Pours light golden (as best I can judge). Aroma is fruity - sweet citrus, tangerines, and a little on the herbal side. Bitter and grapefruit on the palate with some pine notes. A fairly robust malt body, which plays out to a bitter and slightly boozy finish. Feels like a bolder version of their Pale Ale. And equally drinkable.

Dark body, dark firm head that dissipates quite quickly (maybe due to the unfair glassware). Malty and slightly herbaceous on the nose. Complex, deep roast flavours, with some slight tannins and acidity. A lengthy dark and bitter aftertaste. The lightness of the body contrasts with the seriousness of the roast, and keeps me coming back for another sip.

Yet another Yo-Ho, whose beers I’ve been enjoying. And this one a saison. Pours a very light yellow (though I still don’t have glassware to get an accurate sense of the colour). Small head clears quickly. Some Belgian yeast hints on the nose, but light and sweet, fruity, even a little floral. In the mouth it is a little thin but with a firm bitterness at the back of the palate. There’s a distinctly earthy note, but no funk. It also seems a bit under-carbonated. Very dry, refreshing, but lacking some sparkle and punch in the flavor department.

Pours mid-gold with a light head. What I'm smelling is unfamiliar. It is sweet, fruity and quite thick, like a mix of honey and citrus marmalade - I’m guessing this is the Yuzu in the name. And that strange mix continues into the mouth where the bitter marmalade develops and lingers long after the beer goes down. There’s a strong maltiness behind a fruit and honey sweetness too, but that pithy bitterness cuts through everything. This is very different, a truly modern take on the IPA, but it holds together. It’s a serious drink, and very enjoyable - not heavy but bursting with flavour and depth.

Was a little surprised to stumble across this in a department store basement - and, yes, I realize that it isn’t at all Japanese, but the label was irresitible. Pours mid yellow. Head dissipates quickly. Malt and a little booze on the nose. On the palate, it’s mainly malt again, with a slightly herbaceous/minty hop edge, but really not much in the way of bitterness. Is this the Bass I remember from a couple of decades ago in the Midlands (UK, not Japanese)? I don’t think so, but then I’m not sure how much memory, nostaligia and the legend are interplaying with reality here.

Whilst we’re on the non-Japanese retro cick... Pours dark with a light brown head. Coffee / dark chocolate on the nose. There is some of that coffee as it hits the mouth but the taste very quickly moves to something far more toasty and dark, with an acridity in the finish and a touch of sourness on the edge. This is about roast barley, about well-fired grain. While it is fairly light in body and mouthfeel, with some herbal hoppiness if you look hard for it, there’s no getting away from its burnt flavors and dry finish. Bitter to the end.

Pours golden with a thick white head. Malt, light fruit and pine on the nose, with a touch of caramel/butterscotch. Bitter citrus, pine and a malty sweetness combine well as it hits the tongue, following through to a mid-bitter finish of grapefruit tinged with sweetness. Medium-bodied but with some presence, inviting another swig.

Dark brown with a big creamy head. A little cocoa and booze on the nose. Full bodied, and almost immediately fills the mouth with a rich caramel sweetness with suggestions of raisin and slight booziness. It finishes with a hint of something woody and herbal, leaving a lasting bitterness. For a beer on the sweeter side, that’s really quite quaffable.

Black, with a cream head which quickly subsides. Milky coffee and chocolate on the nose. Dark chocolate and roasted malts fill the mouth. Fairly full-bodied and smooth with a sweet finish but leaving a lingering roasty bitterness with a mild herbal touch.

Golden with a good inch of head. Mild hoppiness on the nose. An easy drinker with a medium malt flavour and a classic but light hopping. Delicate bitterness, very smooth, with a touch of sweetness coming though in the end.

Describes as a 2.5x IPA. This is all about booze, malt and fruity hops. But in good balance with some floweriness coming on the outbreath. The bitterness holds off until the finish. Surprisingly drinkable for the high abv.

Black with a solid head which lasts well and provides beautiful lining on the glass. Some chocolate on the nose. Exceptionally creamy mouthfeel with complex caramel and roast maltiness. Hopping is delicate and herbaceous, only showing through in the aftertaste. There’s a dark, toasty edge but overall this is supremely smooth drink.

Strong dark chocolate notes, medium bodied. Finishes fairly dry.

Very light and slightly cloudy. Sweet herbal scents from the glass. Delightfully sweet and grassy at the start of the sip with a bitterness and dryness way, way below. And nothing in the middle. Gently plays the upper and lower registers of the palate piano. Effervescent in every swish of the glass. Absolute perfection.

After the brilliance of the kölsch I thought I should try the pilsner. Good head. Slightly sweet aroma. Bitterness immediate and all front of mouth, top of palate. Quite a creamy body. Solid and refreshing.

Cloves, cinammon, nutmeg on the nose. Hits the mouth like a spice bomb - the whole spice drawer plus a little chilli. I think there’s malt behind there. And it is certainly boozy. But my palate feels ruined! It’s not bad though.

Light golden colour and very effervescent. The yeast aromas are immediately present on the nose. Very light bodied and quite sweet with gentle cinnamon and spice aromatics and a little banana towards the end. A little tame and sweet for my taste.

Hazy brown with a good, slightly off-white head. Caramel and chocolate wafting off the glass as soon as it was poured. Medium-bodied, with a forward dark maltiness, which resolves to a slightly more toasty bitterness in the finish with a herbal note to it.

Full, creamy mouthfeel with a clean, bitter hoppy finish.

From cask, only very slight carbonation. Deep malt base, plenty of hops but not particularly distinct, making this drink almost like a British ipa.

Light and slightly creamy mouthfeel. An edge of dry coffee and woody hops.

Rocky head. Fruit on the nose. Big hops in the mouth backed up by a solid malt. Extremely smooth mouthfeel.

Dark and smooth. Deep roast, but not harsh. In fact there’s a sweetness to it. Despite the high abv, there isn’t much alcohol on the palate. Exceptionally well put together.