Kirin Ichiban

 

          Visit the Kirin Ichiban website and the first two words to greet you are “Explore Enjoyment.” Scroll down and you learn about the brewery’s devotion to quality through what they call a “First press process.” What this means, according to the website, is when Kirin Ichiban makes its beer, it takes the first run from the wort, instead of taking multiple runs as other breweries do. Kirin attests that this leads to a crisper, more pure and delicious beer. Keep reading and the website tells you that by only using the first press, Kirin is able to make a beer without the strong, heavy taste you’d get in other beers that don’t just use the first press.

Kirin Ichiban’s website then goes on to tell you of their history dating back to the 1880s. You learn how their brewmasters learn their trade from the best German brewing schools. The website also tells how Kirin Ichiban goes to the Czech republic to buy massive amounts of Saaz hops for their beer. Taken at face value, it’s promising to see that Kirin Ichiban is so devoted to the quality of their beer. Kirin Ichiban is a crystal clear, pale amber the lager. Pinpoint CO2 rises through the glass, supporting a cloudy bone white head. The head has decent retention, leaving nice lace as it recedes.

          Malt dominates the nose in the form of white bread and unsalted crackers. Bready malts lead to a center that has an interesting smooth, almost neutral aroma. The first descriptor that popped into my mind was “Papery,” but somehow that doesn’t seem right. Rather, that strange, neutral aroma smells like rice. If you can imagine dried, white rice sitting in the bag waiting for you to cook it. That sort of smell. Rice aroma dominates from here on, before fading into an abrupt finish.

          On the tongue, Kirin Ichiban is smooth and dry; almost too dry, really. That dryness takes over and dominates the flavor and mouthfeel in a way that almost immediately detracts from my enjoyment of the beer. This is too bad, because at first Kirin Ichiban is smooth, and almost rounded in nature. There’s a hint of sweetness up front, as well. But then that dryness comes in, coating the tongue, and dominating the rest of the drinking experience.

          I’ll give Kirin Ichiban 5.75 out of 10. This Asian lager has the potential to be a decent, maybe even enjoyable lager. Unfortunately the two things I didn’t like about the beer are such noticeable flaws, it prevents me from really enjoying what I’m drinking. I certainly didn’t care for the aromas of rice and the dryness on the tongue made it hard for me to feel refreshed after each sip.