Green Tea IPA take 2

So there I was, crammed in at the bar at Dry-Dock — as one invariably is — except that I was at the narrowest part, right by the kitchen where the food is ferried from the tiny kitchen. So I wasn't planning to stay long...

I'd had a couple of pints already and was getting ready to leave when I spotted this bottle lurking on the shelves right at the far end of the bar. Having thoroughly enjoyed the draught version, I needed to see how it tasted out of the bottle — and how they stacked up against each other.

 

The sencha flavor seemed to be a bit more pronounced this time. But that may well have been due to the difference in temperature (the bottle was not kept as cold as the draught kegs). But it was too late in the evening to be analytical — both are just excellent. And both are highly pokey, with an alcohol content of over 9 percent.

Sato-san, Dry-Dock's friendly master, also gave me a small shotglass full of this fine brew too which he'd pulled out for the party at the wider end of the bar. Very tasty indeed.

In return I got him to pose behind the wheel as he dispensed a few more suds...

Then I got myself out into the night and headed home...

Dry-Dock is hidden away under the railway tracks just outside Shinbashi Station.

Here's a map link...

Comments

[foodfile]

I'd also like to try the other collaboration brew produced by Stone around the same time: Stone Cherry Chocolate Stout.
I read about it here: http://bo.st/rrM2wQ

[Jeffrey]

I saw the Sencha beer here in Seattle at Uwajimaya, our local Asian mega food store (even has a branch of Kinokuniya within). As I'm not a big fan of the flavored Belgian ales, it sounded gimmicky. But after reading your review I'm going to pick up a couple bottles tomorrow.

I haven't lived in Tokyo since '98. At that time, the city was really short on good beer bars and the business was still dominated by the big four breweries. While I still have a place in my heart, particularly in the summer, for Ebisu, Malts and Heartland, coming from what has become the micro/craft brew capital of the world (Oregon and Washington have over 150 micro breweries and brew pubs) it's nice to see just how far Tokyo has come in the last decade.

[tokyo food file]

@ Jeffrey
Good to hear that the Stone/Baird/Ishii collaboration has made it into Seattle — even in the face of all the amazing microbrew action in the city/region.
I haven't been to the Pacific NW for far too long, but I think I would enjoy it a whole lot these days.
I hope you enjoy the Sencha IPA. It's a very different animal from the Ebisu, Malts and Heartland beers, both in flavour — and alcohol content!!
Cheers...