Australian Craft Beer • オーストラリアの地ビール

I had a great Christmas back in Darwin at the end of 2009. While I was there, I wasted no time checking out the surprising range of Craft Brew in Australia, and sampling as many as I could. I also snapped a few photos of the great meals I had them with!

去年、クリスマスの時僕はオーストラリアに帰りました。いる間オーストラリアにある地ビールの抽出サンプルを飲むのをさっそくやりました。それらと食べた料理の写真をとりました！


Beez Neez. With a hint of honey, not bad, but not a favorite.
「bee's knees」（一流の［飛びきり素晴らしい］人［物］）と言う言葉のあそび。
ちょっと蜂蜜の味で悪くないけど気に入ってない。


Matilda Bay Redback Beer. Named after the famous Australian Redback Spider. Nice and wheaty.
マチルダ・ベーのレッドバックビアー。有名なセアカゴケグモ(Redback Spider)にちなんで名付けた。麦の味でおいしい。


Christmas Lunch; smoked ham and turkey.
クリスマスランチ；薫製ハームと七面鳥。


Boxing day lunch; leftovers!
ボクシングデー（クリスマスの翌日の12月26日）残り物だ！


James Squire Pilsner. A great pilsner.
おいしかった。


Boag's St. George; smooth and easy to drink.
これはスムーズで飲みやすい。


Christmas eve dinner.
クリスマスイブのディナー。


Blue Tongue (an Australian lizard with a blue tongue). Great name, not so great beer.
オーストラリアのBlue-tongue lizard（アオジタトカゲ）にちなんで名付けたビール。いい名前けど、あんまりおすすめできないんです。


Loverly.すばら〜しい。僕ホンマにIPA好き。初めての方気をつけてね。


James Squire Amber Ale. Nice.
まぁ。英語分かるやろう。


Fat Yak Pale Ale was my beer of the holiday. This pale ale is GREAT.
休みの一番気に入っているビール。これはうま〜い。


Little Creatures Pale Ale, also not bad!
これもおすすめできます！

Kinshi-Masamune Craft Beer, Kyoto

Inside JR Kyoto Station is Isetan, and down on the B1 Floor is a Liquor section that puts all other department stores in Kansai to shame.

JR京都駅の中に伊勢丹があって、地下１階には他の関西のデパートに恥をかかせる和洋酒売り場あります。

At first I thought it was some kind of joke. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Row after row of Ji-beer, crazy names and labels, but BEST of all, dozens of representatives from Kansai!

最初、何か冗談だっと思った。目を疑うことだった。地ビール！変な名前とラベルを次々並んでまして、とりわけ関西の代表のが多いよ！

So I walked out of Isetan the proud owner of two bottles of local brew; Kinshi-Masamune Craft Beer. 2 bottles only, 'Gosho Beer', and the 'Kaoru Beer', which particularly caught my attention with the words 'JR Kyoto Isetan X Kinshi-Masamune' printed down the bottom of the label.

2本の自慢で伊勢丹をでました。キンシ正宗地ビール。２つだけ、「御所麦酒」とラベルに書いた「JR Kyoto Isetan X Kinshi-Masamune」の言葉をオレの目に触れた「カオル」。

As is quite normal here, Kinshi-Masamune is actually a Sake Brewer who brew their own craft beer. I enjoyed my Gosho! A surprisingly smooth beer with a wonderful colour. It was also very lightly carbonated, as you can see from the absence of a head in the picture below.

日本でよくあること、キンシ正宗は酒造家やけど、今地ビールも作ります。御所麦酒おいしかった！驚くほどにスムーズですばらしい色。下にある写真に見える泡が立ってないことで炭酸化が軽い。

Now, I can't verify this any more that what I read directly off the label; but with the Kaoru beer, apparently the female staff of both Isetan and Kinshi-Masamune got together to brew this one, especially for women. Which probably explains it's light flavour and fizziness. At 4% it was a nice refreshing one.

直接ラベルから読んだ情報より証明できないけど、カオルのビールは伊勢丹の女性スターフとキンシ正宗の女性スターフが協力してこのビールを女性のため作り出した。それで味か軽くて炭酸化けっこうあったんかなぁ。4%でさわやかのでした。

Support local! Drink Kinshi-Masamune Craft Beer, Kyoto!
地方をサポートしょう！京都のキンシ正宗の地ビールを飲んでよ！

Nest Craft Beer • ネスト地ビール

All the way from Ibaraki Ken and the Kiuchi Brewery, I found Hitachino Nest beer in Jupiter at Act Amore, in front of JR Takatsuki Station (of all places). 4 types are available, of which I decided I had to try all of them.

遠い茨城県の木内酒造から、JR高槻駅まえアークトアモーレのジュピターで（場所もあろうに）常陸野ネストビールを発見しました。４つの種類があって、どうしても全部を飲まないとってはっきり決めました。

Above you can see their pale ale, a lovely traditional English brew with a nice hoppy smell. Good starter.

上はペールエールです。伝統的な英国式のビール、アロマホップの香りは良い。スタートでいいの。


Ah, amber ale. Look at that color! Website says this one is only available in Japan, so it's something to grab if you see it around. To myself and my humble taste buds, the Amber ale was definitely salty. If you're an Australian, you'll understand when I liken the flavor to Vegemite.

