Pale Ale
Ginga Kogen Beer

Pale AlePale Ale
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From:
Ginga Kogen Beer
 
Japan
Style:
English Pale Ale
ABV:
5%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.56 | pDev: 10.39%
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
22
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 09, 2018
Added:
Jun 08, 2008
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  5
No description / notes.
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Ratings by AgentMunky:
Photo of AgentMunky
Reviewed by AgentMunky from New York

3.84/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 350mL can into a glass near Sasebo.
4/3.75/3.75/4/4
A finger of tight head tops a murky brown-yellow beer. It smells damnably familiar...it takes a while...Sierra Nevada Pale Ale! It's biscuity-malty with a citrusy-piney (Cascade?) nose.
Malty robust with an earthy-citrus nose. This could be a SNPA clone, except for a light sweetness on the end-- maybe rice??
It's pretty darn good. Would drink again.
Jun 19, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of monkist
Reviewed by monkist from Hungary

4.5/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I had the fortune to drink this beer again after a few years of rating it and now I have a fresh impression to write a review about it as well.
This is perhaps one of the best Pale Ales in Japan, in my opinion. Properly balanced (just like an American PA) with a strikingly fruity hop aroma and flavor, with enough but not too overwhelming malt base.
It is interesting and tasty enough to drink again and again - I can easily say that so far it is my favorite Japanese craftbeer.
Dec 09, 2018
 
Rated: 3.25 by mpenske from California

Nov 27, 2018
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

2.6/5  rDev -27%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5
350 ml can with a 11-2018 BB date stamp on the bottom. Purchased and consumed in Fukuoka, Japan.

Hazy copper body with a weak head.
Aroma: fruity with hints of apricots and over-ripe soft fruits.
Flavor: fruity and sweet but with a lingering bitterness.
Feel: Near medium body and carbonation with a watery finish.
May 11, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by IRONRakkasan from California

Dec 28, 2017
Photo of patre_tim
Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand

3.63/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Peachy bruised fruit look, cloudy, a head of 1 finger is beige and fades fast.

Caramel, skunk, toffee, a hint of citrus.

Citrus, toffee, caramel, orange. A light fruitiness.

Medium juicy body, a little light carbonation.

Got this at Central Festival, Chaing Mai. Aside from the skunk, it’s a great brew. Came in a blue bottle. Wow.
May 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.98 by wdf210 from California

Mar 31, 2015
 
Rated: 3.23 by AxlSkull from France

Dec 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by shigg85 from Japan

Nov 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.04 by NickMax from Japan

Sep 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by knot from Belgium

Aug 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Zond from Idaho

Jun 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by distantmantra from Washington

Apr 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by dokupe from Maryland

Oct 16, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Poupae from Thailand

Sep 07, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by TokyoCO from Colorado

Jun 14, 2013
Photo of juju7
Reviewed by juju7 from Australia

3.41/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A pleasant enough pale ale. Definitely in the English style - sweet malts are way more dominant than piney hops, in fact it isn't all that hoppy at all. Not the freshest example to be fair but you can still see the structure. Significantly sweeter than most pales but in a nice way. Has the kind of vibe that this was maybe intended for cask rather than can. And in that form I think this would be a noticeably better beer. Still it's decent enough.
Oct 08, 2010
Photo of SargeC
Reviewed by SargeC from California

3.53/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Slightly hazy, brownish-gold brew with a dense, off-white head.

Smell: Malt, caramel, underlying touch of hops. Citrus.

Taste: Subdued malt character, slight tea-like quality. Sweet and bitter at the same time. A bit salty.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Good consistency, low carbonation.

Drinkablity: A decent brew, basic pale ale that is not widely available, but is easier to find than most Japanese micros
Aug 29, 2009
Photo of Derek
Reviewed by Derek from Canada (BC)

3.47/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: Hazy, pale amber with yeast floaties (can-conditioned?), off-white head, very little retention, slight lacing.

S: Citrus rind, pepper, grass, ginger & hints of biscuity pale malt. Very interesting. I wonder what kind of hops they use?

T: Orange rind; pale, biscuity malt; very little bitterness. Decent, but not a lot of flavour.

M: Light to moderate body is somewhat smooth/creamy; carbonation is pleasantly on the lower side of moderate.

D: A decent drinker.

Thanks to Bobsy for sharing this Japanese treat!
Nov 28, 2008
Photo of bobsy
Reviewed by bobsy from Canada (ON)

3.32/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
I transported this attractive looking can back from Tokyo, and the deer on the front remind me somewhat of the sacred deer in Nara which harass tourists for a living. On to the beer...

Hazy gold body, with a small white head which quickly diminished to a film. Not really anything in the way of lacing. The aroma is definitely malt heavy, with a decent fruitiness and an accent on honey. There is also a pleasant spiciness at the back end. I'm getting a lot of caramel in the flavour as well as honey. The hops are very restrained, and its angled more to the sweet than the bitter. The spice shows up again, and it has a little heat, almost like candied ginger. The body is on the light side, but the carbonation seems well suited.

Overall a pretty inoffensive, yet bland pale. Not as intense as I believed it would be, yet made very drinkable by its simplicity. If I had the chance I don't think I would revisit it, although if it was a hot day and I need a thirst quencher I might be game.
Nov 28, 2008
Pale Ale from Ginga Kogen Beer
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 22 ratings