Lake Towada Bitter

After four-and-half years of living in Japan, I am packing up my futon and heading back to the US of A. It’s been a good run, but I’m finished. My internet access is being shut off on the 12th of January. I leave the Land of the Rising Sun on the 23rd.  I wanted to get one more review while I still have a reliable connection and before I’m reduced to wardriving on the left side of the road for access to the intertubes.

About the only previous experience I have had with “bitter” is my ex-husband. BA-DOMP, SHISSSHHH! Actually, I’ve had bitters and just not realized it.  Hello! Can! of! Boddingtons!  And why is a bitter not bitter? That stout that I reviewed last time was more bitter than the bitter I had tonight. Oh, why don’t you beer people tell me this stuff? Well, they do. The tour guide I spoke with in Cairns Australia said “Victoria Bitter is all right, but there’s better stuff.”

And the better stuff category should very well include this nicely done Lake Towada Bitter. 350ml, 5% ABV.  This premium or strong bitter is bottled in the same fashion as the aforementioned Lake Towada Stout – in a brown bottle with a pretty blue label and that hybrid pull-cap thingy on top.

Pulling off the cap and pouring the beer, my first thought was “This beer sure smells nice.”  A sort of laid-back beeriness about it,  attractive and approachable.

My pour was an opaque coppery-brown with a light brown foamy head.  A nice bouquet of toasty malt with ruby grapefruit and lemon overtones and a the smell of clean t-shirts,  (this is a good thing, trust me) when the glass was given the old sniff-test.  Much more pleasant to sniff than dirty t-shirts (or socks)! The nose had an appropriate bit of hops overseeing the whole affair.

Mouthfeel was clean and dry, maybe just a touch too watery at the front.  Taste was toasty malt with a hint of mineral perhaps a suggestion of cinnamon in there, and gently citrusy fruitiness that offset the almost-sweet malt. No weird aftertaste or feel present and it felt nicely weighted – not too light and not too heavy.

Typical of bitters is low carbonation and this beer certainly was lightly carbonated. I felt that it flattened out a little too quickly but it may have been related to my inattentive pour which sloshed the beer around a little more than it probably should have been. A smidgen more fizz would have been nice, but the beer certainly wasn’t slouching around and was not flabby or too soft.

I really liked the level of toast to the malt, which seemed to be evenhanded and thoughtfully done. The hops were present in an appropriate amount,and although I felt like something felt like it was missing or withheld, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.  Whatever that missing piece was, it wasn’t a showstopper.No big whoop there.

Lake Towada Bitter is a beer that is  easily drinkable and enjoyably so. I’m usually a one bottle person, but after finishing this beer, I wanted another, which is something that doesn’t happen often. This beer would be terrific with pretzels (soft or hard) or a basket of well-salted fries, but I really just wanted another all on its own, no foodstuff tagging along on the second date.

However, at almost six dollars a bottle with the current exchange rate (curse you, strong Yen and damn you, weak American Dollar) I had to content myself with one for this go around.

TMI: I got the burps after finishing this beer for some reason. Surprisingly though, I was like “Hey, still tastes good!”

All in all, a highly sessionable winner that makes me go “Yay! I”d like another one!” *

Kampai!

*if only they didn’t cost six bucks.