Yuzu Nama Biiru
Japas Cervejaria

 

 

 

From a can poured into a beer glass.
Golden/straw pour, with decent clarity.
Light, pleasant malt flavor, balanced bitterness a light citrus and grassiness in the background.
All with a fairly clean finish.

Pours very clear and pale golden in color. The head is soap-bubbly and short-lived, not much left behind. No cling.

The smell is pretty vague given the additions. Slightly sweet, clean, crackery malt. There's some vague citrus and herbal notes over the top.

The flavor, while subtle, reveals a lot more of interest. It's actually showcasing the Sorachi Ace quite nicely. Slightly sweet malts - very clean. Then it's heavy aromatics and it shows all of the possibilities of Sorachi Ace. Light lemon, then very herbal and its a wee bit of all that Sorachi Ace can bring. Orange citrus, spicy coriander, a little dill, slightly minty. Something like maple sap - not syrup, but like a maple water flavor. Oh wait...Lemon Drop plays too adding some weight to the citrus with a bit of lemon. There is some melon-like flavor, and a little green tea. On the aftertaste there's more lemon, a lingering but mild spice (dill for sure and maybe a bit of coriander), a bit of grassiness, and a nice minty carryover. Mild bitter hit just ahead of the finish.

This is light, dry, and refreshing. It's pairing quite nicely with our Indian takeout.

Overall, I'm impressed (again) with the subtlety and the layers of flavor this beer delivers. It seems quite deftly crafted with an eye towards delivering flavors. Whether the intent was to showcase Sorachi Ace or not, it seems to have done just that. Assuming the yuzu is adding some lemony citrus, it seems like it's in a supporting role. Good, and interesting, beer.

On tap in a plastic cup shaped like a standard pint glass.

Two servings together, mine had no head, the other had a clean 1F white cap. Light and pale straw color with frosted glass look. Tint of lime juice.

Lightly sweetened cracker malt aroma along with the lemon citrus note from the lime look.

Grain and grass flavor start. The hops kick the lemon and a bit of lime.

Light and fresh. The hop finish balances the sweetness and kills the adjunct aftertaste.

Enjoyable summer citrus light brew.

16oz can purchased from the fridge as a single for $5.00 plus tax. 307JAPAS|316 is stamped on the bottom of the can, which I have no idea what it means. I purchased this beer on September 19, 2023 so it could be a year old or even older?

Look: Pours a yellow straw color with a slight haziness/particulate suspension. It had two fingers of a rocky off-white head that crumbled to a thin layer. Nice carbonation with a steady stream of tiny bubbles rising.

Smell: Nice crackery malt base with an aromatic lemony citrus note on the finish. That must be the yuzu. The nose is slightly sweet, and the yuzu smells very bright and refreshing. There's also a nice earthiness up front.

Taste: This is a bit different from what I was expecting. It's much hoppier than I was expecting and the finish has a bit of a soapy flavor. Much of this could be due to the yuzu zest/oils. This beer is very dry and it has a nice fruitiness and a mild acidity. It's hard for me to tell that this is a rice lager versus a regular lager. I think this could also be contributing to the yuzu-forward nature of this beer, along with the more pronounced hoppiness. It's very easy to drink and super refreshing. This would be very good to drink on a hot day.

Feel: The mouthfeel is nice. I would say that it is slightly flabby but it also has a nice oiliness that aids in a positive experience for the body and mouthfeel.

Overall: I was very excited when I saw this in the singles' fridge. I'm just not sure if it has degraded with time or if this is how it is supposed to taste when fresh. Overall, I like it. However, it does have stronger flavors than I was expecting. It seems to me that they added quite a bit of yuzu here, which is surprising. Unsurprisingly, this would be a great beer to pair with sushi or other Japanese cuisine.