Yebisu (Premium) - Sapporo Breweries Ltd.

TokyoCO

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Can bought in Japan, poured into a goblet. Served fairly cold.

A: Light golden in color. Very clear, bubbles rising from bottom.

S: Grain, slight hint of hops, light citrus notes as well.

T: Grain, barley, again a light hint of hops. Quite bitter, but maltyness is dominant. Not complex but very refreshing.

M: Light, high carbonation.

O: One of the better macro Japanese beers. Malt forward beer that has great grain notes. It really is refreshing.

Serving type: can

05-23-2013 09:44:05 | More by TokyoCO

TheHammer

Ontario (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Head went out of control on the pour, giving me more then two fingers. It did stick around for a while but lacing was absent. The body has steady carbonation and it's a darker gold colour.

Smell: Roasted grain with a slight floral hop note. It's just not strong enough to make a big play though.

Taste: A little bumpy roasted grain to start that turns sweeter quickly and ends with some floral hops. Not a lot of complexity here, but well done in it's simplicity. Needs a bit more of a kick.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation helps out the entire beer although starts out a little odd and excessive. The transitioning is easy going. A slight floral hop aftertaste also does a good job.

Drinkability: Fairly light, although not quite as light as I'd like it to be. The carbonation keeps on going after it's down, but it's not out of control. Refreshing and there isn't a lot to complain about.

Final Thoughts: I'm finding that the simpler styles of Japanese beer are done well, but not quite well enough to justify their import costs. I mean they solidly thump the macros and a lot of the European import Lagers, but aren't quite as good as local craft offerings. I'd really like to see Sapporo bring some of their other brews over to brew locally. Not sure how they could market it, but I've been a fan.

Serving type: can

05-26-2012 00:45:49 | More by TheHammer

CaptJackHarkness

New York

3.85/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a slightly hazed bright yellow with a thin head of moderate retention. Some spotty lacing to it. Aroma was of clove and citrus. Taste was surprising; crisp with a bready note that shifts intio a tangy citrus flavor: lemony-grapefruit. It reminded me of a spiced wheatbeer. This was served very cold at a local Japanese restaurant; the taste definately improved as it warmed.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 23:39:17 | More by CaptJackHarkness

xylophonica

Australia

3.43/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Please note I had submitted a previous review in error for this beer - that review was actually for the white label Yebisu and has been moved accordingly.

Poured from a 350ml can into a Jupiler signature glass.

A - Clear, pale straw coloured liquid. Mild head on top with some degree of retention.

S - Quite dusty with plenty of dry wheat. Variety of dry-roasted spices coming through as well such as pepper and sage with a hint of some lemon and/or orange.

T - At first smooth but slightly sour. Strong sensation of honey malt lurking there but it doesn't quite mask the sourness. Malty tang isn't quite as prominent as I'd expected - much more subtle. As it's consumed the malt starts to form a coating and the sourness becomes more obviously citric in nature. Definitely some sweeter lemon & lime flavours emerging later.

M - Plenty of sourness and malt to keep the tastebuds alive. Overall it's nothing that intriguing - sourness lingers probably a touch too long.

O - This is the fourth Yebisu brew I've tried and I'm finding that my first drop (the black) is likely to remain my favourite. Similar in some ways to the white label beer but with little to distinguish it as "Premium". It's a basic export lager with some ok flavour combinations.

Serving type: can

04-22-2012 08:22:56 | More by xylophonica

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a crystal clear yellow with light amounts of visible carbonation. The head is just a thin layer of white bubbles and dissipates immediately. Very minimal amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Aromas are of sweet adjunct malts (primarily corn and grain). Very mild aroma overall.

T: The flavor matches the smell, adjunct malts (corn and grain), some sweetness, and a slight bitterness on the finish.

M: Light bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slight hint of dryness in the finish.

O: Nothing special but not bad... probably would describe it as average for the style. Easy to drink and could be a session beer but personally I don't want to have a lot of this beer (I would save my time/money for something I enjoyed more).

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 15:38:02 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

3.18/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: The beer is clear yellow in color. It poured with a moderate sized head consisting of big bubbles that never completely faded away and left some lacing along with a thick ring on the surface around the edge of the glass.
S: There are sweet aromas of adjunct malts in the nose—corn seems to stand out in particular along with some notes of grain.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and has flavors of corn along with notes of grainy malts. There is a bit of initial sweetness.
M: It feels light-bodied on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. The finish leaves a good amount of dryness in your mouth.
O: This beer is easy to drink but the taste isn’t overly special. It’s not that bad compared to some of the other beers in the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 15:02:07 | More by metter98

shigg85

Japan

3.53/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Yebisu is one of my favorite canned beers to drink simply because the malty flavor carries through even packaged in such a medium. Often, canned beers lose so much of their magic that is normally found in bottles or especially via tap (take Guinness as a perfect example). However, as far as canned beer goes, Yebisu is amazing. Full of malt, wheat-flavored with a bit of citrus in the aftertaste, this beer goes particularly well with things like Korean BBQ or curry with some spice. I often pour it into a glass, and any pilsner or tulip style glass will do, depending on how much head you want on it. The only negative side to this canned version that does not bother me when it comes from the tap is the excess gas in the beer that translates to some nasty burps. I've had Yebisu in all forms (even from the brewery in Ebisu, Tokyo), and this only seems to happen when I drink it from the can. However, since that does affect my overall image of the beer, I do have to stick with this ranking for now. If you have a chance to have it from the tap, I would recommend it, as it easily would rank a 4+.

Serving type: can

02-06-2012 04:47:03 | More by shigg85

Everydayoff

Thailand

3.6/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

350ml can poured into a pils glass by freshness date.

A:
Slight hazy golden yellow in color with one finger white velvety head with moderate retention, it leaves some stickiness lacing, high visible carbonation.

S:
The smell consists of aromatic floral hop, slight herbal and earthy yet a bit spice, light biscuit malt, dry grain and lemony zest.

T:
Subtle sweetness from biscuity malt with moderate bitterness from hop to unite, fruity and citrus zest reveal to make cascade layer of flavors. Aftertaste is mingled by hop bitterness along with zesty citrus and slight sweetness.

M:
The body is light with good crispness from lively carbonation lending a refreshing yet smooth mouth feel. Finish is clean and dry.

O:
Clean and go down well easy either drinking it alone or pairing with some foods, high drinkability.

Serving type: can

01-22-2012 18:07:20 | More by Everydayoff

pettis

Japan

3.88/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Looks pretty much like any fizzy, golden-yellow beer. The head lacks density, though, and thins out quickly before disappearing

Grass, grain, and a little bit of citrusy hop zest in the nose. Dry, grassy, malty, with just enough Saaz-like hop spice and a nice, lingering hop bitterness on the tongue.

Dry, crisp, and refreshing, with a strong-enough malt body to keep it interesting for an easy-drinking pilsner. Hands-down my favorite mass-produced Japanese beer.

Serving type: can

11-04-2011 07:42:40 | More by pettis

dgilks

Australia

3.53/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear goldenc olour with a smooth, foamy white head. Fair head retention.

Crisp, grainy aroma with a herbal, grassy hop note.

Light, crisp malt with some carbonic bite. Quite bitter.

Medium-light body with moderately-high carbonation. Good.

A crisp, clean, bitter lager. While it's nothing special it is nice and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 09:53:17 | More by dgilks

Gobzilla

California

3.35/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: poured a translucent golden yellow in color with a thin head and left a little lacing sticking to the glass.

S: very grainy aroma upfront alongside sweetness from the malts hints of citrus and spice as well.

T: the malty sweetness dominated the taste with some mild citrus, spice accents and a variety of grainy bready flavors.

M: the brew was medium in body with a moderate amount of carbonation which had a sweet, mild citrusy, grainy, and crisp finish.

D: was a decent dortmunder that was drinking really good and went really well paired with some yakitori and sushi.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 04:25:37 | More by Gobzilla

Yoonisaykul

Quebec (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Mom brought this back from Japan for me.
Hoping for the best (that it tastes better than Sapporo Premium for one)

A- Crystal clear slighlty caramely gold. Decent amount of dirty white head.

S- I can already tell it's not as dirty as Sapporo Premium. Still, a lot of the same aromas in here. Sweet grain, burnt cream of wheat. I'm very thirsty so the ''beer'' smell is pulling me in but there's nothing really appealling in here. Some cream soda which is kind of nice.

T- Seems like I'm getting some nice lime and a bit of grapefruit from the hops which is nice. Nothing too dirty. Slight grapefruit rind bitterness. Taste is much better than smell.

