Sapporo Black

Formerly brewed at Sapporo Breweries
Style: Schwarzbier
Tokyo, Japan

A great schwarzbier, with big flavor and waay too easy to drink. On draft at Kirin City and Sapporo Lion pubs in Japan. I miss it and wish it was available in North America.

When is a stout not a stout? When it is a schwarzbier of course. The inspiration for Sapporo Black Stout Draft didn’t come from Ireland, it came from Germany. "Black Beer" is popular in Japan, most if not all major Japanese breweries do this style. What is schwarzbier? Its a dark lager that has its roots in the eastern part of Germany, similar to Munich dunkles, but a little darker in color, with some roastiness as well. German brewers were brought over to Japan in the 1800’s to show the Japanese how to brew beer, and they brought their recipes with them. I lived in Japan for a year, and was drinking "black beer" 14 years ago, before I really understood what I was drinking. Being a stout drinker, Sapporo Black was a natural choice for me. But this beer has more in common with a Kostrizer, or even Sprecher Black Bavarian, than it ever will have with Guinness. This is a very good example of schwarzbier, and is a very smooth, drinkable, dark lager. Sapporo Black pours to a deep brown/black color with a nice white head, and a good bit of carbonation. The nose is quite malty. Good dark malt aromas, with a touch of roast, and balancing hop aromatics. The palate is firm, dark chocolate, coffee, and roasty flavors. This beer is a lager, so it is very smooth, round, and clean. This beer finishes malty up front, then leads into a quick, dry, bitter finish. This is an excellent "black" beer as the Japanese like to call it. It is a great tribute to a style that is under done, even in Germany. It has a cult following in Japan, and I was a member of that cult, and still am. Look for this beer in your area, its well worth seeking out. I would match this beer with smoked and grilled meats, or Mongolian BBQ.

Goes down smooth, fresh clean crisp taste, if you havent tried it try it now...have you gotten it yet? hehe

As someone who seeks out new flavors instead of comparing everything to existing standard flavors, I tend to enjoy the family of Japanese Blacks. Like this beer, they tend to be a bit more refreshing than your standard stout. I really enjoy relaxing with this beer. I feel that the facts in the other reviews here are accurate, but I enjoy that this beer is a smoother, lighter black than its German counterparts.

This is a damn fine product. I was expecting a stout until I learned that the Japanese admire the ’schwarzbier’ style of German black beers. This is easily comparable with the best of those.

22 oz can; dark color with a full-bodied flavor. Yet, it goes down light like a Pilsner. Impossible to find; I’ve heard stories that the brewery has it. Alas, it is almost worth teh cost of the flight to Japan.

This is good stuff! I’d much rather pull this out of the cooler than a Bud when I want a beer for the road.