Beer is one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages in Japan. It’s frequently the first thing ordered to get a night out with friends or as a cheap drink for salarymen meeting the boss.
Japanese beer is often clean, crisp, and excellent since it is made with premium ingredients, fresh running water from mountains in the surrounding regions, and an unmatched artisan mentality.
Best Japanese Beer Brands:
- Asahi Super Dry
- Sapporo Premium
- Yoho Brewing Tokyo Black
- Kirin Light
- Echigo Koshihikari
- Orion Premium Draft Beer
- Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale
- Ise Kadoya IPA
- Kawaba Snow Weizen
- Baird Dark Sky
What Is Kirin Ichiban And Why Do People Like It
Kirin Ichiban is a Japanese beer brand created by Kirin Brewery, a company with over a century of brewing experience.
A high-end beer that uses the “First Press” brewing technique and only extracts the liquid from the first press of the malt, giving it a purer, richer, and more genuine flavor.
Kirin Ichiban has a dry, mildly bitter, and medium-light body flavor. It has mild carbonation and a delicate mouthfeel. Toast, fresh bread, fresh flowers, and savory hops are some of the flavors to taste.
Beers Similar To Kirin Ichiban
- Asahi Super Dry
Japan-specific | 5% ABV | Notes: Bitter hops, Clean, grains
It is as dry as it claims to be, according to Marrón. It’s among the greatest beers for food in the sense that it complements, tops, or garnishes food.
Because it has such a mild, delicate flavor, it doesn’t overpower anything you’re eating or add any flavors to your food that you don’t like.
Read More: 10 Beers Like Desperados
- Beer Sapporo Premium Beer
Japan Region | 4.9% ABV | Sweetness, malt, and bitterness of the hops
In addition to being Japan’s oldest brewery, Sapporo is also it’s most well-known. According to the brewery, its signature Premium Beer, an American-style lager, is also the most popular Asian beer brand in the country.
- Yoho Brewing Tokyo Black
Japan-specific | 5% ABV | Smoke, Chocolate, and Bitter hops on the palate
Established in Nagano in 1996, Yoho Brewing is one of the oldest and most well-known artisan breweries that export Craft Beers from Japan.
- Kirin Light
Japan Region | 3.2% ABV | Sweet, malty, bitter hops flavorings
Although Kirin takes pride in being one of the oldest Japanese beer industries, it has recently come under fire.
Kirin is nevertheless a mainstay in the Japanese beer canon despite the controversy, and Kirin Light is one of the few readily accessible “light beer” options.
Read More: 10 Beers Like Duvel
- Echigo Koshihikari
Japan-specific | 5% ABV | Floral hops, Malt, and lemon flavoring
Echigo Koshihikari is a beer that emphasizes rice, with a label that shows flooded rice fields. This short-grain rice is farmed in a location noted for producing some of the highest quality Japanese rice lager in Japan and is brewed with a rice type called Koshihikari. The outcome is pale lager rice that finishes extremely crisp and clear.
- Orion Premium Draft Beer
Japan Region | 5% ABV | Notes on flavor: Malt, herbal hops, bread.
“The stand-alone beer is Orion. It simply has a flavor that is so complex. They naturally carbonate it, giving it a really lovely, mild carbonic acid taste and complex malt profile. It’s a delicious beer despite being so light.
- Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale
Japan-specific | 7% ABV | Malt, Bread, Berries on the Palate
Hitachino Red Rice Ale has very faint fruity notes and is light and pleasant. This beer’s rosé-like color and faint fruit flavor both come from the red rice.
Read More: 10 Beers Like Coors Light
- Ise Kadoya IPA
Japan is the region; with 7% alcohol by volume; malt; bitter hops; citrus.
Ise Kadoya IPA is a beer built to resist lengthy voyages and is not only offered in the United States but also manufactured with the style’s heritage in mind. It produces a well-rounded bitter kick balanced with some fruity sweetness thanks to its three different hop varieties.
Kawaba Snow Weizen
Japan-specific; 5% ABV; notes of wheat, lemon, and banana
An unfiltered wheat beer made in the classic Weizen method is called Kawaba Snow Weizen. It begins somewhat sweet before ending with typical style overtones of citrus and banana. As the name implies, this beer is milder and more understated than what one might be accustomed to in the category of wheat beers.
Baird Dark Sky
It is very surprising how many different kinds and style combinations there are within the Stout category. Of course, Imperial Stout is the patriarch of the gloomy Stout universe. Our yearly winter homage to this ferocious Stout subgenre is called Dark Sky.
We believe you’ll agree that it’s the ideal combination of roasted malt flavor and strong hop flavor. The only thing a nice roundness and gratifying balance will provide is the appearance of safety.
Conclusion
Japanese-style pilsner Kirin Ichiban has a flavor that is full-bodied, smooth, and energizing. The name Ichiban, which translates to “number one,” is appropriate for a beer that only employs the first press of the wort.
Read More: 10 Beers Like Sapporo
Frequently Asked Questions About Kirin Ichiban
What Country Produces Kirin Ichiban?
The name “Ichiban” means “number one” in English. brewed in Japan and the UK using a Japanese recipe that combines well water, malted barley, and rice.
How Vegan Is Kirin Ichiban?
“The following ingredients are used in Kirin beer: Yeast, barley malt, water, and hops. Beer is one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages in Japan (Japanese rice wine).
When it comes to Japanese beer, it’s frequently the first thing ordered to get a night out with friends or as a cheap drink for salarymen meeting the boss.
Japanese beer is often clean, crisp, and excellent since it is made with premium ingredients, fresh running water from mountains in the surrounding regions, and an unmatched artisan mentality.
How Vegan Is Kirin Ichiban?
“The following ingredients are used in Kirin beer: Yeast, barley malt, water, and hops.
