Latest / Sips, Suds, & Smokes / A Glimpse into Japan Craft Beer

Transcript

A Glimpse into Japan Craft Beer · Sips, Suds, & Smokes

• 0:00
  > Announcer>On the next episode of Sips, Suds.
• 0:03
  > Julianna>And Smokes, we're gonna try a flight of craft beer from Japan.
• 0:08
  > Julianna>Ooh, right, yeah.
• 0:10
  > Dave>Uh, fancy. The Japanese craft beers we'll be trying today are from Japan's first microbrewery, Echigo Beer Co. In Nagata, Japan.
• 0:21
  > Dave>We have Koshi Hikari Echigo Beer, Japanese rice Lager Flying ipa. It's an American ipa. And their premium red ale from Yoho Brewing Company in Nagano, Japan, we have Suyubi Nonero or Wednesday Cat. It's a Belgian style white ale. And we have Sari Umami IPA with dried bonito.
• 0:53
  > Announcer>We'll be right back after this break.
• 1:17
  > Announcer>Brought to you almost live from the dude in the basement studios. Why? Because that's where the good stuff is. It sips suds and smokes with your smoke and host the good old boys.
• 1:50
  > Julianna>Suds.
• 1:50
  > Announcer>Suds. Suds. Uh, it's time for more suds.
• 1:59
  > Julianna>Welcome, everyone. Here we are for yet another sud segment where if you love lively debates on the hot topics and latest news of the day, you're probably in the wrong place. That's kind of not what we do here. But if you like hearing people drink beer, making fun of each other while drinking beer, well, then, welcome home. Come on in. We're so glad you made it. I'm, um, one of your hosts, good old gal Juliana. And joining me at the table today is good O boy Dave.
• 2:35
  > Announcer>We're gonna have to go right to Ludicrous speed.
• 2:38
  > Julianna>Yeah, yeah, I think we're already there.
• 2:41
  > Dave>We started. That's usually our starting point.
• 2:44
  > Julianna>That is. Yes. Well, on today's episode, we're gonna try a flight of craft beer from Japan.
• 2:51
  > Julianna>Ooh, right?
• 2:53
  > Dave>Yeah, fancy.
• 2:55
  > Julianna>So while browsing the aisles at one of our local beer stores, um, I found these beers that look kind of interesting. And I thought, oh, this will make a good episode. So good ol boy Dave, why don't you tell us the lineup for today?
• 3:08
  > Dave>The Japanese craft beers we'll be trying today are from Japan's first microbrewery, Echigo Beer Co. In Nagata, Japan. We have Koshi Hikari Echigo Beer, Japanese Rice Lager Flying ipa, it's an American ipa.
• 3:27
  > Dave>And their premium red ale from Yoho Brewing Company in Nagano, Japan, we have Suyubi Nonero or Wednesday Cat. It's a Belgian style white ale. And we have Sari Umami IPA with dried bonito Savory.
• 3:54
  > Julianna>Well, thank you, Quiddle Boy Dave. We're going to be tasting these beers on the fly and then giving our tasting notes as we go along. That's kind of per the usual around here. And, um, Dave, why don't you give us the suds ratings for today?
• 4:07
  > Dave>Sure. We'll be tasting and discussing these Japanese craft beers with our suds ratings and signature belching sounds. Here are those ratings now.
• 4:17
  > Dave>One.
• 4:20
  > Julianna>Uh.
• 4:26
  > Dave>Two, three.
• 4:34
  > Julianna>Uh.
• 4:39
  > Dave>Four and five.
• 4:52
  > Julianna>Uh.
• 5:06
  > Dave>She doesn't sound like she could really belch that hard, but man, she let that last one go.
• 5:11
  > Julianna>She turns completely different with each sound, doesn't she?
• 5:14
  > Dave>That gas builds up There it goes.
• 5:16
  > Julianna>There. Uh, yep, there it is. There it is.
• 5:20
  > Julianna>She also makes our rating sound very eloquent.
• 5:24
  > Dave>Yes. An international flair.
• 5:26
  > Julianna>Yeah. Which is something more than what we're used to.
• 5:29
  > Dave>Never had that before.
• 5:30
  > Julianna>No, no, we've never been that cool. But. Well, anyways.
• 5:34
  > Dave>All right.
• 5:35
  > Julianna>Okay, so let's get to the first beer.
• 5:38
  > Julianna>And that is from Japan's first microbrewery at Shigo Beer Company.
• 5:44
  > Julianna>They are located in the heart of Niigata Prefecture, which is a region known for its quality rice and sake production.
• 5:54
  > Julianna>Now, this brewery formerly produced sake for over a century.
• 5:58
  > Dave>Wow.
• 5:59
  > Julianna>Yeah. And then when the government reformed the liquor tax law in 1993, the brewery established a beer production firm factory in order to put more unique types of beer into Japan's beer market.
• 6:10
  > Dave>Cool. Cool.
• 6:11
  > Julianna>And the business was then finally launched in 1995. So Saki and beer are both alcohol brewed from grains, but the production process require and required skills are slightly different.
• 6:23
  > Dave>Sure.
• 6:24
  > Julianna>I think that's safe to say. Right. So Ichika went through a process of trial and error to find the best flavor for each product, not only producing stout, wizen ales and pilsners, they invented a unique lager made from Niigata's super premium short grain rice called the Koshi Hair.
• 6:47
  > Dave>Koshi Hikari.
• 6:48
  > Julianna>Koshi Hikari. Thank you very much.
• 6:51
  > Julianna>So, kind of cool, right? Well, this rice Lager is 5% ABV.
• 6:57
  > Julianna>It's a beautiful light color.
• 7:00
  > Julianna>Clear as the day.
• 7:01
  > Dave>Yeah.
• 7:02
  > Julianna>Is long. And, uh, what are your thoughts?
• 7:05
  > Dave>I think this is, you know, we've. We've had a few rice lagers on the, uh, on the show before, and I think, you know, some kind of a mixed bag. Some are good, some are not as great, but I think this one might, um, just be a cut above the rest. And maybe it's because of the type of rice, or maybe it's because, you know, this company, they've worked with rice in fermentation for a lot longer.
• 7:32
  > Dave>Um, it's probably a Combination of those things, you know. But I think this is a very, very good.
• 7:38
  > Dave>It's, uh, not too sweet. It's got a little sweetness from the rice, but it's not too sweet. It's got this crispness. The front, it's a clean kind of dry finish. In the back, just the right amount of hops. I think this is as far as a 5% rice lager is going to go.
• 7:55
  > Dave>This is probably about as good as you're going to get.
• 7:58
  > Julianna>Fair, Fair.
• 7:59
  > Dave>What about you?
• 8:00
  > Julianna>I. I love the crispness up front.
• 8:03
  > Julianna>It's like. It just tastes so fresh, even though m. You know, it's in a can. Yeah. Um, it had a cross over some water. Blah, blah, blah.
• 8:12
  > Julianna>Really crisp. And then I like the finish and how it just quits. There's no lingering. There's no weird creamy sensation or anything like that.
• 8:22
  > Dave>Yeah. It's. When it's done, it's done. And I think for people who, you know, and, you know, if you're in the Budweiser crowd or the light beer, light lager crowd, this is something I think anyone could just grab up and enjoy. And if you're a craft enthusiast and you want to try something new and light, I think this is a great alternative to bigger beers and things.
• 8:47
  > Julianna>Yeah. Venture out a little bit. Yeah, I. I think this would be really cool. Um, pairs well with food. Okay. Well, I. Is it safe to say it kind of, like, pairs well with everything?
• 9:00
  > Dave>Um, I think, you know, maybe some real big, savory, you know, beefy meals or something.
• 9:09
  > Dave>It might get a little bit lost, but honestly, I don't know. I think you could. You could sit down, um, at a pub and have some pizza or wings or something and enjoy this or Mexican food. Yeah, you're probably right.
• 9:21
  > Dave>And I know they say it pairs well with Japanese food, which, I mean, they're gonna say soon. It probably does. So.
• 9:27
  > Julianna>Sure. Yeah, sure.
• 9:29
  > Dave>I think just about anything would go well with this.
• 9:31
  > Julianna>Yeah. Yeah, I think so, too. And it's low enough on the IBUs where it's not going to offend somebody that doesn't like a lot of hop flavor.
• 9:40
  > Dave>Yeah.
• 9:41
  > Julianna>Though I feel like, wouldn't you say that there's the right amount of hop flavor on?
• 9:47
  > Dave>Um, yeah, no, it's. It's just right. It keeps it from being too sweet. It doesn't overpower. It's clean.
• 9:52
  > Dave>This is a very clean, light beer.
• 9:55
  > Julianna>Yeah. Cool. What shall we rate this?
• 9:58
  > Julianna>A4.
• 9:59
  > Dave>Let's do it.
• 9:59
  > Julianna>A4 it is.
• 10:04
  > Julianna>And I have to say, I don't Maybe I'm crazy here, but.
• 10:09
  > Dave>Oh, I know that's true.
• 10:10
  > Julianna>Whatever. So the can art on this, um, by the way, is really pretty. This painting from Katsi.
• 10:20
  > Julianna>Katsuyuki, Fiji.
• 10:23
  > Julianna>Yes. Which is a landscape of the rice planting area. Um, which is from.
• 10:29
  > Julianna>Is really pretty. But the opening, when I crack this open to pour it for us, the. The hole is a lot different.
• 10:39
  > Julianna>I know that sounds gross, but it's a lot thinner. And it reminds me of, like, old school cans from the 50s. Like, yeah, back home, Gibbons was really popular. And there was, like, a couple of Gibbons cans, um, in the garage.
• 10:56
  > Julianna>Like, then I remember as a kid, and I just remember that small opening, thinking, oh, that's kind of odd.
• 11:02
  > Dave>Yeah.
• 11:02
  > Julianna>So, uh, yeah, that's just interesting.
• 11:05
  > Julianna>Like, I would think that the universal. That it would be like a universal opening, but this is a little small.
• 11:10
  > Dave>I don't know. I think, uh. I think there's, you know, different holes for different people.
• 11:17
  > Dave>We're all. We're all special in our own way.
• 11:20
  > Julianna>Oh, uh, isn't that great?
• 11:23
  > Dave>Some holes are just bigger than others. That's all I know to tell you.
• 11:27
  > Julianna>Okay, thanks. Yeah, Dave, that's, you know, that's great. Okay.
• 11:34
  > Julianna>Um.
• 11:35
  > Dave>I mean, on the whole, I think this is a pretty interesting beer and conversation.
• 11:42
  > Julianna>But, um.
• 11:43
  > Dave>Oh, sure.
• 11:44
  > Julianna>Yeah. Give me that.
• 11:45
  > Dave>I was trying to be serious and have a lively debate, but okay.
• 11:51
  > Julianna>Uh, no, no, we're not here for.
• 11:52
  > Dave>Oh, that's right. That's what we don't do.
• 11:54
  > Julianna>To be continued after this brief interlude.
• 12:01
  > Julianna>Welcome back, everyone. So on today's episode, we are taking a trip to Japan, and we are doing, like, a little mini tast of some beer that we found at the local beer store. Local that is from Japan, and we.
• 12:17
  > Dave>Are not in Japan. Just in case anyone was wondering if you were confused. Ah, our pronunciation of Japanese words is pretty flawless. But we are not in Japan right now.
• 12:28
  > Julianna>Hopefully we're not getting banned, but anyways.
• 12:31
  > Julianna>Okay, moving on.
• 12:32
  > Announcer>M. Once again.
• 12:33
  > Julianna>Oh, okay. Maybe we are banned. So right before the break, we started with Japan's first microbrewery, a Shigo Beer company. And, um, the second beer from that brewery that we are going to talk about now is the Flying ipa. This is an American ipa, or I should say India Pale Ale. And, um, the ABV on this puppy is 5.5%.
• 13:00
  > Dave>That is not an American IPA.
• 13:03
  > Dave>It's maybe an American Pale, Alex.
• 13:05
  > Julianna>Well, that's what it says. Well, I mean, it's an American style India Pale Ale. Strong, um, bitterness, like Impact of a dragon flying up. Refreshing scent of citrus. And this is on their website and luckily for me I have Google interpreter to help me.
• 13:25
  > Dave>Nice. Everyone should have an interpreter.
• 13:28
  > Julianna>Yes, I think so. Um, yep, their dream is just beginning.
• 13:33
  > Julianna>Interesting dragon that's uh, has a pint of Echiko.
• 13:40
  > Julianna>I'm assuming the pale ale in its clinches there. Um, and a very traditional looking Japanese dragon, would you say? Yes, sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 13:52
  > Julianna>So, okay, this one's slightly darker in color. A little bit more caramely color.
• 13:59
  > Dave>A little bit, yeah. I mean it's, it's not super dark, but it's got a nice orange tint to it or lightly orange tint, deep yellow.
• 14:08
  > Julianna>Very foamy, Very foamy.
• 14:11
  > Dave>Um, the bitterness is actually more. It is. So it tastes like an ipa.
• 14:19
  > Dave>Uh, just I guess you might call it a session ipa. Almost okay to me. I mean with the ABV at five and a half percent, I mean usually we're talking six and a half, seven on, on an IPA for around here, but actually I think five, a flavorful five and a half percent beer. That's a, it's a pretty, pretty good way to go. Getting a little bit of resin on here.
• 14:44
  > Dave>Um, very earthy to me.
• 14:50
  > Julianna>A little creamier.
• 14:51
  > Dave>Yeah.
• 14:52
  > Julianna>Up front compared to the lager. But again, apples and oranges.
• 14:56
  > Dave>Yeah. Um, you taste apples and oranges here.
• 14:59
  > Julianna>Wow. No, it's, it's creamy um, up front and um, there is a sharpness at the end which I'm assuming is just all completely hop related.
• 15:14
  > Dave>Mhm.
• 15:16
  > Julianna>Now in terms of the hoppiness, would you characterize this as maybe leaning into Sierra Nevada territory or not?
• 15:29
  > Dave>I don't know. I don't get, I don't get that much.
• 15:36
  > Dave>Like I get more pine I guess.
• 15:39
  > Dave>Um, maybe some citrus.
• 15:43
  > Dave>I'm actually having a little bit of trouble kind of nailing it down.
• 15:49
  > Dave>It's good. It's just the bitterness up front almost.
• 15:57
  > Dave>Um, and then it kind of, and it kind of lingers. So the bitterness is riding all the way through and it almost is a little much for the, the body of the beer. Can't really kind of accommodate it. Yeah. So it's, it's almost a little unbalanced to me.
• 16:15
  > Dave>Um, not bad. But I think with a little, with the addition of maybe a little more caramel malt, I think it would have been a better beer.
• 16:26
  > Julianna>Yeah, yeah, it's, it, it feels a little, I mean granted it's creamy on the tongue, but it's a little thin to hold up for the amount of hops that has been put into this.
• 16:41
  > Dave>Right, okay. Yeah, I agree. I. I just think it could have used a little more of a malt backbone.
• 16:48
  > Julianna>Yeah, yeah. To help kind of balance it out and provide a little bit more sweetness to it.
• 16:52
  > Dave>But, I mean, I think that happens if you're trying to make something as an. That's. That's why A lot of IPAs are six, six and a half, 7%, because you need. If you're gonna use this much hop, then you're gonna need, um, a little more malt to carry it. And.
• 17:12
  > Dave>And it's not like it's a pallet burner or anything crazy like that. It's. It's just. It's right on the edge of being too much to me.
• 17:20
  > Julianna>Yeah, there's. I mean, this is a good example of where things can go if it's not completely imbalanced. You know what I mean? Like, you. If you're going to have a Pale Ale or an ipa, you're going to expect to have hops, Whether it's tropical or just juicy or forest floor.
• 17:40
  > Julianna>Fine, whatever. Yeah, you're gonna have. You're gonna have that series. And that's what makes beer taste so good, is not only the malt, but what comes from the hops.
• 17:49
  > Julianna>But at the same time, you need to have that malt backbone.
• 17:52
  > Dave>Yeah.
• 17:53
  > Julianna>Um, to balance, like, to put everything in perspective.
• 17:56
  > Julianna>And this is a little off.
• 17:57
  > Dave>Yeah, yeah. I think it's. I think it's just, again, if they're trying to maintain that low ABV profile, then just maybe rethink the hop approach a little bit. Maybe back off or something. But.
• 18:13
  > Julianna>Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 18:14
  > Dave>Maybe more end.
• 18:17
  > Dave>Uh, after boil hops or something or dry hop or something. So you get more of the actual hop flavor and not as much of the acids.
• 18:25
  > Julianna>Yeah. Of the sharpness with it. Yeah, yeah.
• 18:28
  > Julianna>So, um. Okay, so we are going to rate the Flying ipa. American ipa, Pale Ale, if you will, from Echigo Beer Company.
• 18:43
  > Julianna>A three?
• 18:44
  > Dave>Yeah, two and a half. Three. I think it's okay.
• 18:51
  > Julianna>So, so far, what are you thinking of the two beers that we've had and just like, how they. If you didn't know they were from Japan, but they blend into the scenery.
• 19:02
  > Dave>Here in the U.S. i. Yeah, I mean, I think.
• 19:07
  > Dave>I think the rice lager would stand out as a good rice lager anywhere. And I think the IPA would struggle, um, pretty much anywhere. Like, it just.
• 19:23
  > Dave>I can think of other IPAs that I would go to before I would get that ipa, but if I'm looking For a nice light lager, I, I would 100% go if, if there was a six pack of that just sitting at the store.
• 19:37
  > Dave>Yeah. Now I think these were single cans and they were a little pricier because of the distance they traveled. So that kind of adds a different wrinkle to the conversation.
• 19:47
  > Julianna>Oh, sure, um, sure, sure.
• 19:50
  > Dave>But you know, if you went out to eat at a Japanese restaurant or any restaurant and, and that rice lager was on the uh, on the beer list, I would, I would snap that up right away.
• 20:03
  > Julianna>Yeah. Okay. No, cool, cool, cool.
• 20:07
  > Julianna>So the next one that we're going to get into is the premium red ale again from Ichigo Beer Company. Now this one was in a bottle.
• 20:17
  > Dave>Which you know, when they travel a long distance in a bottle you always worry, but sure.
• 20:22
  > Julianna>And I was a little worried when I cracked the cap and didn't hear anything. Yeah, no, no, no.
• 20:30
  > Julianna>But it does have a nice foamy head to it.
• 20:33
  > Julianna>So this is 6% ABV. So little bit more. And as you would expect from the color, there is some more malt. This is a beautiful red color medium bodied ale. Fine bitterness and refreshing scent of citrus from hops. This was a 2018 New York International Beer Competition Gold Award winner.
• 20:54
  > Julianna>Kind of impressive.
• 20:55
  > Dave>Very impressive. Yeah.
• 20:56
  > Julianna>And just the fact that they're making a red ale.
• 21:00
  > Dave>Mhm.
• 21:01
  > Julianna>That's kind of crazy to me.
• 21:04
  > Dave>Well, but I mean it's not one of the m. More abundant styles, you see. But I think it's, it's cool that when breweries try to do different things and I think this red ale is probably about as good as any red ale I can think of that I've had. And uh, knowing that there's not a lot of them out there, it's still the nice. The hops are there, there's some caramel flavor there, maybe a tiny bit of oxidation, but still nothing. Nothing.
• 21:35
  > Dave>That's very off putting.
• 21:36
  > Julianna>No. And I think the hops are kind of like masking that too. There is um, it's got a really nice mouth feel to it.
• 21:43
  > Dave>Yeah.
• 21:44
  > Julianna>And um, it doesn't.
• 21:48
  > Julianna>It's not one of those that like super lingers at the end. Yeah, you have a bit of sweetness. Well, we'll be back with more about this beer in just a minute.
• 21:59
  > Julianna>Welcome back everyone. So today's episode, we are talking about some beer from Japan. In particular, we're talking about the premium red ale from Ichigo Beer Company in Niigata, Japan. And um, I think this one traveled well in the bottle.
• 22:20
  > Dave>Very well. Yeah. And I I clearly.
• 22:22
  > Julianna>Shockingly so.
• 22:24
  > Dave>I didn't see a date on it, but I, I think, I don't think it lingered, you know, between the production facility, the store for very long.
• 22:31
  > Julianna>Which is good to know, though, best case.
• 22:34
  > Dave>Best case scenario, yeah.
• 22:35
  > Julianna>Though I think this place that I got the beer from is getting better about rotating and being cognizant of that, because there's nothing worse than going, uh, to a beer store, finding something, and then you look at the Born on date.
• 22:54
  > Dave>Yeah.
• 22:55
  > Julianna>And you're like, oh, you gotta be kidding.
• 22:57
  > Dave>Well, the worst thing is you don't look at the date and then you buy it and you bring it home and then you open it and, yeah, there's, well, chunks.
• 23:07
  > Julianna>There's that stuff. There's that.
• 23:10
  > Julianna>Okay, so we've established it's darker, it's maltier, it's got a bit of sweetness, got a bit of hops.
• 23:18
  > Julianna>Textbook red ale balance for what it.
• 23:21
  > Dave>Is, for my money.
• 23:22
  > Julianna>Okay, what would you pair this red ale in Japanese food? You just.
• 23:28
  > Dave>You've got a grudge against that microphone today, man.
• 23:30
  > Julianna>I do.
• 23:31
  > Dave>It's not. This microphone may not make it through the show. Okay, uh, pair this. Probably something like kind of beefy, like a good burger or a steak, you.
• 23:44
  > Julianna>Know, but in Japanese cuisine.
• 23:47
  > Dave>Okay.
• 23:48
  > Julianna>Uh, do they. I mean, teriyaki.
• 23:51
  > Dave>Oh, Japanese. Uh, do they have steak? Oh, I don't know. Kobe beef maybe.
• 23:57
  > Dave>Like the most expensive beef in the world.
• 24:00
  > Julianna>Okay, fine, fine, fine.
• 24:04
  > Dave>Japanese. They know how to do it, right? You know?
• 24:06
  > Julianna>They do, they do. I just, I'm still kind of wrapping my head around the fact that they've got a red ale. You know what I mean?
• 24:15
  > Dave>Well, I think that's the same with American brewers. I mean, if you see a red ale, it's, you know, it's pretty uncommon, you know.
• 24:24
  > Julianna>Yes.
• 24:25
  > Dave>It's like, you know, spotting Godzilla, you know, or our version of Godzilla.
• 24:31
  > Dave>Big ginger, you know, Sasquatch.
• 24:34
  > Dave>Yeah.
• 24:34
  > Julianna>Yeah.
• 24:35
  > Dave>So, you know, you just don't see it very often, so it's gonna stick out. But I think. But again, I think this is, this is regardless the style, I think it's a well made beer and it tastes good, it's pleasant.
• 24:48
  > Dave>Um, it's not. So it's still, what, 6%, you said? So it's still, it's still like where you could have a couple with a meal and you wouldn't feel, uh, burned out or too full from it. No, um, I probably wouldn't have more than two, just because it, it does have that caramel flavor and it's and it's nice, but it's just one of those where it's, it's just gonna kind of fill you up a little bit, you know.
• 25:14
  > Julianna>Yeah, yeah.
• 25:15
  > Dave>Still very tasty. I'm, I'm, I'm. Yeah, yeah.
• 25:19
  > Julianna>Oh, wow. Okay. So the Ashigo, uh, beer company premium red, Alex, we're gonna rate this1a5.
• 25:30
  > Dave>I can see why they won a gold with it.
• 25:34
  > Julianna>And really just still impressed by the fact that I'm drinking a red ale from Japan.
• 25:40
  > Dave>Well, I'm just impressed with the Japanese beer so far. I mean we've had Japanese beers before that.
• 25:48
  > Dave>Um, and, and I think it's, you know, on one way it's like, oh, Japanese, they know how to make beer. Well, yeah, they, they know how to do, you know, everything. I think Japanese people are in the society. I think they, they do.
• 26:03
  > Dave>Well, like, I know Japanese whiskeys are very, uh, you know, a lot of those are very common on the high end, you know, whiskey conversations. And um, you know, we love Japanese rock bands, Japanese whatever, you know. So, yeah, I'm, I think that they have taken styles that, you know, maybe American breweries popularized. Uh, and they do do their own twist now, the ipa, you know, keep working on it.
• 26:42
  > Dave>But that's the only Japanese American style IPA we've had. So. So I'm not gonna judge them on that one.
• 26:49
  > Julianna>Yeah, yeah, no, that's, that's fair.
• 26:52
  > Julianna>And um, yeah, and I, and I think that like for making sake to making beer, I mean, yes, they're different, but then they're similar too in a way. And I could see.
• 27:07
  > Dave>Yeah. And I think if you're, if you're a process oriented company and you, you know, they said they spent time and trial and error on in their bio, you know, that they, they spent some time tweaking and probably through, you know, dump some batches when the flavors weren't right early on to figure it out.
• 27:28
  > Dave>Trial and error and just did what they need to do. It would be interesting to go there and actually try some of their stuff on tap to see what they've got. It would be pretty.
• 27:39
  > Julianna>Oh gosh, yes. I mean I, I think it would be great to have that.
• 27:44
  > Dave>Um, but I mean I've always wanted to go to Japan anyways, so maybe, maybe someday we'll get to go. Well, yeah, Michael put us on the, ah, suds jet and uh, sip suds and smokes jet and fly us over to Japan to uh, do a tour.
• 28:00
  > Julianna>That'd be great. That'd be great. All right. Well, let's shift gears and let's go to Yoho Brewing Company in Nagano, Japan. So they were founded in 1996 and since it's grown into one of the most renowned craft breweries in Japan in recent years, the craft beer has also been attracting a growing attention worldwide. They are passionately dedicated to their mission of providing truly original, high quality craft beer to people around the world. To bring small happiness and make the world a better place for Japanese beer.
• 28:35
  > Dave>That's cool.
• 28:36
  > Julianna>I know.
• 28:37
  > Dave>That is almost 30 years, right? They've been in business. That's crazy.
• 28:41
  > Julianna>I mean that is crazy. I love their website.
• 28:44
  > Julianna>It's really sweet. And um, and I love the can art that's on here.
• 28:49
  > Dave>They seem very fun.
• 28:52
  > Julianna>Yeah, they do, they do. And very like modern.
• 28:54
  > Dave>Yeah.
• 28:55
  > Julianna>But we'll continue in just a minute.
• 29:01
  > Julianna>Welcome back everyone. So today we are doing a little tour Japan and uh, Japanese beer that is.
• 29:10
  > Julianna>And right before the break we started to talk about Yoho Brewing Co. In Nagano, Japan. And forgive me if I'm saying that wrong. And the first beer that we are going to discuss from them is the Soyubi no Neko Nero. Nero. Nero.
• 29:27
  > Julianna>Um, otherwise known as Wednesday Cat Belgian or it's a white Belgian ale. So the Wednesday Cat is made for happy hump days spice with orange peels and coriander seeds. This Belgian white ale has a light citrus note and a smooth finish that comes from the wheat. This meow.
• 29:47
  > Julianna>Some beer will help you get through the rest of the week and it's 5% ABV. So in 2013 this won bronze in the international beer competition for the Belgian style whip beer.
• 30:02
  > Julianna>And in 2011-2014 they won gold in the Monday selection. I don't quite know what the Monday selection is, but I do not know. But that's cool.
