Zakkoku Ogawa Porter is a 6% porter from Zakkoku Kobo Brewery, based in Ogawa, in Saitama, Japan. It’s part of their regular lineup and can be found in both bottles and on tap across Japan. Zakkoku Ogawa Porter is named, as if you hadn’t had guessed already, after the town that the brewpub is based in – Ogawamachi.
Zakkoku Ogawa Porter Aroma and Taste
After the disaster that the was the Zakkoku Cereal Box, I wasn’t really looking forward to Zakkoku Ogawa Porter at all – it’s a shame that one beer can sometimes put you off of a brewery – but I needn’t have worried about Zakkoku Ogawa Porter. I mean, it’s not a beer that is difficult to make, but it is difficult to make well. Thankfully Zakkoku got it right with the colour as Zakkoku Ogawa Porter poured out a pitch black colour with a thin head on top that was slightly off-white, though it did fade fast to a few bubbles around the side of the glass. It had a roasted black barley aroma, with just some hints of coffee and chocolate going on too. Once it had warmed up, there was a peculiar funk phenolic aroma to it – had they used some Belgian yeast in it? Had the yeast been overworked? Was it deliberate? It was hard to really tell considering what had happened with the previous beer.
Drinking Zakkoku Ogawa Porter started off smooth with a light dusting of chocolate and coffee, with just a hint of acrid black malt going on. Nothing too abrasive or off-putting, but enough to let you know that a touch too much had been extracted from the malts. The body was a little bit on the thin side for the abv and flavours – it did taste nice but lacked oomph or staying power. Once it had warmed up, there was mixing of flavours with the coffee bringing through a burnt toffee-like flavour with some dark fruits going on as well – a very interesting combination there. It finished off with a slight sour note to it but nothing offensive.
Zakkoku Ogawa Porter The Bottom Line
Zakkoku Ogawa Porter is an interesting little porter that did surprise me.
Where to Buy Zakkoku Ogawa Porter
Zakkoku Ogawa Porter can be bought online at the following places:
