BeerO'clock Bottle Shop receives two barrel-aged Shiga Kogen beers
BeerO'clock Bottle Shop in Chiba has added two limited releases from Shiga Kogen Beer: Takassy, a cognac-barrel-aged BA Imperial Stout, and VSOW, a BA Wheat Wine making its second release for the first time since 2009. Both are 12.5% beers with clear barrel character and depth.
Hop BroThere’s a fun drop in Chiba right now: two barrel-aged Shiga Kogen beers just landed at BeerO'clock Bottle Shop. Takassy and VSOW are both serious heavy hitters.
MugiWait, a two-bottle limited drop already sounds dangerous for my wallet! Takassy and VSOW feel like final-boss names, so what are they exactly?
Hop BroTakassy is a BA Imperial Stout, aged from Takashi Imperial Stout in a 350L cognac barrel for about 35 months. VSOW is a BA Wheat Wine, and that one spent 19 months in a 450L barrel.
MugiHold on, what does BA mean? And Wheat Wine sounds illegal somehow. It’s beer pretending to be wine now?
Hop BroBA means Barrel Aged, so it’s been aged in barrels for a long time. Wheat Wine is a strong ale with wheat in the mix, and it’s meant to be sipped slowly like wine.
MugiOhhh, so VSOW comes with a slow-sipping warning label. If I chug that, my brain is going to start aging in oak too!
Hop BroWhat’s great about Takassy is that it’s not just roast overload; you get grape and prune notes up front. It feels sweet at first, but it finishes drier than you’d expect.
MugiAn Imperial Stout with a dry finish twist? That with nuts or cheese sounds like my apartment suddenly turns into a luxury tasting room.
Hop BroAnd VSOW has a 17-year comeback story behind it. It’s only the second release since 2009, with barrel depth and the sturdy structure you want from a Wheat Wine.
MugiWhat is this, flavor plus backstory? The second I hear “limited,” my feet start walking toward the shop on their own.
Hop BroBeerO'clock Bottle Shop is a great place to browse calmly, so it fits this kind of release perfectly. These are the kind of bottles you take home and enjoy in tiny, thoughtful pours.
MugiNow I absolutely want a Takassy and VSOW toast. I’d love to open one after dinner and just melt into all that barrel character.
Two new arrivals
BeerO'clock Bottle Shop in Chiba City has added two barrel-aged beers from Shiga Kogen Beer. The lineup features `Takassy`, a BA Imperial Stout, and `VSOW`, a BA Wheat Wine. Both come in at 12.5%, making them beers to approach slowly and with attention.
Takassy
`Takassy` is an aged version of `Takashi Imperial Stout`, matured for about 35 months in a 350L cognac barrel. Rather than leaning only on roast, it brings forward grape-like, raisin, and prune notes. The beer is described as strong but surprisingly dry, with the barrel character taking the lead over chocolate or coffee-like roast. It should work well after a meal, especially with nuts, dried fruit, or cheese.
VSOW
`VSOW` is a rare return for Shiga Kogen Beer: a wheat wine released for the second time, and the first time since 2009. It spent 19 months in a 450L cognac barrel. Compared with `TAKASHI ICHIRO`, this release goes in a different direction, with barrel-driven depth layered over the wheat wine structure. As a limited beer with a long backstory, it stands out immediately.
As a beer pub and bottle shop, BeerO'clock Bottle Shop is a natural stop for drinkers who want to track down special releases and take them home, or open them slowly over a meal. For fans of barrel-aged beer, these two releases are a clear reason to pay attention.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the venue’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroThere’s a fun drop in Chiba right now: two barrel-aged Shiga Kogen beers just landed at BeerO'clock Bottle Shop. Takassy and VSOW are both serious heavy hitters.
MugiWait, a two-bottle limited drop already sounds dangerous for my wallet! Takassy and VSOW feel like final-boss names, so what are they exactly?
Hop BroTakassy is a BA Imperial Stout, aged from Takashi Imperial Stout in a 350L cognac barrel for about 35 months. VSOW is a BA Wheat Wine, and that one spent 19 months in a 450L barrel.
MugiHold on, what does BA mean? And Wheat Wine sounds illegal somehow. It’s beer pretending to be wine now?
Hop BroBA means Barrel Aged, so it’s been aged in barrels for a long time. Wheat Wine is a strong ale with wheat in the mix, and it’s meant to be sipped slowly like wine.
MugiOhhh, so VSOW comes with a slow-sipping warning label. If I chug that, my brain is going to start aging in oak too!
Hop BroWhat’s great about Takassy is that it’s not just roast overload; you get grape and prune notes up front. It feels sweet at first, but it finishes drier than you’d expect.
MugiAn Imperial Stout with a dry finish twist? That with nuts or cheese sounds like my apartment suddenly turns into a luxury tasting room.
Hop BroAnd VSOW has a 17-year comeback story behind it. It’s only the second release since 2009, with barrel depth and the sturdy structure you want from a Wheat Wine.
MugiWhat is this, flavor plus backstory? The second I hear “limited,” my feet start walking toward the shop on their own.
Hop BroBeerO'clock Bottle Shop is a great place to browse calmly, so it fits this kind of release perfectly. These are the kind of bottles you take home and enjoy in tiny, thoughtful pours.
MugiNow I absolutely want a Takassy and VSOW toast. I’d love to open one after dinner and just melt into all that barrel character.
