Shiga Kogen Takashi Ichiro is an 11.5% imperial stout from Tamamura Honten, based in Nagano, Japan. It’s part of their (very) limited edition series of Ichiro’s series, that follows similar lines to the Minoh Ichiro’s range. This is where they take a regular beer, in this case the Shiga Kogen Takashi Imperial Stout, and age it for eighteen months in Ichiro’s whiskey malt casks and then a year in the bottle.
Shiga Kogen Takashi Ichiro Aroma and Taste
Shiga Kogen Takashi Ichiro has been sat in my beer cellar for a while – I wanted something to compare it against. Ichiro’s Malt casks are hard to come by so when Minoh and Shiga Kogen put their imperial stouts into the casks, it was only a matter of time before the planets aligned and both could be consumed within a day or so of each other. No way am I going to drink both in one night – what do you think I am, an alcoholic?!
Shiga Kogen Takashi Ichiro poured out a pitch black colour with a reasonable amount of slightly tan off-white head. It faded fast, leaving just some bubbles around the side of the glass and dirty marks on the side of the glass. The aroma was very much oak whisky cask, with coffee, chocolate, and some acrid black malts coming through too. It had some roasted dark fruit nose to it as well.
The body had enough thickness to carry all of the strong whisky and coffee flavour that came screaming through. I suspect having aged this for a couple of years that the flavours were muted – something I should have done with the Takashi Ichiro Pete. Shiga Kogen Takashi Ichiro’s flavours lingered on the palate and the carbonation was soft enough to let the vanilla and milk flavours to come along. At 11.5%, I expected some booziness – alas nothing. Which made Shiga Kogen Takashi Ichiro one of the easiest drinking barrel aged imperial stouts I’ve come across.
Shiga Kogen Takashi Ichiro The Bottom Line
If you’ve read this far and not worked out what I’m getting at then buy Shiga Kogen Takashi Ichiro. If you can find it.
Where to Buy Shiga Kogen Takashi Ichiro
Shiga Kogen Takashi Ichiro can be bought online from the following places