• 30:16
  > Julianna>Um, one thing that we started talking about before the break was the can art on this brewery is so completely different than the Echigo beer. M.
• 30:28
  > Julianna>Um, but anyways, okay, so Belgium white ales, what do you think?
• 30:33
  > Dave>Not really my style. Uh, I mean, hey, I had my blue moon phase back in the day and didn't we all, you know. But um, uh, you know, with almost all Belgian beers or all Belgian beers, they're very yeast driven. I mean that's what they're known for. Whether it be like, you know, like the lambics and other sours or whatever or you know, the Whit beers or even the, the, the trappist, uh, stuff, you know, everything is really driven by the yeast and that's that's, you know, it is what it is. Some to me, work better than others for my palate, you know. But this one, um, is like it. Other than the fact that it's really clear. And I usually think more of those Belgian Whit beers is like, being a little hazy and everything.
• 31:28
  > Dave>Um, this one's very clear, very pale gold. It's a really pretty color, but it definitely has those strong yeast notes. And the nose again, you know, coriander and a little bit of, uh, a little bit of that nanner on it.
• 31:46
  > Dave>Good mouth feel, though. It's not overpowering.
• 31:49
  > Dave>Um, and I actually can kind of appreciate this one, but it's not something that I would personally seek out to drink if there was other stuff around. But when since we're tasting it and trying it out and rating it and everything, I can definitely appreciate the fact it's a pretty well made Belgian style Whit beer.
• 32:11
  > Julianna>Yeah, I think so.
• 32:12
  > Dave>What are you thinking?
• 32:13
  > Julianna>Um, I. All of the above.
• 32:16
  > Julianna>I'm actually kind of impressed by this for what it is.
• 32:19
  > Julianna>And again, it's not one of my favorite beer styles either, but I think for what it is, it's really good.
• 32:30
  > Julianna>Kind of creamy up front, you know, um, it's got a. It's a little slick on the tongue. Like a.
• 32:38
  > Dave>The wheat. Yeah.
• 32:39
  > Julianna>Good.
• 32:39
  > Dave>Wheat beer is going to give you that. Yeah.
• 32:41
  > Julianna>And, um, just a nice finish. Yeah.
• 32:44
  > Julianna>Uh, kind of impressive. So what shall we rate this?
• 32:49
  > Dave>Okay.
• 32:52
  > Julianna>Yeah. Three. Okay.
• 32:54
  > Dave>Yeah, we'll go three.
• 32:54
  > Julianna>Gonna rate it a three.
• 32:58
  > Julianna>And.
• 32:58
  > Dave>And a Belgian Whit beer lover might rate it a little higher.
• 33:02
  > Julianna>Sure, sure, sure. We're biased because we're not Belgian wit f.
• 33:08
  > Julianna>Um, and what would you pair this with? Oh, uh, is this sushi material?
• 33:17
  > Dave>I don't know. Like, so, like some of these beers. And that's part of the problem I have. I think maybe.
• 33:24
  > Dave>What do you usually rate a, uh, pair, uh, of Belgian Whit beers with like, maybe a nice.
• 33:30
  > Dave>Some salty, fatty meats or some cheese, something that'll cut through some of this yeast flavor.
• 33:35
  > Julianna>Yeah, I'm thinking of like fondue or something.
• 33:38
  > Dave>You know, something like that. I don't know what a Belgian people eat. Like, you know. Waffles.
• 33:44
  > Julianna>Yeah, yeah. Lots of waffles.
• 33:46
  > Dave>Yeah, Belgian waffles. That's what I pair it with.
• 33:48
  > Julianna>Okay. Yeah, fine, fine, fine.
• 33:50
  > Julianna>All right, let's. Are you ready for this one?
• 33:54
  > Dave>Yes. But let me ask you this.
• 33:57
  > Julianna>What?
• 33:58
  > Dave>Riddle me this. So, you know, we. We actually did some research on Japan when we were doing this, and by research I mean we listened to a bunch of Japanese music and stuff.
• 34:10
  > Julianna>Yeah.
• 34:10
  > Dave>And like what, uh, what, what's kind of stood out to you when. On some of the stuff we were.
• 34:16
  > Julianna>Listening to, you know, um, they love rockabilly. They love, it seems like all things mid century.
• 34:27
  > Dave>Yeah.
• 34:27
  > Julianna>Which is kind of interesting for me. And um, they love metal and they love Iron Maiden.
• 34:34
  > Julianna>I mean, not that I blame them.
• 34:36
  > Dave>They can't all be good things, right?
• 34:38
  > Julianna>Oh, whatever, whatever. But I, I do know that a lot of bands really truly enjoy going to Japan to tour there because the fans are so respectful like for any genre, unlike other parts of the world can be, you know, Which I thought was kind of interesting.
