What the Heck is This?

I was reading sonofgrock's thread on Making Traditional rice Wine. Cheap, Fun, and Different and I thought I might give it a try this weekend. I went to the Asian market here in KC and struck out on finding the yeast, but they did have a cooler full of the usual candidates. They also had this stuff, which I have never seen before:





The discussion of red rice in that other thread piqued my interest when I saw this ... but I'm almost afraid to try it. I know, I might have to give up my man card for saying that but I have *no* idea what to expect. Here's what it looked like from the drive home:



Please don't tell anyone I might fear a beer ... I might have to resort to drinking this other stuff I saw there:

I ain't got no mamm's or a uterus

But I drink it just for the taste of it

It's listed as a belgian strong pale ale here:

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/697/4770

Hey, I have tea from Health King. Mine is "Booze Remedy." No lie. My wife bought it when she was 9 pregnant as a joke.

Interesting, thanks for the link RP. I did not want to taste it without any context - that's a strange thing for a (former) beer judge. My wife always asks "what beer do you like best?" and I can never answer. It's all in terms of how close it is to style.

It was easier when I picked beer based on how much I could buy for the money I had left.

Next time I'm out for Sushi I'm asking for that then instead of Sapporo. I though all Japan had were lagers.

That's a great beer!

Tell us what you think.

I used to love it but not sure it has been the same since part of the brewery washed away due to the 2011 quake/tsunami!

woodstone said:

since part of the brewery washed away due to the 2011 quake/tsunami!

Click to expand...

Well that explains the chunkies I see.

I'll probably try it when my brew partner gets back up here. @ $4 a bottle I didn't want to buy more than one in case I don't like it.

Part of the brewery did not wash away, but the earthquake did cause damage. They had a batch in the mash tun or fermentor that sat for days and was infected by lactobacillus that they eventually bottled and sold that was a great sour beer.
There is craft beer in Japan, Hitachino Nest is fairly available in the US. They also have a beer aged in sake barrels that is great, called something like XH. The red rice beer is interesting, give it a try.

That beer is interesting. Just drink with an open mind. The hitachino nest white ale is awesome! If you find that I would pick it up. I'm acually propagating some of their yeast from white ale dregs right now.

I love hitachino red rice!!!!

Great beer. Their espresso stout is also wonderful

Now, there is a difference between red yeast rice and red rice, not the same thing.

I've found a couple varieties of hitachino at my local trader joe's. The red rice is one of my current favorites.