Echigo Stout
Uehara Shuzou Co. Ltd. / Echigo Beer Pub

bluejacket74 from Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

330 ml bottle, no dating that I noticed on the label or bottle. Served in a Spiegelau stout glass, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both good. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like roasted malt, caramel, dark bread, coffee, cocoa and nuts. For the most part I think the taste is pretty much just like the aroma, but there's also some molasses and dark fruit (raisin, dates, blackberry) flavors in there too. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit coating with a moderate amount of carbonation. Drinks easy enough. I think it's a good overall stout, and it sure doesn't seem like a 7% one to me. Wish I would have bought more than just one bottle, definitely worth a try!

May 26, 2019

Ninjakillzu from Washington

4.75/5  rDev +28%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured into a Pint Defiance tulip. The body is black with a tan finger head. Aromas consist of dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, carmalized sugar, and a hint of dark fruit. Flavors are the same. There is a long lingering robust aftertaste. The feel is medium bodied with low carbonation.

Aug 02, 2018

chinchill from South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

350 ml can in Kyoto at a temperature of about 57F.

Pours essentially black with a tall, thick, beige head that has excellent retention.
Medium-light strength for style with mild bitterness.
Feel: Super creamy smooth feel in the full but not thick body.
Overall: excellent! Markedly better than the over-rated Minoh Stout I had the same day.

May 21, 2018

hman43 from North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Look: It pours dark brown with a brown head. It has a thick head that is light brown with moderate retention.

Smell: It has a sweet rich malty chocolate aroma to begin with. There is a bit of roast in the background. In addition, there is a very low fruit note.

Taste: There is a balance in the flavor that is more towards the roasted malt with the chocolate in the background. There are low notes of fruit. The finish is a balance between the dry roast and a hint of sweetness.

Feel: It has a moderate body with moderately low carbonation that is a bit silky.

Overall, this is a showcase of roast and chocolate with a tinge of sweetness throughout the taste.

Nov 04, 2017

flyingpig from Scotland

3.36/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

350ml Can from Liquor Mountain, Kyoto (¥246):
An okay Japanese stout that featured some pleasant roasted malts & some interesting smoked flavours in the early going, although the latter was fleeting. The beer was balanced but basic with some coffee & chocolate coming through at times too, definitely worth a try if you're in Japan but I'm not entirely sure it's one I'd put on the 1001 beers list.

Oct 16, 2017

Troy-Hawaii from Hawaii

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought a 11.2oz bottle from Marukai $3.59
Smell of chocolate
Dark black color
Medium-heavy mouthfeel
Medium carbonation
Chocolate, smokey coffee flavors
Overall a good stout. I would drink again

Oct 05, 2017

The_Kriek_Freak from Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

It pours jet black with a tan head. The aroma is metallic but also with some coffee and burnt bread. The taste is rich, with more coffee, some dark chocolate and some burnt notes.

Sep 17, 2017

Brolo75 from California

3.81/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

330 ml bottle poured into pint glass

A: Pour dark brown light comes through around the edges when held up, nice creamy full tan colored head, good retention and lacing, looks thin.

A: Light roasted coffee and malts, sweet sugar note, toasted toffee and caramel note as well, light chocolate.

T: Follows the nose with the same notes of coffee, sugar, light cream, chocolate, caramel, slight oxidation in the finish, moderate amount of bitterness, finish has slight sweetness.

M: Light bodied, not as smooth as I was expecting, was expecting something smooth and creamy, not there.

O: Probably won't pick this up again, has all the right notes but needs more aroma and flavor. I also picked up some oxidation in the finish not sure how old the bottle is but it just arrived in my local bottle shop this week.

Sep 10, 2017

josanguapo from Spain

4.48/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

From Wasabi. In Teku glass. After dinner. 2006 batch. 5 days after BB date. Very smooth, with lots of chocolate and slight coffee notes. Like a sessionable imperial stout.

Feb 18, 2017

LiquidAmber from Washington

3.81/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque in the glass with a thin light khaki head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, chocolate, hints of coffee and alcohol. Flavor follows, with slightly sweet dark toasted malt, cocoa, light notes of coffee and vanilla. Medium bodied with mild creaminess. A nice, smooth continental style stout with really pleasant chocolate component and light coffee. Not dramatic, but well integrated and a good representative of the style.

Oct 21, 2016

ScioRevo from California

3.25/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

In my beer vocabulary "drinkable" but lacking in "depth." There is nothing remarkable or noteworthy, but like others have said, more a porter than a stout. Nice roasted maltiness, no chocolate, licorice or coffee that I can detect. Would go well with sushi, I think. No conflicting flavors, but enough body flavor to contrast with the sushi without overwhelming it or, in the case of lagers, just washing it down.

May 01, 2016

JackieKu from Taiwan

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330 ml bottle. Best before 2016-03-02.

A: Dark brown. Poured 2.5 fingers high of head.
S: Moderate roasted aroma.
T: Moderate chocolate. Moderate roasted flavor. Dry. Moderate bitterness.
M: Medium body. Creamy.
O: In my standard this is a (well made) porter. There are not much roasted coffee characters. In fact, I think it is similar to Fuller's London Porter, with slightly higher alcohol content.

Feb 24, 2016

TruePerception from California

3.03/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Echigo's Stout. 7% ABV

A: Black in the glass, with dark golden brown in the dimple. 3 fingers of dark tan head. Some slight lacing.

S: Smells over hopped. Also, something I can't quite put my finger on. I wanna think it's some kind of mold? Maybe they used rice and koji in the beer? It's hard to detect the typical stout scents around it.

T/MF: Oh, that's weird. More of the moldy flavor. It's like it's floating on top of a light roastiness. I really do think they incorporated some sake into this, because the odd flavor does remind me of that bland alcohol flavor in almost all sakes I've tried. It's fairly soft, but with a lighter body.

While I appreciate them doing something different, I don't think it works at all.

Poured from a 330mL bottle, into a Belgian tulip glass.

Oct 19, 2015

snaotheus from Washington

3.84/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

2015-10-17
330ml bottle brought back from NY by @mr-jj. Served in a pair of Georgetown samplers.

Pours black with a small head and medium carbonation. Smell is rich and chocolatey, some yeast and sweetness.

Taste is interesting, some doppelbock-like sweetness, strong chocolate richness, and a nice roasty character.

Mouthfeel is pretty thin and a little watery. Overall, this is a tasty beer. Not bad at all.

Oct 17, 2015

mac31 from California

3.92/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

(Malty) entry opens with red/dark fruits, slightly grape-like even. Tootsie roll chocolate sweetness. Soft hints of dark chocolate. Slightly creamy at the 3/4 palate. Soft, mild bitterness that increases as the beer warms. Hops are woody, earthy, soil with very soft hop spiciness present. Pleasant hoppiness lingers on palate. Body is very thin for a stout. Carbonation is soft. 7% is hidden well. Very drinkable. A standard American stout, good non-the-less. Pricey at the local sushi joint, though.

Sep 12, 2015

stratusjeans from Washington

3.89/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Liked this beer write a bit. The biggest problems are that I got absolutely no head when I poured and the mouthfeel is truly lacking.

The color is a beautiful dark copper black, but again no head. The smell and taste both had a hint of bourbon though I don't think this is barrel aged. This hint is why I looked it so much. The mouthfeel is slightly syrupy up front but fades immediately. I really wish it stuck around longer.

Apr 27, 2015

tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.74/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a brown 11.2 oz. bottle. Has a black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of chocolate, roasted malts. Taste is roasted malts, smoke, chocolate, a touch of sweetness. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a good quality beer.

Apr 26, 2015

TheSixthRing from California

3.76/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance - Pours near black with cola brown highlights where light can penetrate. The head is the color of cocoa powder and peaks at 2 fingers thick. Great retention leads to a thick layer of surface suds and a thick ring around the edge. Lacing coats the side of the glass in large spots and exhibits good stick.

Smell - Sweet malt with a roasted edge. Hints of chocolate and metallic earthiness.

Taste - More sweet than roasty. Malty grain sweetness with lesser notes of milk chocolate. Hints of coffee roast and caramel. Low leafy bitterness hits toward the finish, giving the brew a bittersweet aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Closer to medium in body with a moderate creamy texture and low carbonation. Bone dry finish.

Overall - Drinks more like a Euro Stout, like an Irish Dry, than an American Imperial. I'd recommend it just for the experience, but I'll likely pass on buying it again.

Oct 26, 2014

TonyGutz from New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

poured smoothly with very little head.
aroma had hints of caramel, malts and coffee. the taste on the tongue was very bubbly , but not over bearing. Definitely not a typical stout feel almost like a pilsner feel. The flavor was pleasant, not overpowering or over bitter but eventually smoothed out at the end.

