Tasting Notes: Hakusekikan: Super Vintage Ale

Hakusekikan: Super Vintage Ale (Japan: Barley Wine: 14.3% ABV)

Visual: Dark sweet, glace cherries red. Nearly no head, sultry smooth pour into the thin glass.

Nose: Very strong cherries, hops and liquorice. Touch of coffee.

Body: Rich fruit cake, cherry, slick yet chewy. Heavy plums, sweet and fruity. Port.

Finish: Charred touches, chocolate, malt. Burning alcohol. Fruit and nut chocolate bar. Absolutely wonderful. Dry hops around a dark bitter core. Coffee.

Conclusion: The best Japanese beer of the trip, and in fact that I have had, and beyond that a fine kick in the world beer stakes with this smooth and yet potently powerful beverage.

Happily sits with the top barley wines, easy going despite its initial force, port and wine influences making it rich and distinguished, then continues on into a bitter chocolate end. This one beats out Thomas hardy (just) on the barley wine stakes and just keeps rolling on.

What was to be my last Nihon beer, but even though that turned out not be so, still the best and a suitable end to a fine nights drinking.