Kiwi Samurai
Barbarian Brewing

really flavorful rice lager here done with new zealand hops, super minimal on the grain side, and light in body too, pretty clean too, but more than just a drinker at the same time, this is packed with nuance. the rice is floral and starchy and light in here, i dont even really get much else in this, maybe some light european pils type malt but thats about it, the color is so pale too, almost too light to really look like beer, short white head from the tap is all. the nose and flavor really are driven by the motueka hops, lemongrass and green tea and dill and honeysuckle, white wine and kiwi fruit, melon and pineapple, grassy but not bitter or vegetal, really compelling hop profile, and super fresh and well dosed as well, both of which are evident here. there is some light oiliness from the hops that plays well with the texture of the rice in the mash, and this seems more committed than a lot of these, both in terms of letting the rice lead, and in terms of leaning hard into the new zealand hops, so many beers try to do this now, but so few ever really get here. subtle hints of wildflower honey, jasmine, and sugar cookie. a little more attention to detail would make this better though, more carbonation for one thing, a little weirdness to the yeast as it warms is slightly distracting, way cleaner when its colder, and overall i think it could be even drier than it is to really pop, but the rice and the hops together are awesome and i like the way this turned out. i have not had a ton of lagers from these guys so far, but this one is really promising. very distinctive, should crush for them this summer.