M- Strange how it's kind of a two parter: thin in the front, full towards the back. High carbonation.

D- Quite good. Refreshing. Some nice hoppy flavors but a little dirtiness too.

About as good as I expected which is just a bit better than Sapporo Premium. I would buy it again if I found it for the same price or cheaper as other similar tasting german or Czech imports we get in dépanneurs here (Bitburger, Konig, Wernesgruner.

Serving type: can

01-30-2011 05:31:50 | More by Yoonisaykul

chefelf

New York

3.13/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I ordered this one at a sushi restaurant because it was the only "beer" on the list that I had never tried. Granted, it was a very short list. I'm not sure if this is even beer as I am very leery when they refer to the drink as "malt beverage."

That being said it was fine. There was something strange in the taste just as the beer hit my lips. Almost like a wet dog smell.

Overall it was fine. Totally average and went well with dinner.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2011 05:20:48 | More by chefelf

soju6

Missouri

3.83/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-Tap at the Yebisu Beer Museum in Tokyo.

A: Dark golden color with a decent head that fades to some lacing.

S: has a sweet roasted malt aroma with a hint of spice.

T: Roaste malt flavor with a nice touch of bitterness. has a clean finish.

F: Light body, quite smooth.

Drinkable brew. Nice change from the standard Japanese beers. Worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2011 12:56:13 | More by soju6

gfreed

Massachusetts

1.25/5  rDev -63.3%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

I had this while waiting for a plane at Narita airport outside of Tokyo. The only thing good about this beer is that it helped me twiddle away an hour while sitting at the bar. I guess the glass was nice, too: it was clean and had no scratches. And the coaster on the bar was round and white and pleasant to look at. And... uh... well... hmmm... the bartender was courteous.

Everything else about this lager was terrible: wet-rope aroma, burned veggie taste, sour aftertaste, flat body. Sadly for me, this was the last thing I consumed before leaving Japan. Blech. To be avoided at all costs.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2010 00:22:15 | More by gfreed

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

3.33/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle poured in a chalice.

Good Lager. Better than the previous Sapporo Premium that I've had.

A: Clear golden-yellow color with a huge white head which dissipates quickly leaving no lacings at all
S: Nice smell of malts
T: Good taste of malts with a balanced bitterness
M: Very light body and medium carbonation
D: Good

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2010 15:00:35 | More by eduardolinhalis

charlzm

California

3/5  rDev -12%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Consumed April 23rd, 2010.

Drank from a bottle so cannot comment on appearance.

Aroma is dead typical for the Asian lagers I have had. Clean, ricey, grainy with a slight alcohol component. Despite this beer's claimed all malt ingredients, I call rice.

Flavor is exactly as you would expect from a Japanese lager - clean, crisp, almost like barely-flavored water. Almost no flavor at all, actually. A slight biscuity trace then thin, inoffensively lingering hop bitterness on the finish.

Mouthfeel is somewhat dry, though not parching by any means. Sudsy.

Is this really one of the best Japanese lagers? Won't be seeking this one out for another round again.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2010 21:40:21 | More by charlzm

Boneheadmx

California

3.98/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours out to a copper with a small head that subsides quickly into a half-finger head.

Smell is sweet, hops are very very faint to nonexistent.

Taste was rather surprising. Very sweet, lightly malty beer with a pretty clean finish. Hops are very light and do not overpower the taste.

Mouthfeel is much better than your run of the mill macro. Much less carbonation and thicker consistency make the beer quite enjoyable.

Drinkability is pretty high on this one due to its lightness. I'm quite surprised by what I thought would be just your average lager!

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2010 03:08:44 | More by Boneheadmx

plaid75

New York

3.65/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a dark straw hue with a one and a half finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a moderately doughy malt and fresh grassy hop.

The taste consisted of a clean cereal malt with a bright balancing hop.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style with a moderate carbonation.

Overall a pleasant and easy to drink lager.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2010 16:26:38 | More by plaid75

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Coming in a 350ml can, produced in 09/2009, BB 05/2010, served lightly-chilled in a straight pilsner glass.

