Shiga Kogen Takashi Imperial Stout is a 10% imperial stout from Tamamura Honten, based in Nagano, and it is part of their spring range of seasonal beers. This 2016 was the first release in two years as Tamamura Honten installed a new brewery. It was first released in limited batches in 2008 and can be found on sale from around the beginning of March but be warned; it sells out extremely quickly. Shiga Kogen Takashi Imperial Stout is aged for six months on-site and is named after the head clerk that used to work at Tamamura Honten. When on sale, it can found in both bottles and, if you’re really lucky, on tap.
One of the best versions of Shiga Kogen Takashi Imperial Stout I’ve had.
Shiga Kogen Takashi Imperial Stout Aroma and Taste
With the first release in two years, I was lucky to pick up three bottles of Shiga Kogen Takashi Imperial Stout before it sold out everywhere in the space of a week. I was planning to do some vertical tasting with the three bottles but couldn’t resist after coming back from Snow Monkey Beer Live.
It poured out a pitch black colour with a frothy tan-like head on top that clung to the side of the glass before collapsing into a thin oily layer on top of the beer. There was a LOT of aromas going in Shiga Kogen Takashi Imperial Stout – coffee, chocolate, vanilla, a nutty roast, some liquorice, a slight edge of toffee, and finally some booziness too. At 10%, it was going to be hard to hide that amount of alcohol, and Tamamura Honten would have gotten away with it. However, when it had warmed up, the booziness was brandy-esque with a warming element to it.
Shiga Kogen Takashi Imperial Stout tasted as complex as the aromas though the booziness was nowhere to be seen. The chocolate and coffee flavours were nicely balanced along with hints of vanilla and toffee. The carbonation was mild and gave the beer a soft mouthfeel rather than assaulting the tastebuds. It finished off with a slightly bitter aftertaste before leaving some sweet smoky chocolate flavours on the tongue.
Shiga Kogen Takashi Imperial Stout One Line Review
Shiga Kogen Takashi Imperial Stout is a great imperial stout and well worth picking up – if you can find it that is.
Where to Buy Shiga Kogen Takashi Imperial Stout
Shiga Kogen Takashi Imperial Stout can be bought from around the beginning of March, though it does sell it very quickly. The following places are known to have it in stock when it comes on sale:
