It’s no secret that I love Kyoto. That’s why this bottle of beer caught my attention: it’s from Kyoto. A closer look would reveal that it’s “schwarz type” (sic) beer.

As the label promises, it’s very dark amber color, almost black. It’s got no real head, but still there’s medium lacing on the glass.

The nose is quite something. Fruity with orange and dark berry notes. Sweet with caramel and rich malts. Makes the man curious.

It’s got a light-medium body with relatively strong carbonation. The taste is quite the shocker though. It’s surprisingly bitter, and there’s hardly a hint of sweetness. It’s so dry I had to double check if I’m actually drinking what’s in my glass. (Apparently it’s called a dry stout.) There is a hint of a nutty flavor, but it’s hidden well in the background. Otherwise it’s about a dry but powerful mineral taste. (That’s my politically correct way of saying it tastes kinda salty.) There’s no organic thickness to the beer, and that sets it apart from any other beer I’ve had so far.

The salty, mineral impression is what lingers. If this is what dry stouts are like, I don’t like dry stouts.