Beer
Four craft Japanese beers found in Hong Kong Citysuper
Abashiri Okhotsk Blue Draft, ABV 5%, Happoshu, Japan
Definitely a better showing than last time. Just like the one I had last year, the beer is blue, opaque, and musty. It pours with a very thick head but recedes quite quickly. The nose is a bit more fragrant and I smell plenty of blueberries, fresh cut grass, marine water, seaweed and rice. Palate still quite thin as it lacks structure. In fact, it tastes like carbonated seawater. Somewhat sweet on the attack, the flavor profile then evolves with more mineral notes, along with berries, rice and malts. Finish, albeit short, is clean and linear. Easy quaffer and not much complexity to speak of. Points given for the novelty in color. 78
Abashiri White Ale, ABV 4.5%, Witbier, Japan
This is not the whitest of white ales. The beer pours an opaque, somewhat musky golden orange color with a thin head that dissipates rather quickly. On the nose, the beer has enough of a malt and wheat profile to convince me this is a witbier. However, there are a lot of other funky notes within, such as coriander, orange peel, grass and brown sugar. This is by no means a typical white ale like Blue Moon is. On the palate, carbonation is very fine and the structure is silky smooth. Structure is a bit lacking and the beer is a tad watery in texture. Flavor-wise, the wheat and malt characteristics come to the fore, which are supported by gentle spice, cinnamon, orange zest and floral esters. The finish is a combination of malty sweetness and hoppy astringency. Certainly better than the Blue Draft, but by no means the best I have had of this style. 81
Orion Breweries Craft Series Ryukyu Session, ABV 4.5%, Session IPA (?), Japan
Is this supposed to be an IPA? I cannot tell as the nose surely does not indicate so. The brew pours a deep golden, almost amber color with a thick, creamy white head that sticks around for quite a while. On the nose, there is barely any hoppiness and the beer frankly smells more like a lager, if not a pilsner. That said, it is very fresh and boasts a bouquet of malts, rice, fresh cut grass, citrus peel, hay and bread. I suppose that is attributed to the fact the beer is not treated by heat. The structure is very creamy and the effervescence is fine. Flavor-wise, the beer is first sweet then bitter. I do not detect much hops however. Rather, it has the typical Japanese rice lager characteristic, supplemented by notes of wheat and bread. Finish is surprisingly long, with a bready characteristic to boot. While I may disagree that this is an IPA by any means, it is a fine Japanese lager for sure. Good stuff. 85
Echigo Flying IPA, ABV 5.5%, American IPA, Japan
Pouring an amber golden color with a generous amount of head, this is a much better IPA showing. Though the head recedes rather quickly, it leaves behind delicate rings of lacing. On the nose, the IPA is steely, clean and funky. Notes of surgical steel, leather, soil, tropical fruits and pineapples line the core. A very interesting nose indeed. Structure-wise, the beer boasts a generous mouth feel and very fine, almost creamy bubbles. Just like the nose, the palate is just as funky. Though somewhat sweet, it is dominated by yeast, roasted malts and pineapples. There are plenty of tertiary characteristics in this. Finish is just as malty as it is astringent. This is a very interesting IPA, and one that is a far cry from the usual styles found in the States. Enjoyable and more along the lines of a winter brew. 89
Sake
Kubota Junmai Daiginjo "30 Year Anniversary" 【久保田： 30周年記念酒（純米大吟醸）】(ABV 15%, Seimai-buai 50%, Brewed in 2015-09), Niigata Prefecture
This brewery behind the Kubota brand, Asahi, is probably more famous for its beer rather than its sake. Nonetheless, this is no slouch. Brewed with 100% Gohyaku-mangoku rice (五百万石) from Niigata Prefecture (新潟県), this commemorative version of the flagship daiginjo pours an off-white, clear color with a yellowish tinge. The legs, surprisingly, are somewhat on the thin side. Although the nose is not that concentrated, it is still rather fragrant. Floral in stature, the bouquet consists primarily of white flowers, melons, white grapes, nail polish and fermented rice. The structure, silky and chewy, lacks the voluptuousness for which I am fond of. Nonetheless, the balance between acidity and sweetness is on point, thus contributing to the sake's complexity. The palate is just like the nose and boasts plenty of cantaloupe, lychee and rice koji. Finish is of considerable length and complexity. Though the sake lacks refinement and generosity, this is not bad for the price. Very enjoyable for a light-style easy quaffer. 88
Wine
2008 Chateau Clerc Milon, Pauillac, Bordeaux
The wine is popped and aired but not decanted. This is a classic, Cabernet-dominated Pauillac through and through. It pours a deep ruby, inky purple color with medium legs and a fair bit of sediment. On the nose, the wine is concentrated, structured and precise. Classic Pauillac bouquet as well, consisting mostly of graphite, black fruits, burnished leather, sous bois, cassis and spice. With a decent amount of age now, the tannins are silken and the palate is pliable and generous. However, while the nose is great, the flavor profile lacks conviction. Boasting primarily of blackberries, damp earth and graphite, it is somewhat thin. Oak usage is moderate. Finish is of modest length. This is drinking well now and probably close to peak soon. While this is a decent effort, it has a terrible price-quality ratio. 88
N.V. Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Champagne Brut, Reims, Champagne
Popped and poured, the wine exhibits a golden straw hue with lively, energetic effervescence and somewhat thin legs. Bubbles are fine, vibrant and delicate. On the nose, the champagne is very precise, though somewhat muted. Comprising a mixture of 40% pinot noir and 60% chardonnay, the wine yields of bouquet of lemon zest, sugarcane, sour green apples, toasted almonds, bready yeasts and copious amounts of minerals. It smells precise and direct. On the palate, the champagne is quite acidic and dry. The mineral backbone is so brazen that it rasps the entry. With that said, it provides a definite structure and distinct cut to the champagne. As chardonnay predominates, the flavor profile, consisting primarily of citrus, fresh cut grass, shellfish, wet stones and steel, is more piercing than expansive. Finish is of reasonable length and complexity as the champagne ends in a smoky kick. For the pedigree, this is a solid effort. It is most akin to a carbonated, non-oaked Chablis. That said, more balance would yield higher marks. But this is more of an issue of personal choice than production quality. 88