Buckwheat Ale
Ezo Beer KK

Buckwheat AleBuckwheat Ale
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From:
Ezo Beer KK
 
Japan
Style:
Fruit and Field Beer
ABV:
2.9%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.5 | pDev: 13.14%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
14
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 19, 2012
Added:
Jun 16, 2004
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Ratings by midaszero:
Photo of midaszero
Reviewed by midaszero from Washington

2.93/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
A - Hazy orange straw with one finger of white head that disappears quickly

S - Wheat and light fruit smells

T - Very light fruit taste mixed with wheat flavors.

M - Medium body with light-medium carbonation

D - Not bad but not great. Not really as freshing as I would have expected it to be
Jan 15, 2009
More User Ratings:
Photo of GONZALOYANNA
Reviewed by GONZALOYANNA from Spain

3.82/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
330ml bottle served into an Oversized glass.Enjoyed on may´11.
Tinge of oranges in an amber body.Not overhelming quickly head quickly dissipates leaving a nice lacing.Toasted & caramel malts,spicy hints to the nose.Full viscous body medium carbonation.Touch of biscuit,fruit & toasted malt flavors.Brief aftertaste where bitterness is backed by malty sweet profile.
Feb 19, 2012
Photo of HumanCarBomb
Reviewed by HumanCarBomb from New York

2.52/5  rDev -28%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 4
~ Purchased this 12 oz bottle from Big Z Beverage in Huntington, NY. I found this on the 50% off shelf, and you would think at $1.25 this would be a good buy right? Well I am a little disappointed in Rogue for this offering. This beer pours a nice orange/yellow color with a decent head that vanishes quickly. Wheat is prevalent in the aroma, and it tastes the same way it smells. Overall, I did not care so much for this beer, and I will avoid it in the future.
Sep 27, 2009
Photo of Dotcubed
Reviewed by Dotcubed from Arkansas

3.68/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
This was another nitch beer I found. I think it was in MN and brought back to MI while I was in school.

Cute Pict of soba noodles on the back, and lots of Japanesse. Clearly one for export or perhaps imported? Some sediment. Not quite like a snow globe but I can see it sinking.

Almost no ring of foam on the edge. Drinks a bit fizzy. Lit on the pallet alot like Soporro but a bit wheaty.Clean. Perfect for salty soups. Soy frinedly.

Good stuff.
Mar 03, 2009
Photo of anfield86
Reviewed by anfield86 from New Jersey

3.92/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I grabbed this as soon as I saw it. A rare Rogue export is certainly a sight to see-- so I sorta had to.

Poured a cloudy (not surprisingly) light golden color. A nice fluffy head that simmered into a very small lacing. The buckwheat is definitely visible.

Smelled good. Very grainy and wheaty smells-- probably the buckwheat and a strong yeast smell. I can't really smell any hops. Very starchy smells in general.

Tasted good. The buckwheat is certainly noticeable and compliments the beer nicely. Rich grains are the first things noticed here-- very breadlike with some maltiness to give it some body. I couldn't notice any hops here-- but there was a nice crisp taste to it which could have been some hops for balancing.

mouthfeel is pretty average. nothing crazy.

drinkability is great. i could drink a ton of these.

overall--i had no idea this beer was low in alcohol or gluten free. it tasted good-- regardless of it's alcohol content. I'm not sure if i'd buy these again, since the Japanese export cost me 3 bucks for a 12 oz....but it certainly was worth the novelty and I'd suggest this beer to anyone interested in the style or the brewery (like myself)
Feb 10, 2009
Photo of tjsprague
Reviewed by tjsprague from California

3.85/5  rDev +10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Rouge has been brewing beer and importing it to Japan under the name of Ezo Breweries. Some of the beer has an American counterpart through Rouge and some is unique to Japan. I had this and a few of the other Ezo beers on a trip to Sapporo.

This beer looks a lot like a regular Hefe. Its a nice light yellow/ golden color in the glass with a small head. Its not overly carbonated and well balanced. It tastes a bit like the Morimoto Soba from Rouge if you have had that.

Overall the taste is great. Its very much like an American Hefe but with a little less fruitiness. The buckwheat (or soba) provides an earthy taste to the beer that you can't really find in a hefe made with wheat. Its a smooth beer that is easy to drink and would be perfect for a summer afternoon by the beach (or a bar in snowy Sapporo)
Jan 26, 2009
Photo of vitamaltz
Reviewed by vitamaltz from Virginia

3.69/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I have little to say about this that hasn't already been said. My only previous experience with buckwheat is in pancakes, so that's what this tastes like to me. I like the wheaty taste and wouldn't mind having a bottle of this for breakfast, although empirically it is not a great beer.
Jan 22, 2009
Photo of JamesS
Reviewed by JamesS from Indiana

3.57/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
pours an orange/yellow color with good, but rapidly diminishing head, and a little bit of lacing. It has a very strong aroma, heavy on the grain, hints of biscuit, and very malty. Nice taste, interesting, but very dry and biscuitty; almost all malt with just a tiny hint of bitterness. Due to its excessive dryness, it's not very smooth.

