Yamizo Morino Beer Helles is a 5.5% dortumunder / helles style beer from Daigo Brewery, based in Ibaraki prefecture Japan. It is a bottom fermented beer that is continually watched by the brewmaster until it is ready. I can’t imagine that person having fun watching beer age, especially if they are continually watching it, but that’s what Daigo Brewery states on their website. The quaint and serene label is of a view near the brewery, or so I was led to believe, but then I am guilty of being gullible from time-to-time.
Peace and serenity as you look across the lake and hills on the label.
Yamizo Morino Beer Helles Aroma and Taste
After being successfully relaxed from the countryside view on the label, Yamizo Morino Beer Helles could wait no longer and had to be poured out, and with that came a relatively clear golden body topped off with some frothy white head to follow. The aroma was nice but not really your typical helles-style though with the regularly associated aroma of malt being overpowered with fruitier notes of oranges and some lemons, as if the IPA influence had taken ahold of it.
I expected malt pungency in the nose and in the body yet I was left empty and solemn with the body too. It’s not like Yamizo Morino Beer Helles doesn’t try to be a helles style beer but the fruitiness just seemed to be beating the malts into submission and leaving them crying at the bottom of the glass. The hops too took their turn on the malts and produced a bitterness that while smooth and balanced, just didn’t seem to fit in either, akin to the bully’s mates just picking on someone because the bully did it too.
Yamizo Morino Beer Helles One Line Review
Yamizo Morino Beer Helles is not a bad beer at all, I mean it’s certainly drinkable, but it isn’t a good example of a helles style beer.
Where to Buy Yamizo Morino Beer Helles
Yamizo Morino Beer Helles can be bought from:
2 comments
Not many do helles justice here. Perhaps Aqula, in the past, in their sakura helles. Kamiya made a solid one, too. Kai from Yamanashi was bang on, in my opinion but the last time I went there, all their beers sucked, big time. Zumona not bad. Struggling to think of more off the top of my hungover head right now.The smaller guys really need to pay attention not just to the fermenting beer but on the consistency of their product. Plus if they say it’s a helles, it really should damn well taste like one. Oh, Baird shuzenji heritage helles for the first batch was really good for me, if a tad gassy. 2nd batch not quite so. 3rd was weird and now its ok. IMO.
You’re right – there are very few helles beers which is surprising considering the amount of breweries that pride themselves on traditional German recipes. Shuzenji Helles has been up and down but it’s never been undrinkable. A shame as I find helles beers to be refreshing.