How the heck do Tamamura Honten keep putting out limited edition beers so quickly? Shiga Kogen Wheat Ale was first brewed back in 2009 and is part of their summer seasonal beers. It’s a wheat ale inspired by a German hefeweizen recipe and infused with American Hops which is usually released around the end of May towards the beginning of June so get out and find it today. Shiga Kogen Wheat Ale has an abv of 5% so it’s perfect for session drinking.
Shiga Kogen Wheat Ale Aroma and Taste
After carefully reading the bottle, as Tamamura Honten are known for putting lots of useful information on their bottles, I was sure that they hadn’t gone crazy with the hops and created some monster wheat ale IPA hybrid with Shiga Kogen Wheat Ale. You never know quite what you are getting when you get a limited edition beer from Shiga Kogen: is it going to be some bitter, monster IPA? Something fruity and spicy? Perhaps a milder stout or something?
Shiga Kogen Wheat Ale poured out an orange-yellow hazy colour with fairly minimal head. It was a tough one deciding on the glass (oh given me an idea of a soapbox article – Rob) but the weizen glass won out and boy, my nostrils were not happy I chose it. Big, big, BIG aromas of bananas and wheat. But then the grapefruit hits, the citrus kick from the hops steamrollers in like the playground bully who got you in their sights and made a beeline straight for you. Bloody hell, Tamamura Honten tricked me again.
With the assault on the nostrils fresh in my mind, and how couldn’t it be after an introduction like that, it was only going to get “worse” drinking Shiga Kogen Wheat Ale. Worse as in I knew what was coming but it was going to fun. The hops and wheat work well together with the banana flavour subdued by the citrus tastes of lemon and grapefruit. The dry, bitter finish was really refreshing and left me wanting more.
Shiga Kogen Wheat Ale One Line Review
Shiga Kogen Wheat Ale is a confusing beer. It’s a hoppy weizen that is potent but moreish.
Where to Buy Shiga Kogen Wheat Ale
Shiga Kogen Wheat Ale is a summer seasonal beer. It can be bought from the following places online:
We’ve also seen it in stock at the following places:
