Hakkaisan Alt is a 5% altbier from Hakkaisan Sake Brewing based in Niigata, Japan. It’s part of their all-year round range of beer can be found in bottles or on tap across Japan. We’re yet to see it in bottles smaller than 500ml though but check out the links below if you want the smaller bottled version. Not much else is known about this Hakkaisan Alt besides it being brewed to a traditional German recipe.
Deep red colour with some noble hop aroma.
Hakkaisan Alt Aroma and Taste
Hakkaisan Alt poured out a deep copper red colour with an ever-so-slight off white head which had hints of redness to it. Nothing significant but it did appear to have some brown flecks in it. Hakkaisan Alt is bottle conditioned so it could have been yeast but there was no noticeable sediment in the bottom of the glass. Hakkaisan Alt had a sweet caramel aroma with hints of floral spiciness – perhaps Hakkaisan Sake Brewing had used some noble hops in the beer, but like other breweries, they don’t list any ingredients on the bottle or on their homepage.
The body to Hakkaisan Alt was more pronounced in terms of flavour, with the sweet caramel noble hop flavour coming through fast, but then it was followed by some yeasty bite to it, along with a peculiar yeasty body to it as well. Not really something I really want in an altbier, but knowing this bottle of Hakkaisan Alt was bought fresh and drunk within a week of packaging, perhaps it was deliberate flavour in it? Hakkaisan Alt finished off with a sweet flurry that faded fast to leave just a hint of bitterness on the palate, which even then was fleeting.
Hakkaisan Alt The Bottom Line
I expected more from Hakkaisan Alt but ended up disappointed for something so fresh.
Where to buy Hakkaisan Alt
Hakkaisan Alt can be bought online at the following places:
