The Swill: Asahi Black
The Still: Asahi Breweries, Ltd
Tokyo, Japan
http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/english/
The Drill: Dark Lager, 11.2oz bottle, 5.0% ABV
The Spill: Not a stout, and not to be confused with one, this beer presents a light body with a semi-dark flavor. Basically a lager made with roasted malts, the mouthfeel is as easy as other lighter brews, yet a bit of roasty bitterness can be detected. Overall, not an impressive beer, but a pretty good effort from Japan, a country not immediately thought of as a brewing nation, and a textbook example of the beer's genre.
Says Bill: I drank this bottle in Bishop, California, over Thanksgiving weekend 2008. It was the first time we had visited Bishop since Yamatani, the new Japanese restaurant in town, opened for business. The beer went very well with the meal, and was exactly what I expected. And truthfully, even I wouldn't drink something like an imperial stout with crab rangoons, eel, and chicken katsu. Neither the beer nor the cuisine would be complimented. Interesting note: the beer is imported into the U.S. by Asahi Beer U.S.A., Torrance, California.
Refill?: If you're eating Japan's food, try their beer. If you're not, stick to their movies: 2 taps out of 5.