Six Pick
Big Brewer Japanese Beer
While the market seems to be dominated by ho-hum brews from the Big Four, there are several interesting beers worthy of attention, particularly in this hot summer weather.
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Exceptional, among the best of its type in the world.
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Highly recommended, without hesitation or fine print.
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Recommended as being good, interesting, worth a try.
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Some people may like it; otherwise close but no cigar. |
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We don't think you'll like it, but there's some reason why we mention
it. You're on your own with this one.
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We recommend that you avoid this product.
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Kirin Hojun (5.5% abv, 100% malt, unfiltered, unpasteurized) Deep olden color, light tan head, aroma of juicy malt and fragrant hops, rich tangy flavor with minimal bitterness, through there is plenty of good hop aroma. Fine, smooth carbonation, a bit sweet and malty into the finish, leaving just a touch of lingering bitterness. Heavier in body than other Kirin beers, but remarkably smooth and drinkable. A cut above the usual "premium" beers. And, a beautiful label, too. This is one of those 'cold delivery' beers sold at 7-Eleven convenience stores, and bears a 60-day shelf life. Good job!
New Suntory Malts - You have probably seen this advertised, with four different variations in identical looking cans. Each variation comes from a different Suntory brewery, and uses a different source of pure spring water. Of course, it is still a mass produced lager, but a closer taste will reveal something better than Asahi Super Dry, Kirin Ichiban Shibori and even Sapporo Draft. Unfortunately, it was difficult finding all four in the same place, so they were tasted two at a time. Interestingly, all four were marginally different, and while Suntory claims that the only difference is in the water, a friend in the beer business tells me that it is common practice to slightly tweak recipes to suit regional tastes. (5% abv, 100% malt, unpasteurized) Medium yellow, off-white head, brisk carbonation, good malt flavor and hop bitterness, but a bit lacking in hop aroma. Here are the specific notes to each beer, from south to north (the order of my preference).
Kyushu Minami Aso version - Sharp, tangy and more richly flavored, with slightly higher acidity that gives it a little zip. Solid body, and somehow reminds me of how Kirin Lager tasted about 25 years ago.
 Kyoto Nishiyama version - Slightly more bitterness than Tanzawa and Akagi versions, along with more fruitiness, though the finish is drier.
Musashino Tanzawa version - Soft and smooth, more sweetness than the others, with a nice floral hop aroma.
Tonegawa Akagi version - Sweet, less bitterness than the others, with a nice array of gentle malty flavors.
Asahi Kiwami (5.5% abv, malt, hops, rice; unpasteurized) Yellow gold, sudsy white head. Malty aroma with bitter hop fragrance present. Rich, clean taste but unfortunately little distinctiveness, even after it warmed up slightly. Sufficient hop bitterness, but not enough aroma. This seems like a copy of Kirin's quite delicious Hojun, and wouldn't you know it, it is another one of those beers developed for 7-Eleven, and shipped chilled with a shelf life, this time 90 days. The deal with this brew is that it is made with carefully selected ingredients, such as "scarlet malt," German Hersbrucker hops, and the finest Japanese rice. Enough said?
Kirin Honey Brown (5% abv, 25% malt, hops, barley, rice, cornstarch, sugars, honey) Dark gold, sudsy white head, malty sweet aroma with a very faint bitter hop fragrance. Solid honey flavor with sweet floral tones, a smooth mouthfeel, and no "cereal and cardboard" happo-shu weirdness. The fragrance of honey continues into the finish, with minimal bitterness. Certainly worth a try at 145 yen.
Sapporo Mugi 100% Namashibori (4% abv, malt, hops, barley, 106 calories per can) Of course it is 100% barley, but not all of it is MALTED barley, so that is why this is a happo-shu low-malt beer. Very pale yellow, thin white head. Very mild flavor, but no odd cereal or grainy tastes, or any sour flavors usually found in happo-shu. Fairly decent, with a clean and simple flavor.
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Spouting Off
Too Much Time, Too Little Beer
The recent pair of beer festivals in June was fun, as usual. I particularly enjoyed
meeting Brews News readers whom I only seem to see at these festivals. While the
JBA and JCBA festivals are normally quite different in character, this year they
had more in common than just being held on the same day. In both events, many
booths ran out of beer in the early afternoon. Was it that the organizers didn't
expect such large numbers of people? Or was it that the beer was limited so that
people would resort to drinking even the less-than-acceptable brews that are a
common part of these events?
At 2,000 yen with reservation, my choice was the JBA's 7th National Craft Beer
festival held on Saturday, June 19th. The ticket for a plate of beer snacks dished
up by the Tokyo Prince Hotel chefs was a nice touch, and the large selection from
55 brewers was greater than offered at the JCBA's Great Japan Beer Festival held
at Yebisu Garden Place, though that event did have an impressive number of imported
beers on tap and in bottles. Still, I think an event of this type should focus
on Japanese craft beer, which seems to be getting better over the last few years.
In any case, at the prices charged, these events are pretty great. The only think we have left to hope for is that year's events will offer more beer of better quality.
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