• 34:59
  > Dave>Yeah, I'm, I'm impressed at like uh, the presence of women in like really heavy Japanese music, you know, and not necessarily just in straightforward ways, but like I remember in college I get introduced to like Shonen Knife back way back in the day. And they were, you know, post punk kind of rock rock band that formed in like the early 80s, you know, in Japan. All women band. Three.
• 35:31
  > Dave>Three piece.
• 35:32
  > Julianna>Yeah.
• 35:32
  > Dave>But then like we still see stuff like. What is it, Otokabe Beaver or something.
• 35:38
  > Dave>I probably said that wrong. It was like we, we watched some of that tiny desk concert series.
• 35:43
  > Julianna>Yes.
• 35:44
  > Dave>And they friggin like tore the roof off that place. And you know, uh, even from like Kill Bill. Remember the five, six, seven, eight. Yeah. I mean it's like surface kind of punk. I just, I'm like, that is so awesome, man. And like, you know, and then baby metal. Obviously everyone loves baby metal.
• 36:07
  > Julianna>Oh gosh. Yes.
• 36:07
  > Dave>You know, and I, I don't even know like, how would you describe baby metal to someone who had never seen it?
• 36:16
  > Julianna>Oh, uh, so it's like it is a metal band but it, it has this like.
• 36:29
  > Julianna>It's.
• 36:33
  > Dave>Here's how I would describe it.
• 36:34
  > Julianna>Okay. Yeah, maybe you can describe it better.
• 36:36
  > Dave>Because take Sailor Moon cosplay Girls.
• 36:41
  > Julianna>Okay. Yes. Uh, that's how they're dressed.
• 36:43
  > Dave>Back them up with a, um, pretty freaking heavy glam metal band.
• 36:50
  > Dave>Uh, or maybe postmodern punk, I don't know. Anyways, a really heavy metal band and uh, three, three singers in the front and they're, they're dressed probably inappropriate, but they rock pretty heavy.
• 37:09
  > Julianna>Yeah, well they do. And it's like you metal too. But yeah.
• 37:11
  > Dave>Uh, all right. Anyways, let's drink this last beer.
• 37:14
  > Julianna>So the. Sorry, Umami ipa.
• 37:17
  > Julianna>It's the, the. I'm sorry, I didn't ask you what you like. It's a beer that Their brewers wanted to drink and not normal people. So they're using Bonito Flakes, which h. It facilitates beer fermentation. It also adds fruity tropical fruit flavors.
• 37:38
  > Julianna>And in case you're wondering, the beer doesn't taste like fish. So they classify this as an experimental white ale. And it's 6.5% ABV. And interesting enough, one silver in 2016 at the International Beer competition for freestyle High alcohol light Ale.
• 37:57
  > Dave>Nice, flavorful, definitely doesn't taste like fish. Got a great body to it.
• 38:03
  > Dave>Um, does have some fruit flavors.
• 38:06
  > Dave>I love this beer. Solid.
• 38:08
  > Julianna>Oh my God. This is. Yeah, this is really good.
• 38:11
  > Julianna>And the creaminess. Yeah, this is a five for sure.
• 38:22
  > Julianna>Wow. Overall this is a good flight.
• 38:24
  > Dave>Great flight.
• 38:25
  > Julianna>Yeah. Well, that's going to wrap it up for today's episode.
• 38:28
  > Julianna>Good old boy Dave, thanks for being here.
• 38:30
  > Dave>Bye.
• 38:31
  > Julianna>This is good oak Agiliana. Keep on chuggling and catch you next time.
• 38:37
  > Announcer>We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you're listening to us online, do yourself a favor and tap. Just tap the subscribe button.
• 38:46
  > Julianna>Give it a little tappy. Tap, tap, taparoo.
• 38:49
  > Announcer>The easiest way to listen to our show is to ask Siri, Alexa, Google, Uncle Larry or whoever it is that talks to you on your phone play podcast, Sip, Suds and Smokes. Uh, we love your feedback and you can reach us at info@sipsudsandsmokes.com our tasting notes flow out on Twitter and Instagram with our handle ipsuds and Smokes and our Facebook page is always buzzing with lots of news. You'll also be able to interact with the thousands, millions and millions of other fans on those social media platforms. Do us a favor, take the time to rate this episode. If you're listening to us online, that's a big help to us and we get to see your feedback as well. Come back, join us for another episode and keep on sipping.
• 39:41
  > Dave>Mhm.
• 40:02
  > Dave>Um.
• 40:25
  > Announcer>This has been a one time panhand production of Sips, Suds and Smokes, a program devoted to the appreciation of some of the finer slices of life. From the dude in the Basement Studios, your host, the good old boys. We'll see you all next time.