Please Help Japan

Ryuhyou Draft (流氷Draft) Okhotsk Blue

This is a blue beer. Seriously. It's blue.

Ok, technically it's not a beer, it's a happoshu (the second category of beers in Japan, using less malt), but still, it's blue.

Ryuhyou (流氷) in Japanese means "drift ice", I'm not sure if this was made with drift ice water or it's just a nice marketing gimmick as it's blue. Did I mention this was a blue beer?

Ok, here's my review, it has a strange light greeny-blue (cyan?) colour to it which is very pretty if a little odd.

It actually has a fairly beery hoppy smell but also some soapy, chemical notes too.

Tastewise it's a pretty chemical tasting happoshu, not surprising really as I'm sure the blue colouring isn't "natural".

Initially it was almost beer like in a way but the more I drank the more the happoshu taste came through and that strange carbonated water feel that they often have.

There is some texture and volume (weight) to it though, it's medium bodied to use a wine term and fairly full in the mouth.

It was a novelty drink though, wouldn't try it again.
Definitely a one-off.

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