Well been a little while, but I'm back in action and ready to type. For March's only blog entry thus far I am submitting an entry in dedication to nation of Japan which has recently been hit with a double dose of disaster. As a sidebar to this, I bought this Japanese Ale at 99 bottles when they were donating all proceeds of Japanese bought ales to earthquake relief which is a sweet deal considering how good this one was, and doubling as a small donation to the hard hit country. It's not just charity though this beer stands up on it's own. In fact Japan has recently started to burst out into it's own foray of microbrewery style beer. This entry from Swan Lake Brewery out of Niigata Japan is one of the best examples I've seen yet of a blend and molding of a trational style ale with a slight Japanese twist. First and foremost this is a barley wine style ale, so it's a bit of hefty bugger weighing in at a healthy 10% alc. Aroma wise this has a very soft, yet sweet smell. That is to say pleasant, it has a very sweet smell, but knock you over like you just had your face stuffed into a barrel of honey or a wad of cotton candy. The aroma turns out to be a great primary indicator of the taste of this puppy as well. Soft, and sweet is the perfect way to describe this whole drink. The carbonation is light, which is my preference on a heavier beer like a barley wine. It has that strong sweetness of a barley wine, but not overly intense. The sweetness is similar to that of rice candy, and remember this is just a description of the type of sweetness, it doesn't taste like some nasty melted down blended version of rice candy. Now it does not say, but I'm fairly sure it has some rice added during the brew process, and I would say definitely has utilized sake yeast. And guess what, it works beautifully! For a first time barley wine drinker I would have this be your first, because the sweet flavor is not overpowering, not overly carbonated. This drink is smooth, soft, and sweet which isn't always the tag line people want in a beer, but it's done beautifully. I can't wait to sample some more from this brewery as well, plus the bottle has a wonderful copy of a tradtional painting of a samurai. This ale like the disciplined warrior is strong and precise, and very well done. Japan I hope everything goes better because I definitely want to have some more of this beer, and see what you guys can bring to the table next. Also check around I believe some other beer stores and breweries are offering similar specials for charity to Japan. This beer definitely stands on it's own two feet, so just try it anyway.
