Songbird La Joya is a 6.5% Flanders red ale from Brewery Songbird, based in Kisarazu, in Chiba, Japan. It’s part of their winter seasonal lineup and can be found in bottles in a limited number of shops across Japan. First released in 2017, Songbird La Joya is brewed using a variety of spices, but also contains oatmeal and undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle – so be careful, you might end up with a bottom bomb. It’s also brewed using coolships, whereby the beer is left outside to pick up some wild yeast, and then ferment.
Songbird La Joya Aroma and Taste
Songbird La Joya poured out a hazy dark copper brown colour with a small amount of white head on top that faded fast. It had a slight peppery nose to it with some creamy hints and Belgian funky yeast notes going on too. Once Songbird La Joya had warmed up, there was a dried fruit nose to it, with plums, raisins, and dates coming through with a slight phenolic nose to the beer. Moreover, there was some sour funk coming through – a deliberate aroma with a Flemish red ale.
Songbird La Joya tasted more like a wine than a beer, with a large Belgian yeast funk giving the sour notes some kick to it. The dried fruits of raisins, plums, and dates brought a chewy texture to Songbird La Joya, and paired off nicely with the peppery notes just lying in the background. The alcohol, while not strong at 6.5%, did bring a light warming burn sensation to the aftertaste, with it just lingering enough to be recognised.
Songbird La Joya The Bottom Line
I liked Songbird La Joya a lot and would definitely recommend buying it – if you can find it!
Where to buy Songbird La Joya
Songbird La Joya can be bought at the following places:
