Daisen G-Beer may be one of the most remote breweries in Japan, but there is nothing remote about the familiar flavors of their four mainstream beers. Their pilsener, pale ale and weizen are great examples of the styles, while the stout shows a fair measure of depth and heaviness. The barleywine, however, should be approached with caution, owing to its relatively high (8.5%) alcohol content.
So, it should be no surprise that all except for the weizen have won awards, with three for the pilsner and two for the pale ale. In short, the beers are smooth and drinkable, and the flavors solid. The pilsner, in particular, is made with very high quality hops and, tempered by a long lagering time, presents a very smooth and refreshing example of this style.
Opened as a brewery in the spring of 1997, Daisen G-Beer is a familiar face on the Japanese craft beer scene, frequently appearing at beer festivals and entered in awards events. While the “G-Beer” part of the name may be confusing, it is just their way of writing “ji-biiru,” which is the Japanese expression for locally brewed craft beer. Daisen, of course, is for the famous large mountain nearby, where the superb water used for brewing these beers originates.
The brewery’s restaurant, Bier Hof Gambrinus, serves all four of their regular beers, plus seasonal beers (such as the barleywine) when available. The menu is quite extensive, with plenty of familiar items, such as fried potatoes, sausages, pizza and spaghetti paired with European style foods made with local ingredients such as squid, local Japanese vegetables and locally raised chicken.
Daisen G-Beer
Beer Hof Gambarius, 1740-30 Maruyama, Hoki-cho, Saihaku-gun, Tottori-ken
鳥取県 西伯郡 伯耆町 丸山 1740-30
Tel: (0859) 39-8033
http://g-beer.jp
