Kirin Beer And Team Fortress 2

What does the Japanese beer Kirin have in common with the video game Team Fortress 2?

Nothing.

There was a sale for Kirin 24 pack of beer for $14. Just like when I did the Inexpensive Beer Week Review a while back, drinking good beer for an inexpensive price is always a good thing! I bought a few packs to stock up, and if I need to bring some over to a friends cookout, I won't seem like a cheap bastard by walking in with just a little six pack! Plus the novelty of not bringing in the generic macrobrew stuff.

So I'm playing the video game Team Fortress 2, which if you don't know what that is, it's a class based, first person shooter that splits the players into two teams. You can play as 9 different classes ranging from a heavy gunner, spy, engineer, and even to the team's medic.

Drinking and playing video games usually isn't a great combination, especially in a game that requires fast reflexes. In one game session, I finished 4 beers. What I noticed was that I wasn't getting a dull buzz, but still retained my somewhat sharp, albeit relaxed focus. I'm so enjoying life right now playing Team Fortress 2 and enjoying long sips of this beer.

This beer is good! It's not a crafted beer, but still a flavorful Japanese beer. When people mention Japanese beer, they tend to think of dry beer like the the number 1 selling beer in Japan: Asahi Super Dry. I personally don't like Asahi, it's too light in flavor. I'm personally a flavor type beer drinker.

It's got a familiar taste, but I couldn't figure it out. When I looked up for more info, I found it's brewed by Anheiser Busch in the US, the same people that brew Budweiser. Ah-hah! I'd like to one day compare the one brewed in Japan by Kirin and the one brewed here in the US. I think the Kirin brewed in Japan will be slightly lighter and crisper, as that needs to be a common characteristic so it doesn't overpower the delicate flavors of Japanese foods.

That little animal you see in the logo is the kirin. It's the Chinese mythical beast, which the beer is named after.

If you want a similar beer to Budweiser or Coors, but want a fresher and crisper tasting beer, then Kirin Beer is an excellent choice. Most of my friends like Saporro, and I do to, but given the choice between Saporro and Kirin, I'll take Kirin for the heavier taste.