Following in the footsteps of their Baltic Porter, Heads of Noosa's Imperial Japanese Lager has jumped the rails from the brewery’s Limited Release range to their Seasonal Reserve range.
In the first iteration of this rowdy rice lager, the booze stood tall and produced a silky wine-like body and an almost bourbony sweetness. But this revised version sees a small drop in ABV – from 7.2 to 7.0 percent – and the recipe change has brought the beer more in line with its little sibling, the Japanese-style lager.
The booziness is subdued, a crisper body makes it worryingly drinkable, and while there’s still a malt sweetness there it’s been dialled down since its first appearance. Soft echoes of sweet grain and hop bitterness hang around after each sip, acting partly as a warning that this isn’t a session beer, and partly as an invitation to come back for more. Talk about mixed messages.
The biggest change? You can now expect to see Imperial Japanese Lager each year as summer comes around.
Mick Wüst
Published December 5, 2024 2024-12-05 00:00:00
