tokyo. Dark brown with limited head. Vinous fruit with plums and alcohol aroma. Dry rich chocolate and dark fruit, yet very dry. Rich and full-bodied. More like a wonderful abt / quadruppel.

Tap at Popeyes. Dark chestnut, thin to no head. Great nose of nut and toffe, rich, and ample alochol notes as well. Taste was a grassy walnut hop along with bitter toffee and a rich coffee finish. Rich and malty but quite vinous. Full rich palate.

Draught at Eni-bru. Aged 11 months. Almost black, no head to speak of. Aroma of sherry, fruits, rich malt. Very winey. Rich flavor of chocolate, toffee, sherry. Rich, aged, flavorful. Great stuff. Very winelike. More barley wine than brown ale.

Tap @ Popeye’s: Dark brown, vanilla color, light head and lacing. Nose of bright grape and fruit, chewy malt and candy, some clean vanilla bean notes. The flavor is hoppy, strong, sweet, decent fruit tail. Some creamy fruit in the tail. Huge but beautiful.

My Bottom Line:
The symbiotic relationship of hazelnuts, honey, black grapes and creamy caramel showcased in this Brown Barley Wine (I made that up) knows how to boggle the senses and soothe the soul all at once.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A ring of foam crowns the cloudy purplish brown gown.
-There is lots of sweet fruitiness, but yet it is not distinct.
-The nose is astounding on this one!
-The very low carbonation increases the drinkability factor, even though the body is quite rich.
-Chocolate winds its way through the caramel and floral honey tones.
-Please bottle this one, Niwa-san!

1999 vintage, enjoyed on tap a few times at Popeye’s.

[on tap at Ushi-Tora] Bouquet of fresh apricots and dried apricots, with more dried fruit to boot, nicely complimented with a litte aromatic alcohol. Opaque, hazy purple-brown with a bubbly ring. Chocolate-raspberry-vanilla-oak-hazlenut flavour--combine that with the dried fruity aroma and this beer is very intriguing. The most interesting and heavenly beer that I’ve had in a while! Some alcohol notes come out in the flavour too. Very low bitterness, medium body, very low carbonation, clean finish yet fruity.

Vintage 1999, draught at Popeyes. Pours very dark brown with a dark tan head. the aroma on this beer is outstanding. Roasted malts, dark fermented fruit, sherry, sweet, and alcohol. Very smooth, full mouth, lightly carbonated. Flavor is roasted malt, dark fruit, wine, and alcohol. The alcohol is rather well hidden but it does finish nicely warm. This was the best beer of the night. Outfrickenstanding.