2/100) Koedo (Saitama Micro Brews)

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

The first three posts in this series are a bit retroactive because I had actually planned on starting this blog series while I was visiting Japan in June. It didn't happen. However, I still count those three weeks in Japan as the first three weeks in my challenge. This is the second of those three retroactive posts.

Beniaka, Ruri, Kyara

I found these three beers in Tokyo Station. Their bright colors caught my attention. However, even more respectable to me now is their names. A rough translation of the three would be "Rouge Red," "Lapis Lazuli," and "Japanese Yew," respectively.

Beniaka 紅赤) Technically this beer is not a beer, but a happoshu. You'll have to look up the details about how the Japanese taxation system has grouped beer and beer-like beverages into three categories, but basically, a happoshu has a reduced malt content in comparison to a "true" beer. If I had known it was a happoshu, I might not have bought it. My experience with them has not been so good. This one in particular reminded me of a typical red ale, but one with a lot less flavor. I was not impressed. The lightness though made it really easy to drink so I didn't hate it. ☆☆☆

Ruri 瑠璃) This one was a disappointment. I suppose if you like your beers tasting like water, you might have a different opinion. The faint finish reminded me of a wheat beer. I did still finish it, so if that says anything, it wasn't horrible. It's just not what I want in a beer.  ☆☆

Kyara 伽羅) This beer had a unique twist. The initial held an unremarkable brown ale-esque flavor, but the finish burst into your mouth with all the vigor of biting into a fresh orange. I did not expect it at all and rather enjoyed it. Over time though, the simple ale aftertaste overwhelmed the fleeting citrus experience. If it hadn't, I would have rated it higher. ☆☆☆