Beer of the Weekend #67: Sapporo Premium Beer

The second brew this weekend is Sapporo Premium Beer brewed by Sapporo Breweries Limited of Tokyo, Japan. That’s the new corporate home; Sapporo’s roots come from Sapporo, the capital of the Hokkaidō Prefecture.


The reason I picked a Japanese lager is this:


Ryu, my new car. I bought him last Sunday. Buying a new car has got to be the most adult thing I’ve ever done. He’s a ’07 Toyota Corolla, so I’m honoring his Japanese heritage. (Yes, I named him after my favorite “Street Fighter” character. It was the perfect moniker, even if my Corolla doesn’t have an awe-inspiring Tornado Whirlwind Kick.)

Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.

Appearance: Poured a straw yellow with a slightly deeper tint to it. A finger and a half white head developed and dissipated quickly, leaving an edge of foam and spotted lacing.

Smell: A dry malt aroma dominates, and is much more robust than your average macro lager. Rice is also present. Needless to say, it’s an inviting beer scent.

Taste: Malty like the smell, and has a good bite to it. It’s a cross between bitter and sour, and has a dry finish. The rice from the smell is also faintly recognizable.

Drinkability: I’m impressed. This is a great, smooth drinking lager.

Fun facts about Sapporo:

-Serving temperature: 43-46ºF.

-Alcohol content: 5 percent ABV.

-Food pairings:
Beers of the World recommends light pasta or rice dishes.

-Sapporo is another German influenced Asian beer. The history of Sapporo can be traced back to Seibei Nakagawa, who was hired by the Japanese government to oversee the building of a brewery in Sapporo. Nakagawa was trained in Germany, and began brewing Bavarian style beer when the original Kaitakushi Brewery was finished in 1876.

-BA classifies Sapporo as a Japanese Rice Lager.

-A pilsner glass is also ideal glassware to use when drinking Sapporo. Ugh — I need to get a pilsner glass. I’ll be in IC in about two months and will come home with one of those Dirty Johns/PBR pilsners. I promise.


The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.

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