Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

We kick off our Lucky 7 Stout Week at the Numazu Fishmarket Taproom on Wednesday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day).  We wind up the week on the Japan national holiday of Monday, March 22.  For event details, please refer to last week’s bulletin.  Please join us for the Irish-inspired beer, food and revelry.

We also are marking St. Patrick’s Day with the general release of two seasonal ales:  Midnight Oil Export Stout and Imperial Belgian Red Ale.

*Midnight Oil Export Stout 2010 (ABV 6.5%):

Export stouts generally are rich and roasty in flavor, moderately high in alcoholic strength, and sporting some noticeable hop character (normally registering in terms of bitterness and flavor).  Baird Midnight Oil Export Stout 2010 enjoys a complexly layered roasted malt character that is balanced beautiful by a kiss of caramel sweetness from additions of two varieties of crystal malt.  A firm, straightforward hop flavor rounds this Stout into perfect harmony. 

Midnight Oil Export Stout will be available at Baird Beer retailing pubs, restaurants and liquor shops in Japan beginning Wednesday, March 17.  Bottles (633 ml) also will be sold direct from the brewery via our online E-Shop (http://bairdbeer.com/en/shop/).

*Imperial Belgian Red Ale (ABV 7.5%):

Belgian ales, to the extent that they can be characterized, tend to be yeast-driven and idiosyncratic.  We ferment this unique, high-gravity, lovely red-hued ale with a Belgian yeast strain that lends a softly fruity and subdued phenolic character to it.  Moderate attenuation leaves a luscious upfront malt sweetness on the palate that lingers pleasantly through the warm alcohol finish.  This is a great ale to mark the transition from winter to spring.

Imperial Belgian Red Ale goes on sale Wednesday, March 17 and is available both on draught and in bottle (633 ml).

Finally, the Hanami season is fast approaching and we are planning a festive Hanami party in Numazu sponsored by our Fishmarket Taproom.  The party will be held from noon until 4:00 pm on Sunday, March 28 at the Minato-guchi Koen which is just a few hundred meters down the street from the Taproom.  Participants can enjoy a tabe-hodai picnic and nomi-hodai Baird Beer (several styles) for 3,000 yen per person.  Kids can attend for free.  The cost for non-beer drinkers is 1,500 yen.  More details will follow in next week’s bulletin.  If you would like to reserve a spot in advance, please email the Fishmarket Taproom (fishmarket-tap@bairdbeer.com).

Cheers,

Bryan Baird