Umenishiki Weizen is a 5.5% German kristallweizen from Umenishiki Yamakawa based in Ehime. It’s brewed with locally sourced wheat and barley malt from Ehime prefecture and contains at least 70% malt according to their product page but it isn’t happoshu though. A strange one there but it’s a popular beer that is starting to make inroads into supermarkets and stores across Japan. It can be found in both bottles and on draft if you’re lucky. Oh, it’s also won a couple of awards back in 2009 and 2010 but thankfully, they aren’t emblazoned across the bottle label.
Supposedly a kristallweizen, but I swear I could see some yeast.
Umenishiki Weizen Aroma and Taste
Umenishiki Weizen supposedly had no yeast in the bottle but during the pour, I could have sworn I saw some yeast-like particles floating around in it. Perhaps it was my eyes playing tricks on me this day as I was pretty tired. It poured out a cloudy golden-straw like colour with a medium amount of firm white head that diminished pretty quickly before my eyes. The aroma coming off of Umenishiki Weizen was a big banana and bubblegum smell with lashings of wheat and some hints of cloves in the end. It also seemed to have some hoppiness to it as well that reminded me of Yo-Ho’s American Wheat Ale effort.
The texture of Umenishiki Weizen was nice if a little gritty at times. The banana and wheat flavours were plentiful and rich along with a decent level of carbonation that seemed to bring the grittiness to the forefront. It wasn’t unpleasant but I unexpected more than anything as I thought the yeast had been removed from it. The major let down for Umenishiki Weizen was that it simply did not have the full body rather it was a tad watery for my liking in the end. It finished off with a sweetness that quickly became too much.
Umenishiki Weizen One Line Review
Umenishiki Weizen started off really well but in the end, the sweetness was too much for me.
Where to Buy Umenishiki Weizen
Umenishiki Weizen can be bought online at the following places:
I got my bottle from Queen’s Isetan.