Jul 06, 2014

Auraan from Arizona

3.78/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured a rich black with a thin tan cap of head that quickly receded. Not the best looking stout around, more head would be nice, though the chilled glass it was served to me in may be partly to blame. Scents of roast malt, black coffee, hints of dark chocolate and a very faint metallic aroma. A nice, traditional stout aroma. Taste begins with a large roast malt presence, mingled with dark cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate with a slight sweetness underlying the roasted and bitter flavors. Roasted malt and bittersweet chocolate dominate the middle of the sip. Finish is heavy on roasted malt flavors, with some black coffee present as well. Aftertaste is rich roast malt. A good, solid stout flavor profile that hits the style notes quite nicely. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation and a smooth, semi-dry feel. Quite drinkable and very nice. Overall this is a pretty good stout, fitting into the higher ABV classic stout or perhaps the export stout niche quite nicely. A good surprise from Japan.

Jun 21, 2014

LampertLand from Canada

3.98/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Echigo 'Stout' @ 7.0% , served from a 330 ml bottle purchased for $5.25

A-pour is almost black from bottle to glass with some ruby red peeking out along the glass edge , with a small tan head that is quickly dissapating leaving a minimal lace ring along the pint

S-sweet & boozey , hint of smoke

T-smokey , not that big of an imperial stout , more 'RIS' perhaps , lots of chocolate in a slight bitter finish

MF-ok/good carbonation , full bodied ,

Ov-ok beer , decent imperial stout

prost LampertLand

Dec 12, 2013

Georgiabeer from Georgia

2.78/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2

A bottle I purchased recently at the Buford Highway Farmers Market. Japan has long been known for their take on stouts, and I was looking forward to trying another example. At first look (and taste) this had all the makings of a very nice stout. Poured quite black with a decent head, but no gusher. Smelled nicely roasty with bitter chocolate and coffee notes. The initial taste had more of that quite nice bitter chocolate, a nice creaminess, a hint of coffee and licorice, some nice roasty notes....and then it went wrong. Mid-palate you get smoke and then at the finish band-aid. This beer, to my taste is infected, or conversely, badly made and contains off flavors that greatly detract from the experience. As far as I could tell, it didn't have a freshness date (although there is a code on the bottle that might be, but if so, I couldn't interpret what it was trying to tell me), and the taste wasn't old....it was of infection. Disappointing, especially as this wasn't cheap. Oh well.

Oct 27, 2013

UCLABrewN84 from California

3.59/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, and cookie dough aromas. Taste is much the same with cocoa and char flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is tasty but smells a bit better in terms of stout characteristics.

Jul 08, 2013

TokyoCO from Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Bottle poured into a goblet.

A: Large head that took a while to calm down. Very dark black, a tiny bit of light in the bottom.

S: Sweet, milk chocolate, carmel, slight dark chocolate as well.

T: Starts nice and sweet, milk chocolate is present. Middle is slightly smoky. The smoky sweetness quickly turns to burnt chocolate and dark chocolate, with a slight coffee taste in the finish.

M: Quite creamy, no sign of the alcohol.

O: A solid stout. The overall smoothness and burnt chocolate finish stand out in this one.

Jun 09, 2013

laituegonflable from Australia

2.88/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Purchased at some wholefoods-type store in central Hong Kong, muled back to Australia for sharing.

Pours a deep, dark reddish-brown colour. Head is beige, nice and frothy when poured, sinks to a thinnish film but leaves a decent sheet of lacing behind. Fairly decent, could be darker.

Smells a little bit roasty, quite sweet but largely dry, with hints of espresso, molasses and licorice. Slight grainy, almost adjuncty sweetness floats over the top, which is unfortunate; the roasty notes that are there should be more prominent.

Taste is unfortunately sweet, and a bit segmented and detached. Lots of flavours coming through individually without a good coherence. Sweet grain, carob, espresso and char, with some vanilla notes and aniseed and black pepper. Put in a logical order, these flavours may have played out to great effect, but it's confused, and finishes very astringently while the predominant flavour is that carob.

Not a lot of body to it; goes down with a smoothness but I really want more substance.

From the brewery that brought me Echigo Pilsener and rice lager, this is an improvement, but for a 6+% stout it's disappointing.

Apr 07, 2013