The problem with Japanese beer is that it all tastes pretty much the same, said Charles Perry in the Los Angeles Times. Kirin, Sapporo, and Asahi are “all mass-produced lagers.” But don’t blame Japanese brewers for such unimaginative beers. Until recently, the country’s laws didn’t allow any brewery to be licensed unless it produced more than a half-million gallons a year. Lately a few microbreweries have sprung up whose beers are worth seeking out. Unusual flavors, include a red rice ale and a stout with flavors of soy and molasses. In a recent tasting, our panel’s top three picks in order of preference were:
Hitachino Nest Japanese Classic Ale ($4 to $5) Aged in cedar barrels; a very hoppy, “mouth-filling” beer with a woodsy nose.
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Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale ($4) Brewed from red rice, it’s reddish amber in color; an appealingly round flavor “with a faint whiff of the barnyard.”
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