Kirin Ichiban

My parents are awesome.  They came to visit this weekend for my birthday and for Mother's Day, and they brought me the best present(s) -- a mixed sixer of beers I've never had before.  I was in the mood for something light and mild, so I started with a Kirin Ichiban:

Vittles: 

5% abv

Appearance: 8/10

The light golden body, topped with about an inch or so of white foam, does look pretty refreshing.  Once it was poured, there seemed to be very little effervescence in the glass.

Aroma: 19/25

The aroma is mellow and mild.  It smells faintly of malt, a smooth graininess, but I don't smell much aside from that.

Taste: 25/40

The taste, like the aroma, is mellow and mild.  I went into tasting this beer expecting flavors similar to Budweiser and was pleasantly surprised -- where Bud has a sharp acrid character, Kirin Ichiban is very smooth and gentle.  The taste is, as you would expect from this style, very faint, but it's enjoyable for the style, and if given the choice, I would choose Kirin Ichiban over BMC.  There was, however, a slight flavor that detracted a little.  It had a stale grain flavor that was very mild, not overly noticeable, but worth mentioning.

Mouthfeel: 8/10

I was a little surprised -- I was expecting it to be very watery and thin, but it was actually a light-medium bodied beverage, which added a bit to my enjoyment of the beer.

Style: 4/5

While Kirin Ichiban tastes like an adjunct lager, it is apparently 100% malt.  And that comes through in the flavor and the mouthfeel.  However, I think I would consider it a premium American lager (despite coming from Japan --  hell, the BJCP lists Red Stripe as a premium American lager, and that's from Jamaica, so what the hell, right?)

Drinkability: 7/10

It's so easy to drink beers like this if you're not looking for bold flavor or a hop punch, which I wasn't when I grabbed this one.  It's a very good representation of its style, and it's a smooth beverage that doesn't interfere too much with your palate, so you can pair it with almost anything.  It's also very mild and refreshing, so it's a good beer for a hot, sunny day when you're looking for something with a touch of flavor, but isn't overbearing.

Overall: 71/100

I'm not generally a fan of this sort of lager, but I did enjoy this beer.  I wasn't looking for a thick, heavy, or boldly flavored beer, which is one of the reasons it hit the spot last night.  Like I said above, it's a good example of its style, not a great beer, but better than other similar beers I've tried in the past.

I can't believe how many beers I have on hand now, thanks to my very supportive parents and husband.  Can't wait to wade through all of them!!  Cheers!