Numazu Lava Porter is a 6% porter from Kakitagawa Brewing, based in Numazu, in Shizuoka, Japan. It’s part of their regular lineup and can be found in both bottles and on tap. It’s name supposedly comes from the fact that Numazu Lava Porter looks like solidfied lava – let’s hope it doesn’t taste like it.
Numazu Lava Porter Aroma and Taste
Excuse the slight lean on the picture – I may have been a little bit drunk as I went on a massive clearing splurge of my fridge to make space for new beers coming in. That doesn’t detract though that Numazu Lava Porter poured out a pitch black colour with a large frothy tan-like head on top that clung to the side of the glass throughout drinking. Numazu Lava Porter had a strong roasted black malt aroma, with lots of chocolate and coffee coming through once it had been given the time to warm up. Numazu Lava Porter also had a slight phenolic and butteriness to it – not too strong but enough to cut through the dark malts present.
Numazu Lava Porter started off with some roasted chocolate and coffee notes, before the black malts kicked in – not overally acrid or bitter but enough to get your taste buds up. Something to contrast about the roasted malts would have been good – maybe some lactose *shudder* or some oats to help smooth the beer out. Numazu Lava Porter is all about the black malts and as such, it was hard to detect or really taste anything else going on – perhaps there was some caramel but it was lost in the darkness. The beer finished off with the dark malts bringing coffee and chocolate, but also a slight butteriness too in the beer.
Numazu Lava Porter The Bottom Line
If you like your porters heavy and dark, then Numazu Lava Porter is up your street.
Where to Buy Numazu Lava Porter
Numazu Lava Porter can be bought online at the following places: