The Carpenter’s Mikan Ale
Baird Brewing Company / Fishmarket Taproom

The CarpenterÂ’s Mikan AleThe CarpenterÂ’s Mikan Ale
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From:
Baird Brewing Company / Fishmarket Taproom
 
Japan
Style:
Fruit and Field Beer
ABV:
7%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.87 | pDev: 12.14%
Reviews:
21
Ratings:
40
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 15, 2018
Added:
Mar 01, 2005
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  4
This year (2006) marks the sixth annual release of The Carpenter’s Mikan Ale. As the name suggests, it is an ale made with fresh mikans (a tangerine-like Japanese fruit). We receive the mikans as a gift from the Heda orchard of our carpenter friend, partner and mentor – Mitsuo Nagakura. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he is the complete embodiment of the dedicated, uncompromising and passionate Japanese craftsmen whom we so respect and whom we strive to emulate. The Carpenter’s Mikan Ale is our modest attempt to pay tribute to Nagakura-san as well as to all great Japanese craftsmen.

The 2006 Carpenter’s Mikan Ale is both piquantly tart and satiatingly sweet. Loads of freshly peeled and crushed mikans (70 Kg in this 500 liter batch) are added to the wort at the completion of boiling. The beer is dry-hopped in the conditioning tank with additions of the citrusy American hop Cascade. The beer has a fairly high original gravity (15.7 Plato) and thus sports a sneakingly potent alcohol punch (approximately 6.1% by volume).
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.5 by mpenske from California

Nov 15, 2018
 
Rated: 3.88 by shelby415 from Oregon

Sep 03, 2018
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Reviewed by metter98 from New York

3.66/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
A: The beer is hazy dark yellowish amber in color and has large clumps of yeast visible near the bottom of the glass. It poured with a quarter finger high white head that only slightly died down, consistently leaving a short head covering the surface.
S: Light aromas of fruity yeast are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell, but has added notes of pale and caramel malts and hints of tangerines (which I presume must be the mikans).
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I'm not sure this beer changes as it ages in transit, but it reminds me a lot like an English Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle
Feb 19, 2017
Photo of biboergosum
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

3.57/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
330ml bottle - another fruited-up ale, this time with an exotic (but just local to the actual brewer) form of citrus.

This beer pours a hazy, medium copper amber colour, with three fingers of puffy, rocky, and mildly bubbly ecru head, which leaves some streaky and sudsy lace around the glass as it gently subsides.

It smells of bready and doughy caramel malt, musty yeast, faint tangerine and generic stone fruit notes, a bit of earthy honey, some tame estery florals, and a suggestion of acetone-leaning booziness. The taste is semi-sweet, grainy and bready caramel malt, laid-back muddled citrus flesh, a further overripe apple and pair fruitiness, well-steeped herbal and black tea, and a still lurking, but yet to show itself alcohol warming.

The carbonation is quite thorough in its palate-coating frothiness, the body a decent middleweight, and mostly smooth, with a small creaminess arising as things warm up a tad. It finishes well off-dry, the complex-seeming malt not seeing much lingering activity from any of the fruity characters.

Overall, the mikan additions more or less get lost in the fruity mire, and then in the general weakness of said mire. Perhaps that this one was packaged almost 10 months ago, and we only got it this week, might explain some of it, but as it stands, this is just a plain pale ale (notwithstanding the ably integrated 7 points of wowee sauce).
Aug 16, 2016
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Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.02/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a cloudy peach nectar color with a very impressive head that sticks nicely and leaves a few strands behind

Smell: Bread and caramel, a blend of stone fruit and citrus tones, with an herbal tea character underneath

Taste: Wheat bread and a touch of caramel to build the base; through the middle, the interplay between the stone fruit and citrus flavors build; the finish is primarily fruity, but the herbal tea element lingers in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: To my knowledge, I have never encountered a mikan but I am glad so many of the previous reviewers appear to have some familiarity with the fruit; I just realized that this bottle contains beer that was brewed in late 2014 so I would be very interested to taste a fresher version down the road; despite the age, I rather enjoyed it
Aug 08, 2016
 
Rated: 3.33 by Evil_Pidde from Sweden

Mar 31, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by whatsajessica from California

Feb 27, 2016
 
Rated: 2.5 by ThisSeasonsWaifu from Sweden

Feb 26, 2016
Photo of CrazyDavros
Reviewed by CrazyDavros from Australia

2.84/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pours hazy amber with a large white head.
Nose shows soft sweet malt and banana. Very subtle.
Flavours include a soft tangy note, some grainy malt and cardboard characters.
Aug 07, 2015
 
Rated: 3.63 by brotherloco from California

Aug 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.84 by gspeer711 from California

Jul 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by ivyman from Massachusetts

Sep 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by afsdan from Colorado

Jun 15, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by GarthT from Hong Kong

Apr 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Hardcore from Hawaii

Aug 20, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by virinow from New York

Jul 23, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by YamagamiTravis from Canada (BC)

Feb 10, 2013
Photo of atigerlife
Reviewed by atigerlife from Hawaii

4.42/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Pours a yellow-orange with small carbonation rising. 2-finger creamy white fluffy head on top that has good lasting power.

Aroma of hops, tangerine & grapefruit.

Taste of tangerine, honey, orange and some nice malt backbone. Tons of yeast at the bottom of the bottle.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and cleansing.

Overall, a very drinkable, sessionable beer. Really enjoyed this one. Highly recommended.
Jan 13, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by jklecko2 from California

Oct 30, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by esdeebrew from Kentucky

Oct 25, 2012
The Carpenter’s Mikan Ale from Baird Brewing Company / Fishmarket Taproom
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 40 ratings