Nov 15, 2016

Sapporo Premium Black

I’m pretty sure the only time I partake in a bottle of Sapporo is at the local Thai restaurant. They keep the bottles ridiculously cold which helps tame the heat of some fiery beef or chicken. Beyond that, it’s not a beer that I believe has ever entered my house, let alone my beer fridge. In fact, the only mention of the brand on this site is from way back in 2010 for one hell of an epic commercial.

So, when the offer to check out the brand’s Premium Black, a 5% ABV schwarzbier, arrived I took the opportunity to see what the company has been playing around with. And honestly, the beer isn’t half bad. But in saying that, there’s also half of the beer that’s not good. I’m not sure where the malt for this brew was sourced or if the bitter astringency (as if the grain were burnt slightly) is intentional, but it does not make for a clean finish.

Premium Black starts off well enough with good intentions — a decent bit of cocoa, grain and roast mingle well. Then it sort of falls apart as that acrid burnt trait and some minerally notes take hold in a finish that should be more satisfying. I think in the future, I’ll just stick with their standard golden lager to put out the flames of chili peppers.

This is a review of a promotional sample.