United Nations of Beer

Iwate Kura White ale

by Ashley Cotter-Cairns
(UNOB HQ)

Iwate Kura White ale (5% ABV)
Iwate Kura, Japan
Visit the UNOB's Japanese beer guide

Newsflash! There is LOTS of life beyond the big-brand Japanese beer names like Asahi Super Dry or Sapporo. Thanks to Douglas Gloag, who brought me over 20 or so Japanese small-brand beers to try recently, I am being exposed to these amazing brews. So should you.

This beer label is a true work of art. It's simply stunning! I don't know whether the bee is a hint that honey was involved in this brew, but there is certainly more sweetness than you'd expect from a regular white beer.

Pour is a cloudy orangey colour, similar to apple juice. The head rapidly dissipates. Less smell than most white beers, very subtle.

While many white beers assault your taste buds with tons of wheat, this is a clean, lighter experience. Very fragrant-tasting, like drinking flower nectar. A nicely balanced bitterness cuts the sweetness perfectly. I really like this beer.