Shimane Apple Barley is not your usual kind of barley wine as it’s made with dried apples from the local area to produce a this 9% apple-infused barley wine. It’s an all year round beer that I’ve had on tap before at Popeye’s in Ryogoku and was happy to find it in bottled form. However, unlike most barley wines that can be aged, Shimane Apple Barley has a shelf life of about six months so don’t go trying to make it stronger by storing it.
Feeling posh, Shimane Apple Barley went in a wine glass.
Shimane Apple Barley Aroma and Taste
Feeling flush, or posh, or just desperate for something to put Shimane Apple Barley in, a wine glass was used and was immediately regretted – how was I supposed to get my nose into this glass now? There wasn’t any need to worry about it as Shimane Apple Barley had the distinct sweet, caramel aroma that is associated with barley wines though the sweet, fresh apple aroma was delightfully present too. Not quite cider-like in aroma as it wasn’t dry but there was a hint of scrumpy, a formative drink in my teenage years. The body was a deep brown colour with a solid amount of just off-white head that didn’t last long but long enough to get this nice shot.
At 9%, Shimane Apple Barley is a sipper though it’s due to the sweetness of it rather than the alcohol level itself, which was well-hidden. The sweet, caramel melts are a tad overpowering for me, and the apple tartness was overwhelmed by them. Joe hates me using similes – he’d say they’re too simple probably – but it’s like someone has melted down some apple hi-chus and then dumped them in the mash tun while making Shimane Apple Barley. And what’s even more frustrating about this is that it isn’t called Shimane Apple Barley Wine….
Shimane Apple Barley One Line Review
Shimane Apple Barley is a very very sweet barley wine though the apples haven’t developed enough to really affect the flavour enough. Screaming to be matured.
Where to Buy Shimane Apple Barley
Shimane Apple Barley can be bought from
- Shimane Beer Online
- CraftBeers.jp have been known to have it in stock though at the time of writing it was sold out.