あぁ、アンバーエール。あの色をご覧下さい！ウェブサイトに書いているのはこれは日本だけ売っているから、目の前あったらすぐ手に入れてね。自分自身と僕の謙虚な味蕾には、アンバーエールがたしかに塩辛いです。オストラリア人でしたら、『Vegemite』の味になぞえたら分かると思います。


Unfortunately, I have yet to take to Weizen. It's not the wheat, or the cloves or even the vanilla flavors found in this type of beer, it's the banana that kills me. The fermented flavor of the wheat and bananas really combine with all strength to give one a feeling that you might actually be drinking something that's gone off. I apologize, I shall endeavor to like it.

残念ながら、僕はバイツェンまだ苦手です。麦じゃないんですね、チョウジでもない、バニラの味でもない。バナナに殺されている。麦とバナナの合わして強行で発酵した味を口に入れたら『これ腐ってるやろう』って考えそうな気分になってしまいます。ごめんなさい、好きようになるのを努力します。


But No.1 beer of the evening goes to the white ale, which is hands down WONDERFUL. Something you can even drink with dessert, the coriander and nutmeg flavors really show just how White Ale has picked up several gold medals in competitions. Definitely the best.

ビールNo.1はたしかにホワイトエール、反対者のなくてすばらしいです。デザートと一緒でものめる。コリアンダーとナツメグの味は『どやってこんなにたくさんの金メダルを貰った』ってことをはっきり表すんです。やはり一番だよね。

If you're living in Japan, Kiuchi Brewery delivers to your doorstep!
日本に住んでいたら、木内酒造は玄関まで配達する！

Onuma Craft Beer • 大沼地ビール

Oh yeah, nothing like picking up a ji-beer from Seibu on the weekend.
ああ、Seibuから地ビールを買ってに限るなあ。

Onuma Craft beer was in it's own fridge, with all the grandmas around totally paying no attention to it. I felt sorry for the bottles, and decided to pick up a couple. The choice was hard; there were the standard 330ml bottles, or special 3 liter flip-top ones. Choosing sanity over intoxication, I opted for the standard sizes.

大沼地ビールは淋しくて冷蔵庫に入って、周辺してるおばあちゃんたち完全に無視をされてました。かわいそうっとおもって、２つ買おかなぁって。選択のが難しくて；330mlの普通の瓶か、特別3リットルの押し上げ式のふたのやつもありました。陶酔より健全さを選んで、普通の瓶を買いました。

Above you can see the Kölsch. Like it's colour, it has a very clean and clear taste. Quite a strong soda taste. At 5%, it's not a heavy hitter, but typical of the Kölsch, is refreshing.

上はケルシュ。色と一緒、味はきれいでさっぱり。炭酸が強いだね。５％では大物ではないけど、ケルシュとして当たり前さわやかでうまい。

The Indy Pale Ale below was a punch in the face. I was breathing freon after a swallow of this 8% heavy hitter. Although it's carbonation is light, it has a bitter kick to it; every swallow is strong, rich, full, sweet (tastes like honey, too!)

下のインディペールエールはホンマに顔の真ん中にパンチを加えた。この８％の大物を飲み込んだ後フレオンを呼吸してた。炭酸が軽いけど、苦いアクセント；強い、濃い、熟成、甘い（蜂蜜のあじも！）

Both beers set me back set me back 1200 yen for the 330ml.
両方330mlでは1200円かかった。

But it's ji-beer.
やけど地ビールだ。

Mojiko Retro Beer • 門司港レトロ地ビール

Mmm. Mojiko Retro Beer, all the way from a place not far from Fukuoka called Mojiko. My wife went there earlier this year for a concert, and she brought me this one back. It has a nice crisp taste, and goes well with a steak.

ンー。門司港レトロ地ビール、福岡の近くの門司港っと言うとこからのビールでございます。ちょっと前僕の嫁さんはコンサート見に行って買って帰りました。ステーキと食べたらおいしくてきれいな味。

Support Ji-beer in Japan!
日本地ビールを支援やろうよ！

Kunino Cho Beer, Takatsuki • 國の長ビール、高槻

Would you believe my dad found this one before me. Determined to try every beer available in Japan he'd run himself dry one day, and somehow 'came across' a Morimoto bottle shop near Hankyu Takatsuki Station in his unstoppable beer hunting endeavors. He'd never seen Kunino Cho before (it wasn't Asahi, or Kirin, or Suntory, or Sapporo either).

Kansai has a few kick ass microbreweries, Kunino Cho being one of them. It's in Takatsuki city as well (close to Hankyu Tonda • 富田). I feel a close attachment now, as I'm a Takatsuki-shi resident myself! They're originally a sake brewery, but they also do their beers really well.

As to the taste, I was surprised at the clear refinement of the Kolsch Type Draft (white label). It was a very refreshingly clean. The All Type Draft (red label) was a delightful amber color and more full in flavor. I don't pretend to be a beer critic, but I know that I enjoyed Kunino Cho Beer, and I will be headed back for some more.

Although it can be quite expensive, it's worth supporting your local Kansai breweries just so they don't get swallowed up by the 4 giants in Japan. Honestly, what's 'expensive' is highly debatable when it comes to good beer. Recently I've been thinking that pouring money into the big breweries for the same old beer is getting EXPENSIVE. I'd rather pay more and enjoy it these days.

If you're a beer lover, I recommend you keep your eye on the Japan Craft Beer Association's web page, and also bento.com (which has great beer reviews). Kuninocho shows up at most beer events around Kansai.