Hakusekikan Crystal Ale

Brewed by Hakusekikan Beer/Stone Iwamoto Co.
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Ena-gun, Gifu, Japan

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Bottle, thanks to CMUBEERMAN. Pours hazy gold, white head. Doesn’t look like a barley wine. Aroma is apricot, mango, wheat, bleu cheese tangy. Flavor is port-wheat, apricot, mottled taste.

Draught at Popeye Tokyo (rated Apr 2008, vintage 2001). Head is mostly diminishing. Body is light amber. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (caramel), with notes of peach, dried pineapple, alcohol. Flavor is heavily sweet, lightly bitter. Finish is moderately sweet, lightly to moderately bitter. Medium to full body, watery/syrupy texture, soft/flat carbonation, moderately alcoholic. Pleasant despite everything working against it (age, strong sweetness, very low carbonation). Soft and fruity. I didn’t want to drink much of it, but not because it was unpleasant...just too sweet and faded.

Draft at Popeyes (Tokyo), pours a clear dark gold. Very oaky nose, reminiscent of a whiskey. Very sharp, nearly vinegary. Some pretty nice fruit flavours, similar to port. The more I drunk this the more I liked it.

Had this courtesy of KyotoLefty at the Grand Tasting during RBSG. Pours a hazed gold with a thin white head. Soft wheat, hint of hops. Soft and sweet. A bit too sweet, with a bit of corn and apples. Long tangy wheat and sweetness on the finish.

Bottle shared by kmweaver on 8/24/08: Pours a clear deep golden bronze with a thin ring of wispy white head. Unique nose of slightly toasted grainy pale malt with some floral rice notes. Body starts with a mild sweetness and some woody cedar balance with a touch of light fruity esters before a drier warming finish. An interesting and fairly well-balanced brew.

Draught (2001) at Popeye, Tokyo. Clear golden - white head. Clean barley, licorice, white bread, toasted, candy, syrup, sweetness, alcoholic, sharpness, nice hoppy.

Bottled. A hazy golden beer with a thin white head. The aroma is very sweet with strong notes of fruits. The flavor is very sweet - too sweet for my liking, and strong notes of fruit - especially peaches, and medium notes of malt. The alcohol leaves a burn in the mouth.

courtesy of Antonio Ruiz - pours a cloudy orange colour with a white firm foam; yeasty and estery nose with fruity touches (peaches and oranges) and notes of alcohol underneath; full-bodied and very sweet; oily, low bitterness and a long sweetish fruity finish with long warming alcohol notes - lacking of complexity

Bottled. Cloudy deep golden. Fruity niose with almond and grass. Sweet and full bodied with chewy malt. There’s grains and hay and it lies pleasantly soft in the mouth. The alcohol is well hidden, but it’s not the most complex 12% beer ever.

Bottled, courtesy from OMH. Pours out in a cloudy dark golden colour with a small white head. Dense and fruity aroma of tangarine, orange-liquor, apricots, spices and neutral yeast. Full-bodied with notes of mango, apricots, oranges, spices and yeast. Chewy mouthfeel. Long fruity and chewy finish of yellow plums, oranges and mango with yeasty and and spicy undertones.

On Draught at Popeye in Ryogoku. Very light yellow, blonde, with a sour aroma. Very sour, very strong flavore, like an apple juice that is starting to ferment. Feels tart and effervescent in the mouth. The alcohol is well hidden, not my favorite of the night....