AJB Shinshu Soba Stout by Anglo-Japanese Brewing

AJB Shinshu Soba Stout is a 5% dry stout from Anglo-Japanese Brewing that is part of their all-year round range of beers. Like the other beers from AJB, this beer showcases off some of the local Shinshu, which is the old name for the Nagano region, soba. The soba seeds are roasted and then added to the mash. At the time of writing, AJB Shinshu Soba Stout can be found in bottles but it’s pretty rare so this is the draft review.

The handpump version of the stout.

AJB Shinshu Soba Stout Aroma and Taste

With not much on at Libushi, AJB Shinshu Soba Stout was the obviously (and only!) choice for us to drink. There were two versions of the beer: a hand-pump from a corny keg or a draft one from a tap. In the hope of the flavours being different, I plumped for one of each. The aromas though were highly similar, if not the same, with a slight woody coffee aroma to it and a light bit of milky creaminess to it. I couldn’t really detect much of a soba, or buckwheat, aroma to it and I love the stuff. Perhaps the coffee was masking it? If so, it would be a shame the coffee flavours were so strong.

The body was very dry but the main difference between the two versions was the carbonation levels – the handpump felt flatter and actually proved to be the better of the two as the draft version was too carbonated for my liking. There was a subtle wheat-like quality to the body, which was down to the buckwheat but the chocolate and coffee flavours dominated over it. The aftertaste was dry and chocolatey though it faded fast.

AJB Shinshu Soba Stout One Line Review

AJB Shinshu Soba Stout is an average drinkable stout but the addition of soba seemed wasted to me.