Hakkaisan Pilsner is a 5% pilsner from Hakkaisan Sake Brewing based in Niigata, Japan. It’s part of their winter seasonal range of beers and can be found on tap and also in bottles, which come in two sizes of 350ml and 500ml. Why this is released only in winter is beyond me, as you would think that pilsners would be best suited for the hot summer months that the Niigata area sometimes basks in.
Bottled on 25th Jan, drank four days later…
Hakkaisan Pilsner Aroma and Taste
I have to say, I went snowboarding and popped into Ponshukan in Echigo-Yuzawa station on the 29th January and saw this sitting in the fridge. Checked the label and it had been bottled only four days before – talk about getting it fresh. Hakkaisan Pilsner poured out a light golden colour with a large fluffy white head on top that stayed throughout drinking. It had a light malty biscuity aroma with some sweetness and a hint of citrus and grapefruit, though only just. It smelt like your typical pilsner but then it was fresh from the brewery. It would be interesting to see how the aromas in Hakkaisan Pilsner change as it ages.
Yuzawa is cold – sometimes getting to minus double digits, so why Hakkaisan Pilsner is sold in winter is beyond me. It’s hard to enjoy a pilsner when it’s cold outside and Hakkaisan Pilsner would have been perfect as a summer beer. It’s dry and crisp, with a hint of biscuity grains and a slight citrus bitterness to it. Hakkaisan Pilsner is solid and doesn’t deviate much from that at all from start to finish. It finished up leaving a sweet edge and a hint of bitterness that faded quickly.
Hakkaisan Pilsner The Bottom Line
Hakkaisan Pilsner is a solidly made pilsner that won’t excite nor disappoint.
Where to Buy Hakkaisan Pilsner
Hakkaisan Pilsner can be bought online at the following places:
