Sparkling Hop
Kirin Brewery Company, Limited

Sparkling HopSparkling Hop
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From:
Kirin Brewery Company, Limited
 
Japan
Style:
Happoshu
ABV:
5%
Score:
76
Avg:
3.15 | pDev: 12.7%
Reviews:
34
Ratings:
38
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 14, 2017
Added:
Dec 12, 2007
Wants:
  9
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by jwc215:
Photo of jwc215
Reviewed by jwc215 from Arizona

3.1/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Einweissebitte for this!

Pours clear straw yellow with a fizzy white head that becomes an isolated patch. No lacing sticks.

The smell is of lime with a touch of lemongrass. Malt is light, and slightly soapy.

The taste is of seltzer, a generally sweetness and slight soap. There is a subtle lemon tang in the finish.

Light-bodied and fizzy - in a typical "macro lager" way.

Other than slightly soapy character, it is pretty inoffensive with just enough subtle bitter balance. It is pretty bland, though. It says that it uses "New Zealand hop". The singular, rather than plural, is quite fitting here. I suppose it's better - more balanced - than most "macros", but not much going on other than a "heat beating refresher".
Apr 25, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.16 by monkist from Hungary

May 14, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by randylangford from Pennsylvania

Jul 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by tommy5 from Michigan

Sep 13, 2013
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

3.16/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Appearance: Pours out a clear, sunny-looking yellow body with a froth, white head.

Smell: You get a thin trace of ultra faint malts. I'm waiting around for these notes of frozen hops to thaw out, but it's just not happening.

Taste: Incredibly light, faint maltiness, a quick flash of hops and bitterness. Slight sweetish rebound, then, a dry finish. Fairly clean throughout because there's nothing ever really going on in this one.

Mouthfeel: Thin-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Overall: Well, at least it's clean and refreshing.
Apr 05, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by EinWeizenbitte from California

Jan 01, 2012
Photo of mullenite
Reviewed by mullenite from Florida

3.48/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Much thanks to EinWeizenBitte for this. I think my rating will be much higher than everyone elses as I think I'm going in to this from a much different perspective.

Glassware - Ikea pilsener

Appearance - A very clear, light straw yellow in color with a 2+ finger fluffy white head that had poor retention and left very little lacing on the glass.

Nose - Very light aroma with no distinguishable hops or grains (although the can clearly states it contains "New Zealand Hop".) There is a slight apple-like fruit aroma. None the green apple aroma commonly found in beer but a lot like a fuji apple.

Taste - Extremely light flavor with the same fruit flavor from the nose. Again there is no noticeable grain or hop flavors. Just very, very light beer in general.

Mouthfeel - Thin, a little bit watery but with lots of carbonation. Actually kind of nice and refreshing.

Overall - This was actually pretty good and I think something like this would be a HUGE seller to the BMC crowd. I was pleasantly surprised.
Feb 23, 2010
Photo of drabmuh
Reviewed by drabmuh from Maryland

2.98/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Because of a random beer mail and a generous trade, I received this can from EinWeizenbitte. Poured from can into goblet.

Beer is clear, crystal clear, and light yellow. Head forms quickly and then dissipates. Carbonation is moderate to low and bubbles are quite large. Looks like a light lager in all honesty.

Aroma is sulfur at first. Its not light struck, its from a can, just some sulfur. It disappears quickly and leaves an unoffensive sweetness and plain aroma.

Mouthfeel is a little thin. There is an aftertaste that could be corn based. Tastes like an adjunct lager. There is almost no flavor until the end. Its not a very pleasing beer but its really unoffensive. Not much going on at all.

I don't know what makes a GOOD happoshu, since this is my first, but this beer is just generally boring. I bet you could drink a 6 pack of these while watching a football game on a Saturday and be perfectly fine.

Bottom line: Unoffensive, uninteresting, bland.
Oct 17, 2009
Photo of papat444
Reviewed by papat444 from Canada (QC)

2.68/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
"I got you babe...I got...you babe"
Like Bill Murray waking up to the same song, i'm just another in a long line of people thanking EinWeizenbitte for sending this to me as a freebie.

Poured out from a can. Canned date is 05/09, best before is 01/10. The can says made with New Zealand hops. We'll see...

Appearance: Pours a remarkably clear golden body with a rather thick white head that gradually disappears. Par for the course with the style i guess but it's not terribly attractive.

Smell: Major corn and some slight inoffensive skunkiness (if such a thing exists). My wife smells peaches but i don't get it.

Taste: So we start with an appearance and smell that aren't too bad but things go downhill from here. A grainy taste with some corn and maybe rice but it has a lingering skunky aftertaste mixed with a slight bitterness (but not the good kind). Kind of off-putting a little. For a beer that boasts using hops i was a least expecting a hint of hops but to no avail. I would have scored it higher but when you claim having hops, you better back it up and this one didn't.

Mouthfeel: Quite watery and thin with a very light body. Good carbonation but you aren't scoring high if that's your only good thing.

Drinkability: Not so much. A bit boring and was glad to have my wife take a couple of gulps to help me.

Overall: A bit uninspiring. Though i wasn't expecting to be bursting with hops, i was at least hoping to see a trace of it. No go and this beer fails on that account. It's not foul tasting by any means but it's quite bland actually. Oh well, i was happy to try a style that is practically impossible to have here.
Sep 24, 2009
Photo of johnnnniee
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire

3.06/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Received from EinWeizenbitte. Todd, thanks for the opportunity and the generosity!

Pours a clear pale golden color with a two finger bubbly white head that quickly dissipates to a thin cap on top of the glass. Smells of sweet malt slightly fruity and earthy. Not a whole lot going on in the nose, reminds me of Michelob Ultra or O'douls. Taste is mild slight fruit and sweet malt with just enough hop bitterness to be slightly detectable. There is a weird phenolic taste that I can best describe as what you get with that last sip of diet fountain soda from Burger King. You know when the plastic from the straw leeches itself upon the underlying drink inside the cup. Then again maybe that only happens to me :) Crisp carbonation, thin body with a bone dry finish. Mouthfeel reminds me a bit of sparkling water. 5% alcohol is virtually undetectable. I don't know if this a good Happoshu or bad. I felt it to be light and somewhat refreshing although not much flavor going on here. I am glad I got the opportunity to try this and if I'm ever in Japan I'll try some more.
Sep 15, 2009
Photo of Georgiabeer
Reviewed by Georgiabeer from Georgia

3.35/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Yet another thankful recipient of EinWeizenbitte's generosity here. Thanks so much for the chance to try this very elusive style. The can says "New Zealand Hop Included". My understanding of the style is that it is brewed mostly with rice with some barley as an adjunct, and was made originally to take advantage of some byzantine tax laws that taxed based on percentage of barley malt, or some such arbitrariness. I expected this to be have a very low abv, and I was surprised that this was 5%. Very cool textured can. pours a very pale golden with little head. A small cap sticks around. Smells of sweet rice and earthy hops. Light and grainy. Tastes better than expected. Quite a bit of rice flavor, and this is pretty ricey, with lots of sweet rice, not like a subtle adjunct as in Bud. Light and spritzy, but you can actually taste some hops here, which are earthy and herbal with perhaps a bit of citrus at the end. The mouthfeel is light, spritzy, and just slightly on the sweeter side, but quite refreshing. I am usually a fan of rice beverages, I love sake for instance, and the rice flavor is clean and deep here and the hops actually register. I find this strangely compelling.
Sep 13, 2009
Photo of brewdlyhooked13
Reviewed by brewdlyhooked13 from Ohio

2.93/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
I'm honored to join the EinWeizenbitte Brigade.

We the proud, we the few, we the samplers of Happoshu,
Suffer me now as I haiku...

(ahem)...

One more style tried
Thanks to the kindness of Todd
My first Happoshu!

(I'll just hang on to that day job...)

Appearance - pours a clean, pale straw color into a pilsner glass. A finger of snowy head forms quickly and dissipates just as fast. No lacing but a nice bead from below gives this a refreshing if not standard macro look.

Aroma - grain, slightly sweet, hints of a basic malt liquor or perhaps Miller Lite. Probably proper per style but not that great on the whole.

Taste - a husky flavor, I'm thinking corn and again being reminded of Miller, but more closer to the Genuine Draft than the light as the flavor is fuller. A late hint of something vapory, maybe minty, I'm not quite sure what it is. Could be that New Zealand hop ;-)... perhaps just the combination of that and the light alcohol bite. Not bad, it's reminding me of a 7-Up. Finishes clean, pretty darn refreshing.

Mouthfeel - highly carbonated, light thin lager style body.

Drinkability - not especially endearing, but it disappear readily. Thanks Todd!
Sep 10, 2009
Photo of TexIndy
Reviewed by TexIndy from Texas

2.9/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Like most reviewers I got mine from EinWeizenbitte (the Patron Saint of Sparkling Hop) - many, many thanks as this knocks a style off my list that I thought would be near impossible to get. Poured from a 350ml can into a pint glass. The can was very cool with a textured design in the middle half of the can. Bottom of can showed a May 2009 canned date with a best by date of Jan 2010. It was a clear pale straw color with several carb streams. No lacing. It had a huge bubbly white head that slowly settled into a whispy film and a collar.

The aroma was grain, corn, rice and a touch of hops. Was similar to several macro lagers and pilseners . Reminded me of a lawnmower beer. Not a big fan of this style of aroma but for what it was it was good. The taste however was really lacking. It starts out with a touch of flavor and you expect it to build or at least continue but it quickly faded to a barely there taste. The mouthfeel was nice and crisp from the high carbonation level.

Overall, it was an interesting beer. I got this to try the style so wasn't expecting much after reading the reviews and it pretty much delivered what I expected in aroma but was disappointing in the taste. Hugely appreciative of EinWeizenbitte for giving me the chance to try it.
Aug 24, 2009
Photo of tpd975
Reviewed by tpd975 from Florida

3.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Big Big Thanks to EinWeizenbitte for this one. Arrived today, give it a slight chill before popping it open.

A: Pours a very bright yellow hue with hints of brillant gold. The head is nice tall and foamy. Not much retention but there are lots of bubbles racing to the top.

S: Light aromas of corn, rice, and lemon grass.

T: Simple macro flavors as well. Grains are there with corn coming to mind for sure. Hints of cardboard, with notes of lemon, and a touch of grass.

M: Very light, zippy carbonation.

D: Not too bad. Glad I was able to try the style, once again a huge thanks to EinWeizenbitte for hauling these home to share.
Aug 24, 2009
Photo of indiapaleale
Reviewed by indiapaleale from Maine

3.35/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
More beer karma for EinWeizenbitte for brining this one back from Japan AND THEN sending it across the US to me and asking for nothing in return. A true BA.
The can is actually textured with some nice little hops adorning the front logo. It reads, "New Zealand Hop Included", I looked in the can but didn't see it. Oh well, maybe next time. Hahaha. On to the review.

Sparkling Hop pours very much like a macro lager. Its light gold, its very carbonated and it produces a very loose, but thick, head.

The aroma is hard to place, it certainly isn't a lot of hops that is for sure. Its more of a metallic, corn and lemony smell. Its not altogether bad but it does make me think that drinking directly from the can may give you better results.

The taste is very light and dry. It almost disappears off my tongue like cotton candy. There are some subtle sweet fruit flavors, some more lemony citrus and maybe just maybe a squidge of those New Zealand hops (but maybe not).

I'm not going to lie, Sparkling Hop is not an amazing beer. Sorry to offend any Happoshu lovers. I will say this about this beer, it is refreshing. Its light, crisp and easy drinking.
Aug 18, 2009
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

2.96/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Big thanks to EinWeizenbitte for bringing this can all they way back from Japan and sending it to me gratis - feel free to call in a favor whenever, man. Canned in February 2009, best before October of the same year. I dig the nutritional information - 42 calories/100ml (147 for the whole can). Served in my Surly pint glass.

A - Pours with a huge four fingers of foam that dissolve pretty rapidly and leaves behind some tiny spots of lacing. The brew is a crystal-clear straw color with a few bubbles lazily rising to the top. Looks pretty decent.

S - Smells pretty adjunct lager-y. There's perhaps a touch of floral grassy hops (could these be the "New Zealand Hop Included!" as the can proudly proclaims?). Some lime and a bit of sweet maltiness.

T - Taste is a little less offensive. Some adjunct corny types of flavors, with a little bit of sweetness at the back end. There's some noble-esque hops (from New Zealand!) that set it apart from American macro swell, but they're pretty understated. Aftertaste is also better in that it's pretty neutral, with just some touches of sweetness.

M - Medium carbonation, with only a slight tingle - still feels a little bit gassy. Medium body, not overly grainy, with some nice residual stickiness. Could be a lot worse.

D - I'd pick this over most macros, and it wasn't too hard to finish (although it was a bit bloaty). Positives include the can format, neutral aftertaste, low ABV, and price (in Japan). Still, I'm not gonna rush out to sample other examples of Happoshu any time soon.
Jun 08, 2009
Photo of IBUnit63
Reviewed by IBUnit63 from Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Will give you one guess where I got this from...of course, EinWeizenbitte is again the generous soul who's apparently the official American BA fence for Happoshu. Many thanks for sharing this one. I'm using the Sea Dog pint glass for this one.

It pours like a very diluted Mountain Dew - a little bit of a chartreuse character in it. Head is a good 1 ½ fingers but very loose - if there could be muffin tunnels in a rice cake they'd look like this. Extremely well-carbonated; even with larger bubbles. It's all moving quickly.

It has a definite macro character, with a little raw Saaz hop silage and then definite adjunct...whether it be corn, rice, or Panko bread crumbs...I have no idea - am forgetting what's allowed in here for the classifaction - definitely has a large rice character but what else? I get it...if it's ½ rice and corn (or even 1/3) it sounds like it's legit for a Happoshu.

It does have a boiled quality that has a little dishwater component. Not like that dreaded Kvass stuff, though. This is far more spritely and overall this drinks OK given the sort of clammy stewy silage in there. The husky <insert name of mystery adjunct here..rice I guess> gives the small hop quotient a little bit of pine and balsa wood. Sweetness seems to be of the corn sugar variety.

It doesn't have a nasty aftertaste - it's a little bit of sugary riceiness. The carbonation cleans it up pretty well to avoid a harsh, nasty aftertaste. Finish leaves a little stewy Saaz in there - maybe not prime real estate...but not enough to make this intolerable.

Hey, I didn't know what to expect, but this exceeded my expectations. If I was a dude in Japan golfing on the weekend after ponying up my 500,000 yen a round or whatever the hell it is to golf in Tokyo, I wouldn't mind a cold sixer of these puppies in my bag. Why not? I'm kinda getting bummed that it's getting towards the empty part of the glass to tell you the truth, so that's gotta say something.
Jun 05, 2009
Photo of brdc
Reviewed by brdc from Wisconsin

1.84/5  rDev -41.6%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2
I think I owe thanks to einweizenbitte for this one; it arrived at my doorsteps without a lot of information, and quite banged up - the stamp indicates it spent a lot of time in transit.

Can, poured into a pint glass.
Very clear yellow color, voluminous white head, poor retention, no lacing.
Aroma is mostly rice, perhaps a faint grassy hoppiness, but I think I am looking too hard.
Very very thin, almost devoid of taste, again with a hint of rice. It feels like the water you cook the rice, mixed with a beer, and more water added.
It is a very mediocre beer, but I am very happy I finally tried this elusive style. If this is truly representative, it is a style to be forgotten.
May 07, 2009
Photo of CrellMoset
Reviewed by CrellMoset from Virginia

3.06/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Can courtesy of proteus93 and split w/ proteus93 and dkachur, w/ my portion poured into a tasting glass.

Appearance: Very crisp and clean looking, bubbly and light, with incredibly fast effervescence racing towards the surface, well-dispersed. The one finger of white, soapy head fades quickly into a sheen and - surprisingly, remarkably! - there are a few eruptions of lacing. The color is crisp, bright, clear, pale golden, like a well-hydrated man.

Aroma: Oh jeeze, that's not pleasant. Faint and a little skunky-esque, though it can't be actually skunky given that it's in a can, with faint, grassy, hay-like hops, like a lawn that's been mowed but, not anytime soon. Maybe a week ago? Anyway, yeah, not great.

Taste: Skunky from a can always makes me nervous. There are a few funky banana like notes - do they belong?! I don't know! - and a few other lightly fruity esters, accompanied by pale sweetness, rice, honey-esque notes, additives. The hops are definitely present - slightly citrusy, grassy - though not too in your face.

Mouthfeel: Well carbonated, in a moderately thick though pretty much thin body, resulting in a slightly creamy but still thin and crisp beer, solid without being too impressive.

Drinkability: It really just tastes like a slightly hoppier Bud Select or something, with that same pale, slightly gross malt backbone, a faint, tart and leafy hop note, and low abv%. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought, though, so, to be fair, I'll have to recommend it ... if you're a happoshu fan. You ARE a happoshu fan, right?
Apr 11, 2009
Photo of Proteus93
Reviewed by Proteus93 from Virginia

2.68/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Thanks to EinWeizenbitte for picking this up while in Japan, like most others. Split it up with dkachur and CrellMoset.

A: 'Swill yellow'... that pale, crisp look. Head forms quickly, and reasonably, and then recedes to almost nothing.

S: A very grassy and somewhat skunky scent. When there seems to be skunkiness in a canned beer, it's a little odd. We all noted something like very green, unripe banana.

T: Fortunately, the flavour is not skunky or as strange as the nose. Still grassy, some rice is apparent.

M + D: A little more body, with a slightly softer carbonation than I expected. It goes down pretty straight and easy, like many 'lawnmower beers' There are others that I would take before it, but iI can actually tolerate this one.
Apr 11, 2009
Sparkling Hop from Kirin Brewery Company, Limited
Beer rating: 76 out of 100 with 38 ratings