Friday, March 29, 2024
Home Beer Review Tamamura Honten Yamabushi Saison Noir by Tamamura Honten

Tamamura Honten Yamabushi Saison Noir by Tamamura Honten

by Rob
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Tamamura Honten Yamabushi Saison Noir is a 9% black saison from Tamamura Honten, makers of the Shiga Kogen range of craft beer. It’s produced in spring though it is available throughout the year. Tamamura Honten also take this beer and produce variations of it, for example, aging it in oak barrels in limited quantities. It is one of the few craft beers in Japan to come in a wine bottle, though don’t worry if you can’t drink it in one go or have noone to share it with as it does come with a special plastic-seal fitted cap. Like we would need that…

Tamamura Honten Yamabushi Saison Noir

Um, I intended to take a picture of the plastic seal in the cap but kind of forgot.

Tamamura Honten Yamabushi Saison Noir Aroma and Taste

The first problem with a beer this size is what size glass to use. Should I use a pint glass and drink it in one or two portions, or should I use a smaller glass and get more smaller portions from the beer? The special tasting glass from the Great BeerFes in Yokohama seemed appropriate.

Tamamura Honten Yamabushi Saison Noir poured out a pitch black colour with a fairly lively head of large bubbles that lingered very much like the bubbles seen on top of a glass of champagne. The aroma was a funky sake / wet rice aroma, which was to be expected as sake rice was used in the production of this beer, along with some yeasty aromas too. There was a mild hint of roasted fruit in there too though there was a distinct lack of hops.

The body had a light, crisp texture to it that again reminded more of a dry champagne than of a saison but saison qualities were there – just about. The sake taste makes a reappearance again in the body along with some woodiness to it as well. There was also a roasted chocolate quality to the beer along with some sourness in the aftertaste. I was most impressed with the lack of booziness to it, as at 9%, I expected it to come through at some point. However, the carbonation of Tamamura Honten Yamabushi Saison Noir was a tad too high for my liking with it making me burp regularly.

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Tamamura Honten Yamabushi Saison Noir One Line Review

Tamamura-Honten Yamabushi Saison Noir is an interesting take on a saison and worth finding it and sharing it, if you can.

Where to Buy Tamamura-Honten Yamabushi Saison Noir

Tamamura-Honten Yamabushi Saison Noir can be bought online at the following places:

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