Shiga Kogen Coffee & Donuts is a 4.5% farmhouse ale from Tamamura Honten, based in Yamanouchi, in Nagano, Japan. It’s part of their collaborative series for the Hood to Fuji, with this effort having been brewed with Upright Brewing. It is brewed using Ethiopian Dur Feres beans that were roasted specially for this beer. At the time of writing, there are no plans to release this again.
Shiga Kogen Coffee & Donuts Aroma and Taste
It seems like Shiga Kogen had taken a leaf out of the recent coffee and golden ale efforts in the States as Shiga Kogen Coffee & Donuts poured out a hazy dull orange colour with just a thin amount of bubbly white head on top. I was expecting something much darker as coffee and beer in Japan usually means a stout is coming. It’s a nice change to see though a bit late. Shiga Kogen Coffee & Donuts had a potent roasted coffee and subtle chocolate nose to it, with just a smidgen of yeastiness coming though too – not too dissimilar to a freshly baked donut but not close enough. It could have done with some more sweetness to help balance out the coffee aspect to it.
The same can be said about the body too – not quite all coffee but enough to overpower the sweetness and yeastiness that would have been better if it were slightly more balanced. The coffee flavours did dominate out until Shiga Kogen Coffee & Donuts had warmed up, but by then the lingering coffee flavours from earlier were still present on the tongue. The beer had a slight subtle sweetness in the aftertaste but again, the coffee flavours just came out a bit too strong.
Shiga Kogen Coffee & Donuts The Bottom Line
Shiga Kogen Coffee & Donuts definitely has coffee in it, but the donuts? Need work.
Where to Buy Shiga Kogen Coffee & Donuts
Shiga Kogen Coffee & Donuts can be bought online at the following places:
