Koshihikari Echigo Beer Review: A Drinkable Beer from Japan, If You Can Stomach the Price

Koshihikari Echigo Beer

Echigo Beer Company, Nigata, Japan

http://www.echigo-beer.jp/

Echigo Beer: Not as
bad as you'd expect.

I have never had a Japanese beer that I enjoyed. Ever. The Japanese are to beer what the Germans are to sashimi. There is no denying that the Japanese have a predilection for tasteless, dry lagers. They seem to make nothing else. They have no business in the beer business, which is why Echigo Beer was such a surprise. It definitely was not as horrible as I expected. The pale straw colored, lightly carbonated lager was sweet on the tongue and dry on the finish. The interplay between the sweetness and the dryness made for a more pleasant drinking experience than expected from a Japanese beer. The beer was still nearly body-less, however, with no head. If Japan began to make beers only of this quality and higher, the country could eventually, possibly crawl its way out of the League of Shame. Not at this price though, the beer cost me $8 for a 12 oz. bottle at Tokyo Table in Irvine, CA.


-Ryan

Style: Rice Lager

ABV: 5%

Available: California, Arizona, Nevada, Massachusetts, New York City

Beer Valley Leafer Madness Review: A Taste Bud Ass Kicking

Leafer Madness

Beer Valley Brewing Company, Ontario, OR

http://www.beervalleybrewing.com

Leafer Madness: A nice taste bud
ass-kicking if you can get it.

Leafer Madness is quite possible the bitterest liquid I have ever drunk. I shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, the name practically shouts that some serious herbage was involved in the brewing of this beer. The beer exploded from the bottle, soaking me and the floor. Once I got it into a glass, Leafer Madness poured a deep golden color, but somehow confused my taste buds into thinking that some roasted grains lurked under the bitter barrage of more than 100 IBUs. The bitterness stayed with me after each sip. Don’t start an evening of beer tasting with this beer; you won't taste anything else for the rest of the night. The head was long-lasting and tightly woven with tiny bubbles. The aroma provided a hint of sweetness and a gale of American hops. At 9.0% ABV, this beer puts lightweights like me on our asses.

-Ryan

Style: Imperial IPA

ABV: 9.0%

Available: Total Wine, Bev Mo, and specialty shops on the west coast only

Moonlight Brewing Death and Taxes Lager Review: Death and Taxes? Yes please!

Death and Taxes Black Lager
Moonlight Brewing, Santa Rosa, California
http://www.moonlightbrewing.com/

Smoked, dry, lightly sweet, and smooth. In a word, delightful. I was gulping without realizing.  Perfect for sitting on the porch, or watching a football game, or watching a football game on your porch if you are so inclined. I'm happy to report that Moonlight Brewing has put out a very nice Vienna lager that I would easily order over Negra Modelo. Well, that is to say when the opportunity presents itself of course.

-Jesse

Style: Dark Lager
ABV: 5.0%
Available: On tap in coastal Northern California only

Coopers Pale Ale Review: Another Aussie Export We Could Do Without

Coopers Original Pale Ale

Coopers Brewery, Adelaide, Australia

http://www.coopers.com.au/

My least favorite pale ale ever. No hops character on the nose or the tongue. The beer tasted quite a bit like a light lager. The color was a cloudy straw, and the head was thin and dissipated quickly. Coopers Original Pale Ale is bottle-conditioned, but I didn’t get much from the presence of the yeast either. I expected more after tasting the entirely drinkable Sparkling Ale from Coopers. Coopers Brewery has been around a long time, and it brews the right way, but I didn’t love the Original Pale Ale. I suppose that one could use this beer to train drinkers of macro lagers to be more adventurous, but if I am honest, I’d rather have a Budweiser. That is not a ringing endorsement from me.

Style: Pale Ale

ABV: 4.5%

Available: Total Wine

-Ryan