Japan

Okay, what's the best Japanese beer you have had?

I have tried:
Asahi
Asahi super dry
Kirin
Sapporo Ichiban
Sapporo Reserve -- currently drinking one now.
Yebisu (yuck!)
Coedo white and red
Koshihikari Echigo (current favorite)
Echigo Stout (ugh, what happened)

So far, it's Koshihikari Echigo that I tend to drink the most.
?
jay

Personally, I find most Japanese beers to be about the same. Assuming you're talking about real beer, and not the cheap stuff made primarily from rice. I prefer darker ales over most anything else. I'll take a porter over a stout, a stout over a nut brown ale, a nut brown ale over a red, a red over, well, there's not a whole lot left that I will discriminate between. The only beer I _don't_ like are german darks. Sorry, dark pilsners really just don't do it for me. They do it for other people, but just not me.

When I order Japanese beer, I order Kirin Ichiban, but that's because my friend, Kurt (son of The Destroyer, who is famous in Japan), indicated is his favorite. It didn't matter all that much to me which one to call "mine", so I figured I'd go with the Kirin to make him happy.

I rather like this stuff, however, because they make some interesting non-standard brews:
http://www.kodawari.cc/engpage/kodawari ... achino.htm
Their stout was pretty good, and I thought I remember having one of their beers that had ginger in it, but maybe I'm remembering funny.

Chris

The first few on the list rate yuck for me..
About the only time I drink those is when there isn't much else in the vending machine.
Not that fond of many Japanese beers unfortunately.

Belgian beer is another story...


Regan

Here's the one I was trying to think of. Picked up a bottle of it yesterday.

Thanks Keeper. That makes me thirsty.

So, in your best Robin Leech impression, how about a review?

take care,
jay

LOL, I was almost hoping you wouldn't ask, because I can't really describe it very well.

It's apparent that the ginger was involved in the brewing process, instead of being added later, because it doesn't taste like ginger. It's kinda like a red beer, but a little more sour, like maybe as though a little lemon juice was added. It's a bit more complex than that, though, because of the notes that the ginger adds. It's reminiscent of ginger, but it doesn't have the pungency of raw or pickled ginger.

I asked my wife what adjectives she'd use to describe it, and she just said "umm".

So, it's just something you'd have to experience, I guess. It's not a light beer by any stretch, and it's not something I'd want to have more than once a month or so, but it's certainly very enjoyable.

Chris

Not that this really helps the decision-making process, I just figured I'd take a shot of a can of Japanese beer... The can of squirt is there for size reference...

geez, I can't decide whether to laugh or cry.

But since I have a 12-pack hidden in the kitchen, I will just settle for nauseous indifference.
jay

I think that squirt soda could use a better name, I googled it and while wikipedia for it was the 2nd result the rest were sex related

Interesting, you don't have Squirt down there in VA, eh? I seriously doubt it's specific to the Buffalo area, but maybe it's a northeast thing? I know it's carried by one of the big two (can't remember which), but being a grapefruit-based drink, it's not a super popular beverage.

Chris

I found it much more common in CA than in VA, myself, but definately not just NorthE.

I was actually going to say "someone still drinks that?" Haven't seen it in years...but not looking for it, either.