Batch #5 (for Yoko Ono)
Zebulon Artisan Ales

While ale usually captures the taste of sweetness and bitterness, sour ale also contributes a sour taste. Understanding the charm of oriental cuisine employs all tastebuds of the mouth, the brewing team at Zebulon commemorates Yoko Ono with an ale that also hits those savory and spicy nerves.

Tokyo Gose is a light cloudy gold ale that sheds its carbonation quickly while spilling onto the senses with bold hints of citrus, ginger, sourdough and a spiciness that carries a piquant wasabi scent. Its taste is light and candied with the taste of wheat dough, pulled candy and saltwater taffy greeting the palate first.

As its sweetness lifts, the beer keeps the light creaminess of sourdough that leads into those sour flavors of crabapple, weathered lime and lemon, white grape and a hint of white wine vinegar. Light salinity follows and gives a roundness to the wheat and balances the sourness in strong margarita fashion. Floral coriander spices the finish as the ale trails with a sarsaparilla, menthol and pickled sourness in finish.

Medium light on the body, the sour ale is moderate in acidity and still retains is creamy substrate in true gose usually does. Its creative bouquet of spices suits the palate well as the ale trends very hot & sour like Thai soups, only this one is made for the beer lover. A brief aftertaste of sourdough and ginger resonate in a soft and fleeting echo to close the session crisp and dry.

Lightly hazed yellow with a crackling white head that fizzles away quickly. Smells like ginger ale and lemon rind. Flavor is tart lemon and smooth ginger intermingling with a light refreshing saltiness. Light, crisp, acidic feel. Pretty simple, but very enjoyable and thirst quenching.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A: Pours a very hazy medium to dark straw yellow in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation along the edges of the glass and faint golden yellow + honey highlights. The beer has a two finger tall fizzy foamy bright white head that reduces to a large patch of very thin film covering most of the surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of miso over the top of slightly sour wheat and lemon citrus. There is a hint of pickled ginger towards the finish of the nose of this beer.

T: Upfront there is a light to moderate flavor of slightly sour wheat and tart lemon citrus. That is followed by a moderate flavor of salty white miso. Finally there is a light to moderate flavor of pickled ginger in the finish. Light amounts of lingering tartness.

M: Light bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Light amounts of acidic prickliness.

O: Very enjoyable and very easy to drink, definitely sessionable. A really nice twist on a typical gose with the flavors and aromas I associate with Japanese food. A very well though out combination of flavor, aromas, and ingredients. I was really looking forward to finding and trying this one and it did not disappoint.

 

6/10/16 Draft @ Zebulon

 

 

 

Didn't see this one coming. I kept hearing good things so I had to try one. Tastes exactly how described and is really good! Great gose color, light bubbles after initial pour. Taste is ginger and miso. I was a little worried about the saltiness factor but very subdued. The pickled ginger was good and not sure if that caused the little spicyiness? Great feel and overall great beer. Really like what these folks are doing!

 

 

Appearance: Pours cloudy and honey colored, with a frothy head; several strands of lacing drape the glass

Smell: The miso comes through from the first whiff, with a hint of salt mixed with the lemony tones the provide the base underneath

Taste: Lactic lemon with salt and miso tones developing; the pickled ginger adds a subtle twist, after the swallow that completes the Asian theme

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation

Overall: I have been looking forward to trying this beer more than any of the others in the initial seven beers released by Zebulon because of the unique elements that create the Japanese twist; perhaps this has been inspired by a Japanese craft brewer but the treatment here is what the craft beer movement is all about