Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
We start the Portland beer reviews with YPA from Shimai Toshi which means Sister City in Japanese. They focus on Yuzu which has flavors of Meyer lemon, mandarin, and grapefruit.
Time to try their Hazy Yuzu…
YPA isn’t hazy hazy. Great citrus aroma and very bright. It has a hoppy burst up front that fades into softness. A bit of piney bitterness lingers.
I like to see beer styles get a little reinvigorated. Blonde ale is one that fits the bill and Claremont Craft Ales has obliged by drying out their new summer release and adding yuzu as well.
Now this is a brewery that I need to sample from. Baird is a Japanese brewery that has some really unusual ingredients in their beers. Yuzu in particular goes great with spicy saison in my mind.
For instance:
Temple Garden Yuzu Ale
“The spicy aroma and tart flavor of Japanese yuzu fruit, picked at a local temple garden, define this other-worldly brew. A luscious kiss of malt sweetness serves as a wonderful balance to the citric tang. This inspired ale surely is proof of the existence of a higher being.”
ABV 5.5%
Shizuoka Summer Mikan Ale
“Brewed with fresh Shizuoka summer mikans (natsumikans) and citrusy American hops, this original ale is aromatic, effervescent, dryly acidic and unabashedly refreshing.”
ABV 5.5%