AJB Are, otherwise known as AJB Waste 2 Beer Series Imperial Stout, is a 9.5% imperial stout from Anglo-Japanese Brewing Company, based in Nozawa-Onsen, in Nagano, Japan. AJB Are is part of their canned and draught lineup, though as it’s part of the AJB Waste 2 Beer whereby they take waste produce from some industrial process, in this case the cacao husk which is leftover from the production of chocolate, and use it in the making of a beer.
AJB Are : At A Glance
- Alcohol: 9.5%
- Style: Imperial Stout
- Hops: –
- Adjuncts: Cacao husks
- IBU: –
Sale Information
- Availability: Limited
- On Sale: From October 2022
- Size: 350 ml
- Price: From ¥900
Aroma & Taste
- Notable Aroma: Light roasted chocolate notes with smooth coffee and caramel. No alcohol heat or hoppy aroma.
- Notable Taste: Smooth balanced chocolate and coffee flavours with light caramel flavour. Low bitterness and alcohol heat to the beer. Light to medium bodied.
AJB Are : Aroma & Taste
AJB Are poured out a pitch black colour with a thin amount of off-white tan coloured head that left some brownish lacing down the side of the glass. I was a little bit surprised with how light the aromas were for an imperial stout. While there were chocolate and coffee notes going on, they were neither bold nor over-powering. As AJB Are warmed up, the aromas didn’t strengthen but there was some light caramel note present. The most surprising thing though was that at 9.5%, there was no discernible alcohol heat to AJB Are.
The same lightness in the nose was the continuing theme in the body – flavourful but light. The chocolate and coffee notes, while present, did not stick around for long as the relatively light body for an imperial stout meant the flavours dissipated fairly quickly. AJB Are had a low level of bitterness and alcohol heat which meant it tasted more like a roasted stout than a thick imperial stout. The finish flavours were a mix of chocolate, coffee, and some caramel but again, they did not linger for long.
AJB Are : The Bottom Line
AJB Are is a nice beer but a bit light on the body and aromas for my liking for an imperial stout.
AJB Are : Where to Buy
AJB Are can be bought online at the following places:
