Wintry craft beer with hint of cinammon

Spring Valley Hanayagu Fuyu "Kaori"

Brand: Kirin

Price: 270 yen

Place of purchase: Belx Supermarket

Rating:

So often, the big four beer manufacturers try to lure the public into craft beer with less than distinct brews that are craft in name only. But this time, Kirin's got it right. Kirin's Spring Valley, a hommage to the origins of Japan's beer brewing pioneer at Yokohama, has consistently made distinctive craft brews. This time, Hanayagu Fuyu "Kaori" was released in late November. The beer, "Gorgeous winter fragrance", pours a lovely gold color. The winter ale is spiced with cinnamon to evoke the festive season in Europe.

According to Kirin's data, only a fraction of beer drinkers in Japan go for craft beer. Japanese beer fans are leery of flavors that they might not like and perceive craft beers as novelties. Hanayagu Fuyu "Kaori" could go a long way to win beer drinkers over. It's a lovely, aromatic beer with a light body, medium to mild bitterness, and a wintry atmosphere achieved by the cinammon addition. The weird part is that the product description says nothing about the hops and malt used in the brewing process. If made with the standard stuff, it proves technique counts for a lot.