Japanese Rice Lager
Helper Beer

this, im pretty sure, is the best rice lager ive ever had. its exquisite, unique, and masterfully crafted and refined, brilliant beer, done with rice they toast in the pizza oven at the brewery, brewed with some kind of green tea and sansho peppers, truly a work of art, seems crazy it came from such a small town and unknown operation, this really is among the best beers ive had all year, they have to be proud of this one! gorgeous pour, with an inch of white head that rises over the rim of my glass, immaculate clarity and lots of tiny carbonation, i believe they naturally carbonate their lagers, pretty cool, this looks sensational, super light and clean. the nose is somewhat subtle but its tidy and together and shows little pops of white floral character from the rice, a little green peppercorn or even caper thing from the sansho, and just a little fresh herbal tea-like presence without having that be a huge aromatic factor, the rice is distinctive, there is subtle sweetness, a wildflower honey note, and a summery white wine aspect too, wildly complex but cohesive, so vibrant, neither overly tea or pepper driven to me, but those contributions are invaluable, and the ferment is wonderful as well. the flavor is so good, i cant even believe how unique this is, no bitterness at all from the tea, but its such an interesting addition, cant believe how integral it seems now, like it would be missing if it were gone. the pepper part is cool, herbal and floral at the same time, not spicy at all but fairly assertive, it cant hide, sort of sage-like for a second with the tea, high end green olive, and more rice character overall in this than these ever seem to have without being too toasty or rich, insane how delicate this is to drink really, and the carbonation is magic. i could drink 40 of these, i dont know, i dont think i could ever get tired of this, which really is my highest compliment. as good a beer as ive had all year, elite quality, intelligent recipe, incredible.

Review: 2453
Name: Japanese Rice Lager
Brewer: Helper Beer
Location: Helper, UT
Style: Japanese Rice Lager
ABV: 5%
Canned: May 2025
Date: 10 July 2025
It is another new brewery for me; I did sample some of their offerings at Mountain Brewers Fest. I am using a flute glass, and the serving temperature is 42 degrees. The pour created a frothy, airy, foamy, two-fingered head with excellent retention. The slow dissipation left massive lacing on the glass. The color is pale straw charting at SRM 1 and transparent. The appearance of the beer is excellent, especially for a rice lager.
Nosing the glass, I detect notes of toasted rice, herbal, grassy, light floral bouquet, lightly toasted crackers with an underlying hint of sweetness,

Sipping the beer, I noticed it was not a typical rice lager; it had adjuncts. A lightly toasted rice with crackers, grassy, herbal, and bay leaf notes, light floral esters, and a hint of sweetness. The beer has this peppery finish, giving the hint of pepper.
The mouthfeel is crisp, finishing dry and clean. The body is light and has high carbonation.
Final Thought: The beer was a surprise to me; the adjuncts created texture and depth with the beer. The green tea is evident with a light peppery finish. Overall, this beer was a delight to try. The brewers used a deft hand in creating this potion.