A: pours a dark yellow-ish straw hue, coming with semi-lively streams of small- and large-sized bubbles and a thin layer of white pillowy head.
S: actually the nose resembles Helles and Pilsener by 50-50, that the floral hints of hops come on a par with a lightly sweet and doughy sourness and rather clean grainy malts. A swirl highlights the maltiness with an additional touch of cream, but only just. Not bad.
T: the mildly-flavoured swallow of semi-grainy malts quickly gives way to an intensifying flow of floral hop bitterness and, along with it, a pleasantly dry undertone. In line with the tradition of Sapporo beers, this lager finishes really dry, thus making it more like a German Pilsener than a Helles lager. Plus, the malt flavour remains restrained throughout the drink, while in the end an interesting salty edge skirts the dry-ish touch, rendering a quaffable and inviting finish in each sip.
M&D: lightly carbonated, light-bodied, the flavour profile gears towards the dry and bitter side of hops not unlike the German Pilsener style. I once tried the bottle version and to my best collection this canned version is not too different - all in all a pretty decently-made dry lager.

Serving type: can

12-23-2009 18:11:11 | More by wl0307

SargeC

Japan

3.85/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Clear golden brew with a foamy white head.

Smell: Bold malt presence with a good hop profile. Clean.

Taste: Sweet malt with a semi-bitter hop finish. Good attention to detail in this brew. Consistently good.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Dry finish. Good consistency.

Drinkablity: Very well crafted all-malt beer. Deserves a place alongside the world's great beers.

Serving type: can

12-20-2009 05:14:53 | More by SargeC

MisterClean

California

2.75/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

GF purchased while in Japan this summer.

A - Pours golden with 1.5 fingers of head, and dissipates moderately slow. No lacing.

S - Honey and DMS.

T - Honey, bittering hops, and DMS.

M - Full-bodied, well balanced, and slightly bitter.

D - Overall, doesn't compare to most dortmunders I've tried, but is drinkable in comparison to the adjunct lagers in the states. The bitterness and DMS content is a little much for the style and there is a lack of malt complexity. Will pass on further yebisus.

Serving type: can

10-20-2009 04:56:06 | More by MisterClean

Halcyondays

California

3.1/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a gold yellow with a light white head, fair retention, standard pale lager look.

S: Some bready malt and husky grain, but not a huge nose by any means.

T: Lighter flavour than I expected out of the all-malt label. Good pilsner-style malt, soft noble hop flavour but light.

M: This was good. Medium-bodied for the style, with a nice creamy mouthfeel, well done.

D: I've certainly had better Dortmunders, this was a bit of a letdown. Had it with some Chinese food and it seemed to work there.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2009 20:16:02 | More by Halcyondays

LittleCreature

Australia

3.63/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - 3.0
Poured a finger of bubbly off-white head over a golden body with considerable chill-haze.

Smell - 3.5
A clean and pleasant aroma that is malty sweet and slightly floral, but balanced with spicy hops.

Taste - 3.5
You can tell that this is an all-malt lager; it is slightly sweeter but much richer and more full-bodied than your run of the mill pale lager. A clean taste of grain, caramel, faint fruit, and finishes with a dry, spicy bitterness

Mouthfeel - 4.0
Fine and lively carbonation give a smooth mouthfeel.

Drinkability - 4.0
A great summer's session beer.

OVERALL 3.5
If it weren't for the price ($4.99 per bottle) this would likely be a frequent summer purchase for me. Unfortunately I am reviewing this on a cold autumn's day, it would be better appreciated (and possibly have scored higher) in summer.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2009 09:13:36 | More by LittleCreature

beerorRIP

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured from a bottle to a clear pint glass: yields a think one finger head that reduces quickly to a thin layer of foam. the body is super clear, and straw yellow with some tiny bubbles lazily heading for the top. didn't notice much lace.

smells like a bit of hops, and then cereal-like grains. a bit of a sweet smell, but not much else. simple and non-offensive.

the taste has a nice bit of herbal hops, followed by some nice sweet malts. not too much in complexity, but well done and tasty. the bitterness is nice since it's hop bitterness, not lack of malt and astringent bitter.

not super carbonated like you might expect if you've had beer from this country before. the body is medium-light, as it's not as thin as other lager-type beer. the carbonation does tickle the tongue nicely.

easy to drink and light enough that throwing a few back isn't any kind of issue. perfect with those japanese dishes. a welcome replacement for the bad sake at a hibachi restaurant or sushi bar.

i was in japan and did try and find a whole bunch of beers, and recall this one being the best of the bunch. too bad it's rather pricey stateside.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2009 23:30:55 | More by beerorRIP