Nomcraft Sansho Skies is 7% West Coast Pale from Nomcraft Brewing, based in Aridagawa, in Wakayama, Japan. It’s part of their regular lineup and can be found in both bottles and on tap at various places across Japan. As the name suggests, Nomcraft Sansho Skies contains sansho, also known as Japanese Pepper, but this beer uses a locally found variant known as “budo sansho” is used in this beer with the base recipe being the same as the Nomcraft Bright Skies.
Nomcraft Sansho Skies Aroma and Taste
Like it’s elder sibling, Nomcraft Bright Skies, Nomcraft Sansho Skies pours out a very similar colour to it – a golden honey colour with a faint amount of pure white head on top that faded fast to a few bubbles around the outside of the glass. However, that’s where the main similarity ends because as soon as you get the nose in the glass – well if you don’t fill it up to the top like I did – then you immediately get a lemon and orange nose with a hint of pepper to it. Not an abrasive, stale version of the pepper that is in your cupboard, but a vibrant lemony aroma that stands out with a tingling sensation in the nose. The sansho really boosted the hoppy citrus aromas coming off Nomcraft Sansho Skies.
The body was not as spicy as the name suggests though. The hoppy lemon and orange flavours stood out, but the sansho gave them even more vibrancy and bite – mainly because the contrasting pepperiness paired off well against them. Nomcraft Sansho Skies is not a chili beer by any means – it’s not going to blow your head off with spiciness but you will notice some of it. The expected bitterness also came through and brought everything together in the end. As Nomcraft Sansho Skies warmed up, the orange and lemon flavours were stronger and a little stickier by the end of drinking.
Nomcraft Sansho Skies The Bottom Line
I loved this beer – a great balance of flavours. More please!
Where to Buy Nomcraft Sansho Skies
Nomcraft Sansho Skies can be bought online at the following places:
