Tasting Notes: Sapporo: Yebisu – The Hop

Sapporo: Yebisu – The Hop (Japan: Pale Lager: 5.5% abv)

Visual: Bright light banana yellow with a small white frothy head on the fizzy body.

Nose: Banana, malt and light hops.

Body: Malt, then slow building hoppiness. Pineapple, ice-cream. Fizzy and some banana. Mix of lagers smoothness and light IPA hops.

Finish: Light bitter hops, pineapple, vanilla. Gets slightly rough towards the end of the pint.

Conclusion: A nice mix of lager drinkablility and ale hops. If has the oft found problem of being just slightly too fizzy but the degree of flavour it brings into the lager style helps make up for it. The extra bit of hops is distinctly welcome.

I’d say with less fizz it would be a fine competitor to the 77 lager and the like. As it is it’s a nice malty beer with a slightly sub par finish, but still a decent enough drink.

Not as premium a beer as it claims, but not bad.