Echigo Koshihikari Lager is a 5% rice lager from Echigo Beer, based in Yuzawa, in Niigata, Japan. It’s part of their regular lineup and can be found in both bottles and cans as well as on tap across Japan. As the name suggests, Echigo Koshihikari Lager is brewed using Koshihikari rice, one of the premium strains of rice grown, that is traditionally used in sake production.
Echigo Koshihikari Lager Aroma and Taste
Echigo Koshihikari Lager poured out a clear golden colour with a plump white head on top that faded to a few bubbles around the outside of the glass. There was a mild sake-like quality to the aroma, along with some hints of noble hop aroma too. Once Echigo Koshihikari Lager had been given the chance to warm up, there was a very faint pilsner malt aroma to it – a slight grainy biscuit like one.
If you’ve never had rice lager before, the initial rice-like flavour can be slightly peculiar compared to a regular lager. Echigo Koshihikari Lager was lacking in your typical pilsner bite but it was a clean tasting beer that wouldn’t have been out of place on a hot summer’s day. The lingering noble hop flavours brought something different to the rice flavours that lingered but the most surprising quality to Echigo Koshihikari Lager was how clean the flavours were – the sweetness, acidity, and bitterness were all well balanced.
Echigo Koshihikari Lager The Bottom Line
It won’t rock your world like a bitter IPA will, but Echigo Koshihikari Lager is a clean, drinkable lager.
Where to Buy Echigo Koshihikari Lager
Echigo Koshihikari Lager can be bought online at the following places:
