Kuri Kuro (Dark Chestnut Ale)
Hideji Beer

Drinking out of a small tumbler at the Craft store in Kyoto.
Pours an almost black, clear mahogany with a medium head.
Some smell of coffee.
Luscious smooth mouth feel.
Nice taste of Imperial Stout with hints of hazelnuts.

This may be one of the worst beers I’ve ever had.

I’m aware now that the Japanese have discovered natural flavors. Cloying sweet, synthetic, a brown sugar bomb with no nuance. The artificial taste overpowers everything. It’s offensively bad.

 

real cool beer, japanese craft remains super intriguing to me, 2022 vintage here, not sure id call it an imperial stout as its listed here but whatever, its drinking quite well right now, a dark strong ale with chestnuts, very complex and curious, warms up well, takes some time to appreciate, cool packaging, unexpected beer overall that i have been looking forward to for awhile now. dark molasses colored without a lot of head after a minute, some viscosity but not out of place for a beer at this strength, and roasty in a unique way to my nose, not so bitter and charred up, short of that, more room for rich layers of black fig, high end coffee fresh ground, sweet cocoa, and indeed an undeniable nuttiness, its warming and complex, the alcohol is there but its subtle, its sweet and fudge-like, but also has a cool umami vibe, subtle soy and brown sugar and molasses to me. palate coating when i drink it, very distinctive and bold, not sure i can get chestnut specifically, especially because of how robust this warming coffee element is, but there is no question they impact this beer in a positive and clever way. it sure tastes like there is coffee in this, rich espresso crema, hazelnut, sweet cocoa, light vanilla and maple, really neat grain layers in here. there is a subtle yeast element, a hint of black pepper spiciness for a flash, and an almost salted aspect, crazy complex and it rewards the patient drinker. slow, cozy, not super carbonated but it doesnt need to be. incredibly unique, somewhat heavy, seems right on for the late autumn here, and i think its done pretty well in the bottle through a few years too, no real oxidation or anything. neat use of chestnuts, impressive quality, very original recipe and flavor profile. hope to track down some more offerings from these guys, this is quite inspired!

A dark beer with a unique flavor--can't quite pin it down. Prunes, raisins, a little bit of soy sauce? Wonderfully flavorful, would probably go nicely with sushi, other Japanese foods.

Thin dark brown pour, khaki head fades quickly. Snot locker gets a "nutty" aroma, with hints of chocolate. Taste buds say nuts, chocolate, burnt sugar and some coffee. Body is thin, lacks carbonation. This definitely exceeded my expectations.

 

Vanilla, coffee & chocolate - I don't sense any chestnut... if I wasn't aware, I wouldn't know it was made with it.

 

 

 

Look: Super dark brown like really black coffee/coca cola. Small foamy head that disappears.
Smell: Hazelnut coffee creamer, vanilla, caramel, smells like a rich stout beer and barley tea.
Taste: The alcohol taste is very strong, kinda overpowering. Background notes of roasted chestnuts, a little black coffee.
Feel: Creamy, smooth, not much carbonation. Really good mouth feel.
Overall: Honestly, this beer ain't for me chief. It smells AMAZING, but the alcohol taste, at least for me, kinda overpowers all the subtle flavors and I can't stomach more than a couple of sips. UnPog POOPY

 

 

Black pour with no head, very flat. Smell does have chestnut but I am getting more bittersweet chocolate, light vanilla, and marzipan. Taste has the chestnut come out of its shell, good roasted malt to pair with the chocolate, soil, vanilla, and floral accents. Feel is flat and thin though, booze is well hidden though, very smooth. A fun beer to try but don't need to have again

L: Dark black.
S: Sweet darkneess.
T: A sweet awkward syrup taste.
F: Syrup as a beer.
O: Not an interesting beer.. Ok and workable.

11.2 ounce bottle - $6.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Best After: JAN 2020.

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown body with a quarter inch of steadily dissipating tanned fizz.

Smell: A malty-scented roasty barley dark breadiness given sweetish, light albeit well-integrated accents of dark treacle, vanilla, coffee and chocolate against a backdrop of cooked nuts. There's a little sniff of alcohol there, though it seems appropriate; it just feels right.

Taste: Black bread, flourishes of dark sugars, instant coffee and vanilla, with a meager scattering of chocolate chips. This leads into a caramel-coated, earthy nuttiness, fruity esters and a peppery alcohol element. Finishes a bit sweetish though with a lingering chestnut quality and mild perceived bitterness, be it a product of the roasted grains, chestnuts, alcohol or some combination of the three.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. It's faintly sticky and smooth, but the body feels somewhat lighter than anticipated. This isn't a quibble, more of a compliment, really, as a parade of contemporary gloopy, oozing stouts can throw one's perceptions off.

Overall: Not a bad lil' beer.