Hansharo Nouhei Steam is a 5% California Common beer from Hansharo Beer, based in Shizuoka, Japan. It’s part of their spring seasonal lineup and can be found in both bottles and on tap across Japan, and it’s name roughly translates to “Farmer Steam” with the hope of it giving energy to those in need of a cold beer. Hansharo Nouhei Steam is brewed using two relatively new hops from Germany with Polaris and Junga being paired up to bring the bittering and aroma respectively. Over the years, it has also seen some changes and variations in the brewing process, with either the malts being slightly changed or the introduction of new hops, such as Junga, or finally, in this case, a slight change of hop timing.
Cool little bottle means this must be a regular seasonal beer now.
Hansharo Nouhei Steam Aroma and Taste
Hansharo Nouhei Steam poured out a deep copper brown colour with a medium amount of white head on top which was surprising as there little to no life in the actual beer itself, so I’m amazed at how some of the head developed. There wasn’t much of a hoppy aroma, with some hints of caramel and breadiness coming through – a shame really considering so much work has gone into changing Hansharo Nouhei Steam throughout the years according to the blog.
Hansharo Nouhei Steam was very easy drinking, with it being a cross between an ale in terms of carbonation, and a lager in terms of dryness. It was all about the malts with a light caramel flavouring only slightly punctuated by a spicy grapefruit flavour that was a blink-and-miss it addition. Throughout drinking, I couldn’t help but think Hansharo Nouhei Steam needed some hops to come through to offset the malts but nothing did, not even in the aftertaste.
Hansharo Nouhei Steam The Bottom Line
Hansharo Nouhei Steam isn’t a bad California Common style beer, but it just seems to be a bit too malt forward.
Where to Buy Hansharo Nouhei Steam
Hansharo Nouhei Steam can be bought online at the following places:
I got this bottle from Le Petit L’Ouest.
1 comment
Don’t export this to North America, lest you get a cease-and-desist order from Anchor Brwg. (which you may get anyway). Anchor is very sensitive about anybody else using the word “steam”.