United Nations of Beer

Jokki beer

by Daniel Burt
(Beer Delegate, Japan)

Jokki beer (5% ABV)
See more reviews of Japanese beer here

If you were to look up the word "average" in the dictionary, do you know what you'd see a picture of? Nothing, it is, of course, a dictionary. However, after that initial disappointment you will find the following definition -

average
Function:
adjective
Date:
1770
1: equaling an arithmetic mean
2 a: being about midway between extremes (a man of average height) b: not out of the ordinary: COMMON (the average person)

Which, I think holistically and wholly describes Jokki beer. Whilst I could end the review right there all thanks to my trusty Collins dictionary, I, ever the courageous booze reporter, always like to go the extra mile for you, dear reader, the sozzled faithful.

So, average then; this could be misconstrued as perhaps a negative, but really connotations my ass, all it means is that Jokki beer fulfills all my modest expectations of what a lager should taste like. Granted, you're unlikely to spend hours discussing Jokki's flavourful bouquet (maybe not even minutes) but, contrarily you're also unlikely to wonder if you've just spent the last 15 minutes drinking some governmentally approved brand of drinkable AIDS; a happy middle ground, wouldn't you say?

So, while you're sipping your generic canned lager you're not going to be troubled by excessive gas/fizz; there's no unpleasant after-taste as there's nothing particularly overwhelming about the initial taste; It's quietly unassuming, lending you the essential alcoholic boost in confidence without seeing the need to impose superfluous taste.

At this Niigata kite festival I unwittingly consumed six Jokki beers and, whilst I became drunk and unspeakably charming the catalyst, this innocuous canned lager, hardly registered on my mind (as is only proper, there should be no distractions at a Kite festival, it's a no-nonsense affair).

So, there you have it, if you want to get puzzled on moderately priced beer, Jokki beer ticks all the basic lager conventions; look no further than its unremarkable packaging and you'll have 5% ABV of timid alcoholic pleasure.