Kinshachi’s Nagoya Aka Miso Lager is part of their standard range, and is their most-decorated beer in both the Japan Asia Beer Cup and International Beer Competition. What kind of beer is it though? Can a beer flavoured with miso paste be worthy of 7 awards to date? Only one way to find out!
Red miso? In a lager? Whatever next? Blue lager…
Nagoya Aka Miso Lager Aroma and Taste
Wait, this is a lager? Nagoya Aka Miso pours like a pale ale, with a frothy head that soon disappears. Its colour is a deep red-brown, which must be from the miso in there. The nose is lager-esque, but there’s a definite salty, miso edge to it. Would it be surprising to say that the taste, along with the colour and nose, is also on the miso side of things? Of course not.
The mouth feel is nutty and rich, with the miso getting you when you’re not looking. The overall flavour is like a milder and less fragrant pale ale. Despite the wacky gimmick then, this isn’t a novelty beer – the miso flavour is well suited to the type of beer and adds a smoothness to the drink that my recent attempt at making goose-fat infused rye whiskey did not.
Nagoya Aka Miso Lager One-Line Review
I’d be tempted to say that it does exactly what it says on the label, but such a cliché would be doing this interesting and unique beer a disservice.
Where to Buy Nagoya Aka Miso Lager
Nagoya Aka Miso Lager can be bought at Le Collier in Tokyo station, else craftbeers.jp also sells it here
