When I heard this beer was a partnership between Modus and, I quote, “the world’s largest nerd podcast,” I didn’t argue. I hadn’t heard of this Trash Taste; I only listen to three podcasts, and I assume there are at least a hundred out there.
So I had to wonder: is it about the world’s largest nerd, or is it hosted by the world’s largest nerd?
Sorry for the disappointment: Trash Taste is hosted by three regular-sized nerds. Specifically, three guys who live in Japan and have a podcast and YouTube channel where they talk all things anime, manga, Japanese pop culture, and Japanese culture in general.
Clearly I’m not the person to ask if you want to know more about Trash Taste; try one of the 1.63 million subscribers on YouTube instead.
But I tasted Trash Taste Pale Ale, so I can tell you about that.
It sits toward the paler end of the spectrum, sparkling in the glass. Of course, if you drink it straight from the can you won’t see the colour or the sparkle. In that case, just enjoy the killer label art.
As tinned pineapple and citrus aromas flow from the glass, you can’t help expecting you’re about to drink something sweet. But it’s much drier in the mouth than on the nose, with some pithy zest adding a light balancing bitterness. At this point, since the flavour retreats at the end of each crisp sip, I thought I’d gotten all I was going to from this beer. But I was wrong: about a third of the way in, I started to notice some sweet, weedy smell that had waited for the pineapple to calm down before it revealed itself. A welcome surprise.
But, for all that, this beer is super drinkable. When the Trash Taste guys visited Australia last month and did a live show at DreamHack gaming festival in Melbourne, they had some beers on stage and one of them did a shoey. That really works best with a beer that goes down easy, and Trash Taste Pale Ale fits the bill.
If you’re into in anime and Japanese pop culture, you’ll probably like Trash Taste.
If you’re into easy-drinking but interesting beers, you’ll probably like Trash Taste Pale Ale.
Mick Wüst
Published May 13, 2024 2024-05-13 00:00:00