While I'll probably never get more, this was an interesting beer to try, just for the experience if nothing else. The buckwheat flavor is an interesting contrast to a good wheat beer.
Aug 01, 2008
Photo of BeardedBoffin
Reviewed by BeardedBoffin from New Mexico

3.11/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
The is labeled as a "Buckwheat Ale" with many Japanese characters. The label says something about being brewed and bottled by Rogue. Nonetheless my bottle matches image, with the colors switched. The beer pours a dark golden color with an inch of white head floating on top. The aroma is dark grain and caramel with a thin veil of hops. Light to medium bodied on the palate. More grain flavors in the taste, slightly sweet but bready. A little bit of cooked vegetables at the end.

Personally not a real big fan of this beer, but it has some positives
Jul 30, 2008
Photo of jwc215
Reviewed by jwc215 from Arizona

3.53/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Japanese writing on 12 oz. bottle -

Pours hazed golden yellow with a thick, foamy white head that becomes fluffy, slightly rocky. A fair amount of lacing sticks to the glass.

The smell is of sweet grain with a touch of honey. Doughy yeast is in the back. The soft vegetable aroma is the buckwheat, I assume.

The taste is mild, sweetish graininess with a lightly roasted Asian vegetable - I assume, again - that that is buckwheat - not a bad vegetable to choose, works pretty well. There's some creaminess in the pretty crisp finish. Light-bodied, but not fizzy or watery.

Didn't knock my socks off, but nothing "inoffensive" or "off" with it. Try pairing with Asian dishes noodle-type dishes.
Mar 21, 2008
Photo of riversider76
Reviewed by riversider76 from New York

3.68/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a hazy golden with a fluffy white head. Just a bit of retention,and good lacing. Aroma is of fruit,and bread. Body is light,with some carbionation. Taste is of tart fruits,with a juicey fruit finish.It has a bready quality also. Very nice.Good summer,or anytime beer.
Feb 24, 2008
Photo of dsa7783
Reviewed by dsa7783 from New Jersey

2.76/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
Copped a single 12 oz bottle from Oak Tree in South Plainfield for about $2.99... didn't realize the weak 2.9% ABV that accompanied this brew... The appearance was certainly the highlight of this beer, with a nice copper, frothy and foamy big head that soon dissipated... smell was rather bland.. not too much to describe... taste was ultra-light and watery... not rich or thick at all, which is certainly apparent in other brews from Rogue... buckwheat essence is noticeable, but this beer has a certain apple-juice like essence that isn't too attractive... don't know what they were trying to accomplish with this sample, but it just didn't work out... light, unnappealing, bland, and really not worth a try... Not recommended, although easily drinkable due to the flacid ABV...
Feb 02, 2008
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle matches the one in the picture, but says it's brewed by Rogue. Fine print on the cap: "If you can read this, you need to drink a beer!"

Pours a hazy golden orange, with a puffy head of foam, sticky and frothy around the edges. Micro sediment is visible in the light, evidence that it's unfiltered.

Aroma has some floral chamomile character, some citric sharpness, and mineral qualities. Initial smell had an unpleasant cat pee smell, but it blew off quickly.

Flavor was very unique, the first sip made me more curious. Sort of a smokey caramel and lightly bitter fruit that evaporates into a dry finish. Vaguely metallic at the end, but not too distracting. Buckwheat tastes pretty good, there's a minor sweetness there as well. I want to say it's reminiscent of rhubarb, since that is apparently related to buckwheat.

Light and medium bodied, this is very easy to drink. Whether or not this is gluten-free, that's up for debate, but this would be the best "gluten-free" alternative beer i've ever tried.
Feb 01, 2008
Photo of donnebaby
Reviewed by donnebaby from North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Orange gold, semi-cloudy appearance. A not-so-powerful head bubbles up and bubbles down, leaving scummy lacing and a bit of haze over the top. Smell is potent malts with a distinct hop character. Something dusty as well.

Taste combines well with the smell. Great balance of sharp, flavorful malts with a hop backbone. The aftertaste is doughy grains. Yummy, overall mild taste. Medium body.

Refreshing and highly drinkable brew.
Jun 16, 2004
Buckwheat Ale from Ezo Beer KK
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 14 ratings