Koshi Hikari Rice beer from Niigata |

Not just any rice. Koshi Hikari!

Koshi Hikari itself is known as one of the highest quality rice brands in Japan. Despite the unmistakable quality and brand recognition of the rice, I wouldn’t have guessed this beer was made with rice if it wasn’t on the label. It had a light smooth taste and was refreshing and easy to drink, as they say in Japanese. I didn’t find it particularly amazing, but it wasn’t bad. It is certainly unique. I would recommend giving it a shot if you’re looking for something uniquely Japanese to try. For what it’s worth, the bottle is also wrapped in paper, as if it were a bag of rice.

I later tried Swan Lake Beer’s Porter, which, in my opinion, was a much more interesting beer.