Coedo Shikkoku Black Lager

Fermented for an extended period of time, this dark brew boasts a stunning contrast between the glossy black tone of the beer and the smoothness of the modest pale head. This glossy black beer is called "Shikkoku," named after the famed elegant jet-black lacquer work of Japan.

3.4

189 reviews

Kawagoe-shi, Japan

Community reviews

3.1 Bottle. 5.0%. Best before 27.05.21. Pours a dark brown, with a diminishing, light tan/khaki head. Slight lacing. Sweetish, roasted malt aroma. Ashy note. Fruity note as it warms. Remote hints of chocolate, coffee, bread. Light metallic overtone. Flavour is metallic, roasted malt, fruity. Mildly bitter finish. Hint of coffee. Lingering grassy, veggie note, hint of alcohol. Overall okay, if a bit generic. Too metallic as well. 02.04.21.

3.3 Bottle.Pitch black colour with medium beige head.Aroma of chocolate and malt lively mouth feels and roasted nots aswell mild light watery texture.

2.7 Malt biscuit caramel aroma. Dark brown colour poor head and lacing. Malt chocolate Coca Cola flavour. Fizzy palate.

3.0 Bottle (1-Dec-20) Light choc aroma. Black colour, ok head and suds lacing. Sweet choc flavour. Bitter dark choc malt finish and chocolate vanilla aftertaste.

3.3 Copenhagen 29/11 2020. 33 cl bottle from Meny, Rotunden, Hellerup. Black label in the Coedo's brands usual design with the graphic logo with intertwined hop flowers. Pours opaque dark brown with a small light beige head. Settles s thin patch and a thin rim of foam running along the side of the glass. No lacing. Aroma is moderately intense with a sweet, malty odor mingling with subtle roasted scent. Dark roasted malts, chocolate and stale coffee. Hints of dark rye bread. Medium carbonation. Thin, watery, lightly tingling texture. Flavor is medium intense Wirth a medium strong sweetness followed by a light bitterness. Aftertaste is sweetish and fairly short. Finish is a bit thin. Well balanced and not very intense. Subtle rather than thin.

3.8 333ml bottle from Beers of Europe (£3.79): Opaque black with a foamy, tan brown head that's just under 1cm tall & fades after a minute or so. It's quite dark & roasted on the nose without being too strong; hints of coffee & an earthy bitterness follows with burnt notes to finish. The taste is similar, the coffee & earthy malt bitterness lead the way with some hints of chocolate sweetness & a grainy, almost oak taste to finish. The body is semi-dry & fairly smooth, sitting around medium but well-balanced & quite easy to drink too.

3.3 Bottle from Beers of Europe. Dark pour and a lovely chocolatey aroma. Thinner palate, light roasted malt and coffee bitterness. Decent.

3.6 No metallic after taste like Asahi black. Nice, smooth taste

3.4 BB 05/09/20. From a stubbie poured an opaque black (clear mahogany under strong light) with a thin tan dense layer of foam that diminished slowly to a blotchy cap that laced poorly. Carbonation moderate, lively and coarse. Aroma subtly of dark chocolate and hints of caramel toffee. Taste is moderately strong roasted followed by sweet milk chocolate and malty flavours. Light body. Smooth,clean, slightly dry with a fresh mouthfeel amd a medium-length finish.

3.3 Draught sample at Social Revolution By Beer Festival, 2020. A dark beer with roasted malts, dry finish.

3.1 Bottle. Pours a black colour with a fluffy beige head, light hop aroma and malt aroma, the taste is medium bitterness and with roasted malt coming through with a dry bitter finish.

3.6 330ml bottle at Japanese Kitchen, Bethnal Green in 2014. Dark brown with an offwhite head. Aroma of roasted malt, brown bread, berries and light fennel. Nice roasty and coffee flavours with some brown sugar. Earlier Rating: 11/9/2019 Total Score: 3.6 330ml bottle at Japanese Kitchen, Bethnal Green in 2014. Dark brown with an offwhite head. Aroma of roasted malt, brown bread, berries and light fennel. Nice roasty and coffee flavours with some brown sugar.

3.3 Pours clear, dark mahogany with a thin, tan head. Aroma is dried fruit and roast. Taste is raisin and light brown sugar, moving to roast. Finish is raisin and roast.

4.4 Thin and crisp pour. Small head. Moderate to high carbonation is unexpected (given the colour) but works well on the tongue. Strong roasted, coffee and chocolate flavours. Minimal bitterness. Sweet finish. Works equally well in winter or summer. Quaffable yet interesting.

3.8 Aromat: palone słody, czekolada i kawa, dość słodko, i powiem szczerze, że przyjemnie, bardzo fajnie czuć charakter palonego ziarna i nuta jakby płatki owsiane. Jest i kawa i czekolada moim zdaniem jak na ten styl nie ma się czego czepić. Piłem lepsze Black Lagery ale ten jest poprawny. Wygląd: bardzo bardzo ciemny brąz prawie nieprzejrzyście czarne, ładna piana średnie i drobne pęcherze, lacingu brak i trwałość też nie najlepsza. W smaku wyraźnie palone słody w smaku dużo bardziej intensywny niż w aromacie. Palone słody, kawa, mleczka słodka czekolada, przypalone ciastka wielo-zbożowe, smakuje jakby miało dodatek płatków owsianych. Bardzo fajna palona goryczka, nie zalega ale postawia w ustach odczucie takiego lekkiego popiołu co mi się bardzo podoba. W smaki mi nad wyraz pasuję. Takie lagery gdyby było ogólnie dostępne w sprzedaży w Polsce... Podniebienie: średnio-nisko nasycone, dość pełne mimo, że ciała niewiele, kremowe, pijalne, lekkie, bardzo fajna palona goryczka na końcu. Podsumowując: naprawdę fajne piwo, marzy mi się żeby takie piwa były ogólnie dostępne dla każdego Kowalskiego w sklepie, coś innego niż international light lager który jest bez smaku, to piwo jest jego przeciwieństwem. Naprawdę szczerze polecam ode mnie 3.8/5.0.

3.8 Bottle. Roasted malt aroma with notes of chocolate and a little bit of coffee. Pours black with a thin tan head that has little retention and some lacing. Starts with roasted malt and dark chocolate flavors as well as having a very light body for the dark malt flavors present. Finishes dry with some coffee flavors joining the roasted malt flavors. Pretty nice black lager.

4.1 Bottle from 618cafe taste of roasted malt and coffee, creamy and hint of chocolate. A little carbonate. Overall is great beer.

3.4 On tap at Pudel, Tallinn. Dark, dark brown with a beige head. Roasty aroma with notes of chocolate, dark malt and caramel. Tasty, balanced and surprisingly flavourful. Nice one.

3.7 Color negro, totalmente opaca. Espuma beige oscuro, escasa y de corta retención. Aroma escaso a maltas tostadas, ligera miel y madera. Sabor a maltas tostadas, suaves especias como cardamomo, al atemperar aparece algo de café y especias un poco más fuertes. Textura entre acuosa y sedosa. Carbonatación media alta.

3.5 แบล็คลาเกอร์เข้มๆ ไม่มีตังกินเบียร์ลาวดาร์คแทนได้

3.7 Biere ambré goût de céréale torifie caramélisée et un peu café. Lege goût fruité assez légère au final voir même un petit goût d'alcool de cidre

3.6 330 ml. bottle. Packed 09.04.17. Pours a medium well retained beige head with slight lacing, over a clear dark brown (SRM 40) body.....nose is roasted malts with light cocoa, chocolate,slith coffee tones, minimal hops......taste is moderate with roasted malts, slight hints of sweet with cocoa, coffee, chocolate, caramel, tones, moderate bitter finish......medium light body, no alcohol, moderate carbonation. This is a lovely, drinkable Schwartzbier. BJCP 9/3/12/4/7

4.0 Very chocolaty, malty, with roasted malt, coffee, caramel and some dark fruit notes with the expected drinkability of a lager. Great black lager

2.9 Bottled, 333ml from Beers of Europe, Kings Lynn, Norfolk. Very dark brown with cream head. There is a sweet caramelised toffee character to this from the start, a touch thin on the palate, notes of boiled fruits come through along with a hint of liquorice. It's all quite under-powered in many respects. A touch dull overall but okay.

3.2 Bottle from some bottleshop in Boston: pours black with a beigehead. Aroma is chocolate, maltiness. Taste is bittersweet, malty, some pretzel, kind of chewy. OK.

2.8 From the bottle. Very dark brown with a creamy tan head. Aroma of licorice and toasted grain. Taste is mildly bitter with a touch of toffee sweetness. Body is just barely medium, trends thinnish, with water on the palate. Overall, not a lot of complexity. Drinkable though.

3.1 Bottle from Beers of Europe cons 2018-06-09 Uddingston AR: roasted malt, bakers chocolate, AP: dark brown, high frothy lively cream brown thick lid F: fizzy, heavy roasted malt, bakers chocolate, dark syrup, melas

3.2 333 ml stubby brown bottle with a BB date stamp of 24 Sept. 2018.. Pours clear but very dark brown-black in color with a thin tan head that has weak retention. Aroma: dominated by dark roasted malts with some alcohol esters. Flavor: Some spicy hops appear in addition to the roasted malts, It has hints of dark chocolate and light coffee, Moderate-high bitterness for style. Feel: smooth, full body with light carbonation.

3.7 Nice aroma of sweet toffee and rich sweet malt...some bread also. Deep reddish ebony color with a thick tan head. Rich sweet malt up front. Tones of toffee and sweet caramel with hints of vanilla. Dry bitterness balances nicely. Medium mouth feel. Dry balanced finish. Good stuff.

3.4 Draft tasting glass @ Pudel – Tallinn. Black, small tanned. S: massive liquorice, roast, treacle, raw bark, roots, all liquorice. T: black liquorice, roots, anis, star anis, syrup, molasses, dark grape. Flat molasses & liquorice syrup body, star anis. Well-made but definitely too black liquorice for me.