We’re into 2019 now. It's time to take stock
of new beers brought out in 2019 by the four major breweries in Japan: Asahi,
Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory. I'll discuss them each in a separate post. I'll
also give the current RateBeer weighted average score and my own rating score
(both scores out of a possible total of five), keeping in mind that most of
these newer brews have fewer than ten ratings.
Finally, a look at what Suntory made in 2019:
Suntory
Patto Hanayagu Kuse ni Naru (Nama) Beer
Pale Lager - Intl / Premium / 5.5% / My
Rating: 3.2 / RateBeer Avg: 2.98
Nose of citrus, light sweet peach, pear, and
small bit of tropical fruit. Deep bright gold color. Flavors similar to aroma:
light tropical fruit, La France pears, wheat, sugar – all sweet and quite
fruity. Thin-medium body. Almost tastes like a sweet dessert thing. Okay. Would
be more interesting if they upped the ante a bit on the Galaxy hops.
Suntory
Tokyo Craft Kolsch Style 2019
Kölsch / Kölsch-Style / 5% / My Rating: 3.2 /
RateBeer Avg: 3.05
Light fruity and bready nose, with some
citrus, and yeast. Clear bright gold color. Thin bready maltiness, citrus,
apples, mild stone fruit, and light bitterness. Thin-medium body. Hmmm…. mild
everywhere and maybe too fruity.
Suntory
The Malts Hop Paradise
Pale Lager - India / Hoppy / 6% / My Rating:
3.3 / RateBeer Avg: 3.00
Aroma of doughy malt, sweet mild fruit. Clear
gold color, quickly diminishing white head. Gentle pale malts, more fruitiness
than expected, a little citrus, and some hop bitterness in mid and final.
Thin-medium body. The label also touts the Amarillo hops used. And from the
abundance of bright green hop cones pictured, you’d like to think that
maybe.... just perhaps …. but nah … they
never really let loose with hops. Seems more like an ale, actually. Drinkable,
for sure.
Suntory
The Premium Malt’s Master’s Dream Yamazaki Cask-Aged Blend
Pilsener – Imperial / 7% / My Rating: 3.4 /
RateBeer Avg: 3.18
Nose of wood, light alc. fumes, apples,
grapes. Thin fruity wine-like flavors, some light maltiness. Thin-medium body.
Interesting as an experiment... but ... why age a pils? Because you can?
Because you have a lot of Suntory whiskey barrels? The aging seems to have diminished
the flavors. This is okay, but the regular Master's Dream is a more
full-featured beer.
Suntory
The Premium Malt's Jōzōka no Okurimono Hana
Pale Lager - Intl / Premium / 5.5% / My
Rating: 3.4 / RateBeer Avg: 3.07
Fuzzy, dusty sort of grain aroma, with light
stone fruit. Clear pale gold color. Grain, bread, mild grass, moderate malty
sweetness, and some lightly peppery hops. Thin-medium body. Fairly tasty stuff
Suntory
The Premium Malts Hokkaido Gentai
Pale Lager - India / Hoppy / 5.5% / RateBeer
Avg: 3.00
No chance to try this one
Suntory
Magnum Dry Honkarakuchi
Pale Lager - North Am. / Light / 6% / My
Rating: 2.2 / RateBeer Avg: 2.55
So, this one is back after five-six years,
with a slight jump in alc. level. And who cares? Nose of stale fruit, light
spirits, slightly medicinal. Medium gold color. Stone fruit, spirits, and
fairly dry through mid palate and finish. Medium body. Aroma is a bit
off-putting; flavors are pretty much those of a normal junky pale lager
Suntory
Kin-Mugi Gold Lager
Pale Lager - North Am. / Light / 6% / My
Rating: 1.9 / RateBeer Avg: 2.55
Stale, cardboard nose, with a hint of wet dog,
and plenty of grain spirits. Deep gold color. Sharp rough stone fruit flavor,
along with some grain spirits. The spirits intensify in mid palate, and then it
morphs into a bittersweet finish. Thin-medium body. Pretty bad.
Suntory
Itadaki (8%)
Pilsener – Imperial / 8% / My Rating: 2 /
RateBeer Avg: 2.58
Floral nose, with spirits, wet cement, and
dusty dirt road smells. Bright gold color. Flavors of alcohol-laced stone
fruit, grain, bitter spirits, and a hint of citrus. Medium body. The alcohol
level (from the grain spirits) is too high... though it wouldn't really change
the overall flavor if it were lower. Junk.
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