Songbird Natsumikan to Shouga is a 5% fruit beer from Brewery Songbird, based in Kisarazu, Chiba. It’s part of their 2016 summer lineup, and as such, it’s unknown whether it will come out again, what with Brewery Songbird’s penchant for changing their lineup quickly than others. The beer contains natsumikan, also known as summer oranges or amanatsu, and shouga, known as root ginger in English, with both ingredients being sourced from Chiba. The base for the beer is a Belgian witbier.
Pungent ginger overcomes the sharp orange aromas.
Songbird Natsumikan to Shouga Aroma and Taste
Songbird Natsumikan to Shouga poured out a light straw colour with a large amount of clean, frothy white head that dissipated quickly on itself. The aroma was a pungent ginger hit, that gave way to some lemony-orange aroma in the end. As it warmed it, it reminded me of those hot ginger and lemon drinks people often drink in winter to help soothe their throats against colds.
The body followed the aroma fairly closely, with the ginger being the strongest flavour that came through – but not as potent as you think it would be. If you like ginger ale / beer, then this isn’t close to that at all but be warned – the aftertaste did have a ginger bite to it that was warming on the throat. I couldn’t taste any of the malts, but that was perhaps due to the ginger beating my taste buds into submission.
Songbird Natsumikan to Shouga The Bottom Line
Songbird Natsumikan to Shouga would have been a nice winter beer with its warming flavours but as a summer drink, it isn’t refreshing nor summer-like.
Where to Buy Songbird Natsumikan to Shouga
Songbird Natsumikan to Shouga can be bought online at the following places:
