The beers of Waikiki:Koshihikari Echigo Beer

Another Echigo that I can't find in Japan. Got it at an Asian market next to the movie theater. Other than some Hopshu, this is the only legitimate Japanese rice lager I've had. Technically, it's a German styled rice lager with a Japanese twist. But as I've pointed out before, all "traditional" Japanese beers are Nipponized German beers and Koshihikari is no exception. It gets it's name from the short grain rice of Niigata Prefecture called (surprise) Koshikikari that it is made with. This one seems to have mixed reviews online, but I don't believe everything I read. Echigo's burned me before, I hope that is not the case this time. I'll try and keep an open mind. I also have their stout, you have serious problems if you mess up a stout.

The bottle is a 17 oz. (500ml) "almost bomber" with crimpcap claiming "specially brewed, selected malt and hops". The label reads "premium Japanese import Koshihikari Echigo beer" and then (I can only assume) the same thing in Japanese Kanji/Katakana, unfortunately I am far too lazy to translate this. Underneath all of that is a nice watercolor of people farming a flooded rice patty. I can only assume this is the famed Niigata Prefecture. The bottle claims that it's contents are 5% ABV. Let's see how those contents head.

I recently purchased a beer mug with a bottle opener in the bottom from Brookstone. Usually I find that everything in there is overpriced and gimiky, but this was on clearance at $3.99 vs its usual $14.99 and I thought "yea, I'll shell that out for a half decent glass mug". So that's what I'm using today. Back to the beer. Nose from the bottle is just a little bit sour, just a little bit malty, but all barely present. Let's see the head. Not a thick head, I would have expected more from a beer with so much rice. It is certainly lively though. And with it's clear, golden color, it's a pretty beer. But aesthetics are secondary to smell and taste. Nose from the mug is the same as the bottle. It does have that fermented rice flavor, along with a little saltiness and and little malt sweetness as well. It has a lighter medium body and almost no acidity. It tastes like a golden lager, or "American lager" if you're a big brewery shill. It's a simple beer, but done well.

So the homeless problem in Honolulu is pretty bad. Like worse than California bad. Unlike California though, the homeless people can't leave to go where it's cheaper and they can find jobs. The cost of living in Hawaii is so high that people that work full time jobs for minimum wage because that's the only job they can find are living out of vans because they can't afford both an apartment and food. And the prices of every day necessities are higher than in Japan, it's just absurd.But what are you going to do. If it were an easy fix it would have been solved already. Long term, Hawaii needs allot more low end housing, better public transportation, and some way for people to leave if they can't afford it. Short term, I have no Idea.

you see this kind of thing all of the time.

Final thoughts. I liked this beer, it's easy to drink. Not particularly flavorful, but this style typically isn't. It is of good quality though. I wouldn't pay the high price of the import again. But if you see this one while you're out and about on mainland Japan, pick it up, it's worth you're time. I give it my blurry seal of approval.