name: Japanese Green Tea IPA
brewery: Stone Brewing, Ishii Brewing, Baird Brewing
% alc: 9.2
type: India Pale Ale
vendor: Whole Foods, Seattle
price: $3.99 (12oz Bottle)
I appreciated this beer a lot more once I watched that video. The beauty in the concept and it's goal is what makes this beer a must try. First of all it is a beautiful beer. It is the sunniest orange like a fresh squeezed glass of orange juice sitting in the morning's low light. Secondly, it tastes like a Stone beer. They make great IPAs and this is no exception except that the extra flavors of the green tea transform it into an IPA that wasn't quite what I wanted to drink. I found that to the clean focused palette it was a bit strange but interesting. The tea addition comes in strong at the end of the taste with a licorice, faintly tea-like bitter. However when I finished writing about it and started eating my dinner with it, a home made flat bread pizza, the beer became more of a traditional tasty Stone brew.
This was all before I had watched the video on making it and I had it scored about a 6.5. After I learned about who was involved and why, I found the international collaboration to be really exciting and amazing. The precision to craft the alc/vol to be 9.2% to put a positive spin on the disaster in Japan, the proceeds going overseas to relief, it all is pretty remarkable and worthwhile. So I stepped it up to 7.5 in terms of merit, plus I want people to try this one.
I want to paint the picture of this beer as a thing to try, a thing to participate in. Pick up a bottle, donate your money to relief, and try out an ale that came together through the goodwill on this planet, what's left of it.
review (/10): 7.5
recommended setting: Find some Japanese style rocks (an actual garden is even better) and take off your shoes. Walk a few steps into it and shimmy your feet a little to cover them with rocks. Now become mindful of the each rock as it communicates through your nerves to your brain. You will begin to transfer your heat to them. Now take a sip of your Green Tea IPA and witness the flavors communicating and transferring. Be entertained by the interesting flavors and feel warm in your decision to donate to this cause... OR if your not into the meditation thing, after a few sips the 9.2% should have you pretty warm and fuzzy.
extraneous ramble (optional):
