Niigata Beer’s tag line is “I just wanted to drink good beer” and is brewed by Niigata Beer in Niigata. Can you imagine the hours spent on coming up with name? It’s a 4.5% Belgian ale that is available in both canned and bottle forms although the bottle is 100% bottle conditioned so be weary of sediment.
The canned version may look different to the bottled. Well, we hope it does.
Niigata Beer Aroma and Taste
First things first, Niigata Beer did not look appealing in the slightest. I expected some frothy head and some life but all I got was some muddy golden brown lifeless beer with a shedload of sediment at the bottom. The aroma though was a tad more better with some zesty, vaguely wheaty, kick to it that reminded me of mild saison style beer. The head to Niigata Beer was non-existent besides some residue that was at the top of the beer.
With all the sediment floating around, I had to wait a while for it all to settle that took the better part of five minutes. Niigata Beer had much more life in the body with a full on yeast and bitterness to it though a lack of any clear hop taste. For some reason, it also tasted a bit like some rice had been added with the mouldy flavour coming through at the end.
It all ends up to be confusing with what is supposed to be going on with Niigata Beer. A Belgian beer but what kind of Belgian beer is it trying to be?
Niigata Beer One Line Review
Niigata Beer has a lot of weird stuff going on in it and would like to try the canned version before passing judgement but the bottled version is just about drinkable.
Where to Buy Niigata Beer
We got out bottle of Niigata from Kishimoto online here. The canned version can be found at Le Collier in Tokyo Station and also Yamaoka in Kyoto.
