Japan has decent beers; yet like in the America, they do not compare to European standards and micro brewers. The Japanese are perfectionists to the extreme, so when they want to make a great beer, they do just that with exact taste and crispness with perfect head. The Japanese truly have a taste for quality, yet many Japanese still drink the standard bland bitter beers, instead of their micro brews. I had some great beers in Tokyo at a micro brewery with mostly American pub food with a Hawaiian flair. The local Japanese beer lovers took me there, yet the best part of it was the magazine and therewith the connection to bad beer is the enemy, a Japanese micro brewer publication and society.
I recommend the website and the magazine, as it highlights the micro breweries and gives nice beer touring travel options. They highlight the brewers passion for good beer and ability to provide superior flavor to their local customers. Japanese support their local brewer, as they know that great beer is worth the price, as to travel all the way to Europe is not cheap, and locals have more fun meeting others, who enjoy good beer. It is in both Japanese and English for the expat beer lovers. Here is the website for those traveling and or living in Japan. Nearly every region is blessed with a brewery, so there is no excuse for drinking the standard expensive "beer", while one can really enjoy each swig of micro brew and savor the best in life, good beer.
http://japanbeertimes.com/
I have enjoyed many spirits in Japan, yet nothing compares to their whiskey. They do the sacrilegious for scotch drinkers, mixing water and ice with 12, 17 and even 21 year whiskey. I personally don't enjoy whiskey mixed unless it is under 12 years and not tasty. Still, it is fun to have "high ball" or a basic grog brought to Japan by the old sailors and made into something posh by the rich at Suntory.
I recommend the trip to the Suntory factory, which is free and fun to learn about the process of distilling whiskey. I personally love hibiki 12, as it has the right amount of cherry, smokey, fresh sea blown taste and bourbon sweetness. I enjoyed one of the winners of world's best scotch from Japan and had some nice highlands and islanders before coming to Japan. Still, the bottle is worth the superb taste, which is 30% more expensive at the brewery than your local liquor shop. While the tour is informative and ends with a couple of free drinks, they are under 12 years and not blended whiskey. Thus, their flavor leaves you wanting to mix it, as it tastes like guaro or bad liquor. So mix it with water or ice and enjoy the chocolate and nuts. The best part of the tour is the bar, which has some nice shots to find your favorite blend or what makes your blend taste like it does. There is always a secret ingredient or a mixture of a couple of aged whiskeys, which you can find and understand to become a real whiskey lover. Check out the website and make a reservation at least a week ahead for large groups, as they fill up quickly. They have a machine guide in most European languages, while the tour guide only speaks Japanese. suntory tour near Kyoto
http://www.suntory.com/factory/yamazaki/index.html
Here I am enjoying the secret in Suntory's whiskey that gives it the grassy, strong and sea breeze flavor. It is stronger and is a key part of the 17 year old whiskey. I really enjoyed the cherry and smokey part of the hibiki 12, so I enjoy expensive but not the most expensive(: Yeah on not spending too much on liquor!
So how have you enjoyed Japanese spirits and beers? I personally find 12 euros for a 6 pack of canned bud way to expensive, as I remember the college days of $5 sam adams and $6-7 imports fondly. The only beers comparing to Japan prices were Dog fish, the best American beer, coming from Delaware. It's steep price of $17 for 6 seems reasonable in Japan, yet its flavor matches only the micro breweries or surpasses them actually. Do you have any fun stories or comments on nice drinks in Japan? If you enjoy whiskey and beer, you must try at least their world renown whiskey, while a visit to a brewery near Fuji-san or on a lake is truly a great experience.
I recommend the website and the magazine, as it highlights the micro breweries and gives nice beer touring travel options. They highlight the brewers passion for good beer and ability to provide superior flavor to their local customers. Japanese support their local brewer, as they know that great beer is worth the price, as to travel all the way to Europe is not cheap, and locals have more fun meeting others, who enjoy good beer. It is in both Japanese and English for the expat beer lovers. Here is the website for those traveling and or living in Japan. Nearly every region is blessed with a brewery, so there is no excuse for drinking the standard expensive "beer", while one can really enjoy each swig of micro brew and savor the best in life, good beer.
http://japanbeertimes.com/
I have enjoyed many spirits in Japan, yet nothing compares to their whiskey. They do the sacrilegious for scotch drinkers, mixing water and ice with 12, 17 and even 21 year whiskey. I personally don't enjoy whiskey mixed unless it is under 12 years and not tasty. Still, it is fun to have "high ball" or a basic grog brought to Japan by the old sailors and made into something posh by the rich at Suntory.
I recommend the trip to the Suntory factory, which is free and fun to learn about the process of distilling whiskey. I personally love hibiki 12, as it has the right amount of cherry, smokey, fresh sea blown taste and bourbon sweetness. I enjoyed one of the winners of world's best scotch from Japan and had some nice highlands and islanders before coming to Japan. Still, the bottle is worth the superb taste, which is 30% more expensive at the brewery than your local liquor shop. While the tour is informative and ends with a couple of free drinks, they are under 12 years and not blended whiskey. Thus, their flavor leaves you wanting to mix it, as it tastes like guaro or bad liquor. So mix it with water or ice and enjoy the chocolate and nuts. The best part of the tour is the bar, which has some nice shots to find your favorite blend or what makes your blend taste like it does. There is always a secret ingredient or a mixture of a couple of aged whiskeys, which you can find and understand to become a real whiskey lover. Check out the website and make a reservation at least a week ahead for large groups, as they fill up quickly. They have a machine guide in most European languages, while the tour guide only speaks Japanese. suntory tour near Kyoto
http://www.suntory.com/factory/yamazaki/index.html
So how have you enjoyed Japanese spirits and beers? I personally find 12 euros for a 6 pack of canned bud way to expensive, as I remember the college days of $5 sam adams and $6-7 imports fondly. The only beers comparing to Japan prices were Dog fish, the best American beer, coming from Delaware. It's steep price of $17 for 6 seems reasonable in Japan, yet its flavor matches only the micro breweries or surpasses them actually. Do you have any fun stories or comments on nice drinks in Japan? If you enjoy whiskey and beer, you must try at least their world renown whiskey, while a visit to a brewery near Fuji-san or on a lake is truly a great experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment