Home Beer Review Ise Kadoya Golden Dragon by Ise Kadoya 

Ise Kadoya Golden Dragon by Ise Kadoya 

by Rob
1 comment

Ise Kadoya Golden Dragon is a 4% American pale ale from Ise Kadoya, based in Mie, Japan. It’s part of their collaborative series, released in bottles and on tap, this time with Transporter magazine, who have collaborated with Oh! La! Ho! and also Far Yeast Brewing Company in the past. Ise Kadoya Golden Dragon came about after a meeting where Transporter magazine were looking for a beer that was sessionable and hoppy – I guess the other two beers they collaborated on were not sessionable enough or perhaps not hoppy enough? Ise Kadoya Golden Dragon is brewed with imported American hops, though at the time of writing, it’s unknown what they are.

Ise Kadoya Golden Dragon

Unleash the (mild) dragon.

Ise Kadoya Golden Dragon Aroma and Taste

Ise Kadoya Golden Dragon poured out a light golden colour with a minimal amount of head – so little that not even the IPA glass could force it to muster anything up. It had a big citrus nose of lemon and grapefruit and the familiar Simcoe of cats’ piss when it had warmed up. There were some hints of pine and resin, but only when Ise Kadoya Golden Dragon had warmed up to room temperature. There was next to no sweetness in the nose – it was all about the hops in this one.

However, the body in comparison lacked the bite and fire the aroma had promised. Perhaps it was a bit too light to carry all the flavours from the hops – the citrus grapefruit that promised much in the nose, was lacklustre in the body, and the piney resin notes that lingered in the aroma fell flat and limped over the proverbial finishing line. There was a distinct American pale ale bitterness to it but even that faded fast. Ise Kadoya Golden Dragon had a refreshingness to it that would have been nice in the summer or with some more body behind it, but seeing as it’s a session ale, then it lacked a suitable punch to keep it going.

Ise Kadoya Golden Dragon The Bottom Line

If you’re going to name your beer “something dragon” then make sure it has some fire or bite to it. Ise Kadoya Golden Dragon lacked either really but it is a solid pale ale that does what the style is supposed to do. Just.

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Where to Buy Ise Kadoya Golden Dragon

Ise Kadoya Golden Dragon can be bought online at the following places:

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1 comment

Oliver March 27, 2017 - 10:31 pm

My bottle tasted very hoppy, more IPA than session pale ale. Very grassy hops. And after a few minutes, the aftertaste is hops. I cannot taste anything else… From the labels “golden” and “session” I expected something else, not that strong hop taste, but maybe a golden ale or so. It is not a bad beer, but just not what I would have expected.

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