It's a cloudy, light gold color that is quite inviting (some might say it's a pedestrian color, but those people are poopyheads). The head is thick, but it doesn't hang around for too long. It does, however, leave a nice hunk of lacing around the glass where it falls off. The aroma is of straw, lemongrass, and lemons in general. It's not overly odoriferous, but it has a decent amount of smellitude.First sip is strong. It has a strange kind of ginger or some spice that has attached itself to the hops (or, more likely, this is the unique taste of the Sorachi Ace). It slaps you across the face, but it is not overly bitter. The queer taste is difficult to categorize, but it is muted by a bready taste from the malt. There is also some lemon hanging around, making itself known, but generally sticking to the walls while the rest of the party is on the dance floor.
A more sturdy gulp shoves a clove or something similar up the nose and follows it with lemon zest. That isn't the kind of tip-in that I look for in a beverage. I'm going to take a few more gulps while I write this to try and see if I'm mistaken. And... okay, it isn't as bad the next couple of times. More importantly, those Sorachi Ace hops really announce their presence immediately. The middle of the beverage has an unusually bold character, and it is really nice. The finish is a bit harsh, with a lemon bite and spice filling the nose.
It's a big bottle, and it's a good beer. As the beer warms, it gets even better. The finish loses its bite, and the beer gets significantly more drinkable. My original score was a 3.75. Now, I have to give it a...
4.5/5
