I ran out of beer, so I went to the nearby convenience store to pick up a few cans to last me until the weekend. I got a few Sapporo Black Labels, but don’t expect me to write about those – I don’t know beers enough to write meaningfully about mass-market brews. I didn’t intend to write about Grand Kirin either, but then…

Grand Kirin

I poured myself a glass of it, and the impressive grainy lager nose caught me from three miles and an inch away. It’s the grainy, sour aroma that is simply “the beer smell” to me. There is dry bitterness to it and thick malts.

It’s gold colored with a medium-sized head that disappears quite quickly, only leaving behind some minor lacing.

It’s got a smooth medium body with light carbonation. The hops’ aroma is subdued, but their bitterness is allowed space some. It’s grainy and dry. There is a thickness to it that reminds me of smoked cheese, and something like grill spice.

Its taste itself isn’t near as powerful as the nose would suggest, which was quite a letdown.