Sapporo Premium Beer

So to break up the American beer's I've been featuring, lets talk about an import:

Sapporo Breweries: Premium Beer

So this came as somewhat of a recommendation from a friend, so I figured I would give it a shot. I do not know much about imports and all of the different styles and breweries and things, but, what the heck- beer is beer, right?

Sapporo has been around making beer in Japan since 1876. Sapporo is named after the city where the brewery got its start all those years ago. Over time, the company has grown and merged with different Japan breweries and at one time was a monopoly in Japan. The company recently (2006) bought a brewery in Ontario, Canada to help produce beer and it is the main place the beer is produced for the American market. They also have 5 breweries in Canada.

How did it taste? Not much different from an American lager (although better than most of the mass produced lagers for sure). It has a 5.0%ABV and is a yellow, clear, carbonation bubble filled beer that is light and goes down easy. As for taste specifics - it has a hint of rice/grains and maybe some hops on the back end that give it some taste, but generally there isn't much there to talk about.

I wouldn't call it terrible, or even bad, but it isn't something I will be looking to buy a bunch of in the future. Honestly, it was similar to Red Stripe (one of my favorite beach beers), but had less taste - so for now I'll just stick to the stripe if I'm looking for an import lager. 

(Beer Advocate Reviews)

I'll pour me one more tomorrow and let you know how it is. Until then- Cheers.