Beer is Good – Oirase Beer-kan Pilsner

This ji-biiru from the small Oirase microbrewery and restaurant in central Aomori prefecture is somewhat widely distributed in central and East Aomori – I’ve seen it in Towada, Hirosaki, and Aomori city. Oirase is so close to Hachinohe, I’d really be surprised if you couldn’t find it there. Oirase brewery makes a pilsener, a weissen, a dark lager, and a “half and half”, which is just a mixture of the pils and lager. All of them are 5% ABV, and other than as draughts at the restaurant, they are sold in 300ml screw-top aluminum bottle-cans identical to those Coke and many other soft drink makers use on the JDM. I didn’t really have the fortitude to try all four, and being unpasteurized, they had to be kept under refrigeration which is difficult on a bus and train trip, so I opted for the pilsener.

Both the flavor and aroma are good. The decoction seeme at first to be a little light, but as the beer warmed up a little, more of the malt flavor bloomed. This is definitely one not to serve too cold. The hopping is not overdone to the point that it gets all cranky at the back of your tongue, and it also isn’t particularly flowery which is fine. It’s a decent ji-biiru, but not an excellent one. I considered getting the weissen or dark lager before getting on the train leaving Aomori, but I wasn’t particularly thirsty nor motivated at the time. Give one a try when you’re in Aomori.