Yebisu Black Beer - Sapporo Breweries Ltd.

hunteraw

China

3.25/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Purchased at a Shanghai supermarket. I was impressed with Yebisu's "The Hop" and thought I would give this "black beer" a shot.

Appearance: Pleasant dark leather in color, clear with red tints. One finger khaki head with modest retention.

Smell: Aroma is less roast, and more vegetable. Faint hints of coffee.

Taste: Flavor is better than the aroma, reminiscent of a schwarzbier. Caramel, roast, and coffee but lager-clean.

Mouthfeel & Drinkability: Medium body, mild carbonation. On the whole, not nearly as good a beer as The Hop. Moderately drinkable.

Serving type: can

01-10-2009 06:40:58 | More by hunteraw

Norseman

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -21.7%

04-18-2013 01:04:17 | More by Norseman

weerezboy

Washington

3/5  rDev -14.5%

03-06-2013 21:49:09 | More by weerezboy

pin

Australia

2.5/5  rDev -28.8%

01-02-2013 03:06:28 | More by pin

YamagamiTravis

Japan

3.75/5  rDev +6.8%

11-03-2012 02:23:58 | More by YamagamiTravis

shigg85

Japan

4.03/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at the Yebisu Museum in Ebisu, Tokyo. Poured into a half-pint glass. No transparency at all with a thick beige creamy head. Head is delicious and flavored like coffee. Roasted coffee dominates the scent as well. The taste is a bit watery but still palatable. Very bitter like iced coffee. Beautiful scattered ring lacing around the glass. Overall, a wonderful black lager especially if you are looking for a coffee-influenced taste.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2012 04:26:59 | More by shigg85

JohnQVD

New York

4/5  rDev +14%

06-03-2012 16:33:31 | More by JohnQVD

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.83/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a glass goblet. About a half finger of head on top of a black body. The head faded pretty quickly.

Smells of hay and grain, lots of it.

It has a good roasted malt taste throughout. There's some burnt taste too. It ends with a good bitterness.

Smooth and medium body, low carbonation. Fits nicely with the flavor.

A tasty black lager.

Serving type: can

04-28-2012 01:17:00 | More by Fatehunter

smi

New York

2.75/5  rDev -21.7%

04-06-2012 22:28:59 | More by smi

OregonMicrobrew

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

02-19-2012 23:53:08 | More by OregonMicrobrew

mdvatab

Indiana

3.58/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Ordered a bottle at Tori Gin restaurant in Nagoya Japan. Was relieved to see something on the menu other than Asahi or Kirin.

A: Whole wheat bread, dark roasted malt (a combo of molasses, brown sugar, and light smoke). Also, a faint herbal hop note. Not bad.

A: Pours dark brown with a tinge of ruby, and a foamy, 3 finger light tan head. This does not look like the Japanese beers I`m used to, and that`s a good thing!

F: Maltiness comes through again with a touch of molasses and whole wheat bread, but sweetness is relatively dry and muted. A slight tartness is noticeable (likely some astringency from the dark malt). The beer has a nice, moderate hoppy bitterness that comes in toward the middle, and hangs on for a little while.

M: Medium mouthfeel with crisp, medium-high carbonation.

O: Again, if it comes down to either ordering the standard Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo golden lagers or this one, I`m choosing this all day long. Definitely not one that would be my beer of choice back in the states, but I applaud the effort by Sapporo to market a darker beer. Now, if only demand for this kind of product would increase so the other big brewers came out with similar products!

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 13:27:58 | More by mdvatab

cdwil

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

12-30-2011 17:46:09 | More by cdwil

SargeC

Japan

3/5  rDev -14.5%

12-30-2011 10:56:22 | More by SargeC

OsakaRedbeard

Japan

5/5  rDev +42.5%

12-10-2011 14:39:56 | More by OsakaRedbeard

eye2

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Favorite Japanese beer.

A: Black/DarkBrown put still opaque. Almost no head.

S: Not much smell.

T: It has a taste. Slightly bitter and pleasing.

M: High carbonation and refreshing. Makes you happy to be out and about.

O: Overall, it's not super great. But it's probably the most tasty & refreshing native beer in Japan that you can drink all day at the park or just walking around.

Serving type: can

12-07-2011 00:32:15 | More by eye2

nickfl

Florida

4/5  rDev +14%

11-16-2011 06:01:32 | More by nickfl

dbaker61

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nov. 25, 2010 brew date, best by July 25, 2011.
Enjoyed slightly chilled.

Appearance: Dark brown-black, reddish glow when held up to a bright light. Plenty of thick, tan foam, about three fingers worth. Good retention, leaving little bits of lacing and a bubbly ring.

Smell: Roast malt, hint of chocolate and sweet malt.

Taste: Nice roast malt flavor, not as full flavored as porters. Bitterness coming from hops and roast malt. Good balance between malt sweetness and the bitterness, with the bitterness winning out.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Dry bitter finish. Low carbonation.

Overall: Fine Japanese attempt at the dark Euro style. Quite drinkable. I will be having this again.

Serving type: can

05-13-2011 13:44:34 | More by dbaker61

xylophonica

Australia

3.43/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from what I think is a 350ml can into a tulip.

A - Jet black, slight hint of purpley-brown when held in the right light. Little or no head to speak of... but this is from a can.

S - Sweet toffee and caramel. Hint of honey & wheat as well.

T - Fairly smooth - minimal carbonation. Strong malt sensation with heaps of roasted flavours. Big, rich, dark-sugary tastes with some coffee as well.

M - As above the carbonation is fairly mild however it does have a slight aftertaste which is dominated by the bitter-coffee sensation.

O - Not a terrible example of the style. I think if you could get this on tap and it was just a little bit creamier it would be a damn fine beer. As it is, it's pleasant enough.

Serving type: can

03-22-2011 09:24:18 | More by xylophonica

soju6

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-Tap at the Yebisu Beer Museum in Tokyo.

A: Served a virtual black color with a good tan head with some lacing.

S: Aroma is a mixture of Caramel and Coffee mixed in with roasted malt.

T: Nice roasted malt flavor with a bit of caramel and coffee.

F: Faily full body with a smooth creamy feel.

D: Easy drinker, good for a few. One of my first choices when I find it available while traveling in Japan.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2011 13:37:39 | More by soju6

eric5bellies

Australia

4.05/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Drank from my Achel Chalice.

A - This beer pours a dark ebony colour with a coffee colour head that retains well.

S - Molassis and brine from the bottle. Once poured takes on a much more roasted aroma.

T - Plenty of roasted malts and molassis, with a hint of chocolate.

M - Full body and medium carbonation makes for a smotth drop

D - Great beer and recommeded

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2010 15:47:15 | More by eric5bellies

jeranbrews

New York

2.1/5  rDev -40.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Going back for the can this time. Why? To document, to warn, to verify it wasn't a fluke.

A - Not bad. Decent Rorschach lacing that disappears like the super hero of the same name.. Somewhat clear dark brown color. Low head of a bone/beige color. The color is the redeeming factor.

S - Oh dear. Gaseous. Aluminum. Like a CO2 action BB gun that needs to be cleaned. Some bits of the hop but not that great. Hard to find the chocolate this time.

T - Mild medicinal flavor. Like when you crunch a pill into powder and mix it with water. Aftertaste is somewhat acidic. I taste some saran wrap plastic in there too. The can wasn't an improvement.

M - Not all that smooth. In Japanese fashion it's a bit loose and watery.

D - Yeah reach for the others when you are in a Japanese supermarket. This was fine when it was the only one on the market but now there are so many better ones both Japanese and imported.

Serving type: can

02-06-2010 16:57:06 | More by jeranbrews

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

3.63/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Coming in a 350ml can, produced in 09/2009, BB 05/2010 (likely unpasteurised); served lightly-chilled in a straight pint glass.

A: pours a nearly black hue with mahogany glows, coming with semi-lively carbonation and a thick, light tan frothy head that retains quite well.
S: pleasantly malty - bitter chocolates, sweet coffee, bitter-sweet black malts, burned black sugar and metallic notes dominate the nose, laced with lighter hints of roast nuts, black prunes and leather-ish+grassy hops. Very pleasant, actually, less roasty than most stouts and rather like a very very dark Dunkel lager or even a less sweet Baltic Porter.
T: surprisingly bitter and dry from the beginning, the foretaste has a soothing black malt theme, followed by semi-earthy hops and dry-ish bitterness, lingering burned walnutty aroma, and a lighter input of black prunes, but in the finish it's the good quality black malts' aftertaste and the bitter edge of caramel that linger the most.
M&D: the carbonation is kept at a "healthy" level, i.e. soft enough and not at all spritzy, while the body remains medium-minus to go well with the refreshing flavour profile. I find this beer more like a slightly more malty, heavier Schwarzbier, which, aided by Sapporo's dry-ish touch and a delicate hop profile, is rendered even more quaffable~~

Serving type: can

12-24-2009 14:48:55 | More by wl0307

capra12

New York

3.93/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed in Hong Kong on 10/15/09 from notes taken.

Appearance: Poured dark honey brown, with a fine and frothy head that dissipates slowly.

Smell: Roasted malts and dark grains.

Taste: Opens with subtle malts, then incomes the roasted malts as those are then over taken by caramel malts and a hint of coffee that lingers in the background leaving a roasted malt and slghtly hoppy aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Rather smooth and dry, light to medium bodied with minimal carbonation.

Drinkability: I would have this again and would recommend this to those who like to try a roasted malt and mildly hoppy "black beer".

Serving type: can

11-05-2009 04:12:17 | More by capra12

JeremyBrews

Japan

2.8/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3

A- Dark caramel color. Weak head that fades immediately. Zero lacing.

S- Rye bread with swamp/bog.

T- Nice initial hop passes the baton to toasted malt and rye bread flavors. Aftertaste is a bit of a salty, soy sauce experience.

M- Medium-light body. Carbonation was way too weak.

D- Overall a very average dark lager. Admittedly, though, I have pulled more of these off the shelves of Japanese convenience stores than any other beer - but this is mostly a testemant to the lack of dark brew options here.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2009 15:37:55 | More by JeremyBrews

taylor714914

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Was given this from a friend

A- Dark in color, not black....almost like a dark redish brown. Pours with about a finger of head that quickly disappears and leave behind virtually no lacing

S- Roasted malts...thats about it.

T- Not really much going on here. It has some dark roasted flavors with some hints of coffee of burnt grains....overall not that impressive

M- Quite thin feeling with average/medium carbonation. A bit watery.

D- Maybe 2, but nothing more than that.

Overall, the beer was quite bland IMO.

Serving type: can

02-13-2009 01:27:40 | More by taylor714914