Hanamachi
Bottle Logic Brewing

HanamachiHanamachi
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Bottle Logic Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
Japanese Rice Lager
Ranked #20
ABV:
6.3%
Score:
85
Ranked #21,056
Avg:
3.76 | pDev: 11.17%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
88
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 05, 2023
Added:
May 30, 2014
Wants:
  11
Gots:
  12
This seasonal treasure is brilliantly delicate; it’s dry and bright with prominent rice character that pairs beautifully with fresh sushi.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Beersnake
Reviewed by Beersnake from California

3.93/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from can at fridge temp. Pours a semi-transparent yellow with a relatively thin layer of white head. Bubbles rising throughout. The nose is wheat, lemon, grass, wood, and slight bready note. The taste follows the nose. Definitely dry. Light lemon, wheat, biscuit, and corn. Very enjoyable.
Dec 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.19 by Abstractspirit from Rhode Island

Aug 11, 2023
Photo of Holderness
Reviewed by Holderness from Massachusetts

3.79/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
First Bottle Logic offering that isn't a BBA stout -- and found on shelves in MA no less! Although the appearance is pretty standard lager, this is highly quaffable with a nice light balance of rice-derived sweetness and herbal hop notes

76/100
Jun 16, 2023
 
Rated: 3.96 by bschmidt_37 from Illinois

May 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by shigg85 from Japan

Apr 09, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by RBorsato from Virginia

Feb 14, 2023
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Undated can; drank 1/272/23 @ the Yarchives.

See-through pale yellow appearance.

A rough pour yielded a big, noisy white head; frothy lace.

Creamed corn, white rice & faint honey notes in the nose.

Sticky, medium mouthfeel.

Sweet rice, honey & mild cream flavors.

They warned this would be dry, but I found it mildly sweet & a touch sticky; overall enjoyable. I'd have another!
Feb 06, 2023
Photo of Bk0078
Reviewed by Bk0078 from California

4.47/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
The hanamachi is the best japanese Lager on the market, hands down. The rice is the first and most prominent flavor you taste. The balance of this beer is perfect- nothing is missing, and nothing is overdone. It pairs perfectly with many meals, or it can be enjoyed alone, or even better with some nice Japanese Otsumami.
Dec 12, 2022
Photo of cakebutt
Rated by cakebutt

4.23/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
slightly stronger than Asahi, still really good and drinkable.
Aug 29, 2022
Photo of Poizhan
Reviewed by Poizhan from California

4.3/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Look: Pale yellow almost golden, minimal lacing, bubbly

Smell: Rice, malt, a hint of skunk like a Heineken but it's very faint and not offensive

Taste: Malt, hops, rice beer signature sweetness, very dry, like a ginger-ale without the overly sweet notes

Feel: Really smooth and drinkable, I could drink these all nights without blinking.

Overall: It reminder me of a bud lite, but actually something I'd want to put in my mouth, bravo bottle logic
Aug 22, 2022
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

4.02/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The clear and lightly sparkling pale gold body builds a tall but quick to collapse white head settling to a sparse film and bubbly doily ring.

Though mildly so, it's surprisingly toasty for the style, while also exhibiting an herbal bitterness that comes close to pilsner qualities.

There are hints of corn and waxy rice, but not as much as I expected, accented also by a touch of white grape skin.

The light body has a softly crisp carbonation and comes to a bone dry finish.
Jun 29, 2022
 
Rated: 3.77 by dexterk1 from Illinois

Dec 02, 2021
 
Rated: 3.83 by Humanusfermentum from Virginia

Aug 06, 2021
 
Rated: 3.52 by Azpittil57 from Arizona

Jun 27, 2020
Photo of just1cho
Reviewed by just1cho from California

3.71/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
*Poured into a Teku glass from a 16oz can*

The beer poured a clear light yellow with a fluffy finger thick white head. It had a lot of fast rising bubbles while having a head with moderate to low amount of retention. This had the classic lager look that I love, but it didn't look like anything particularly special.

On the nose, notes of sweet starchy rice jumped out at me instantly in the front. It didn't really smell like anything special as this is pretty typical of Japanese rice lagers. Honestly though, the aroma made me a bit nostalgic, bringing me back to nights I went to sushi restaurants with friends.

The taste was pretty normal and wasn't anything special. To be honest, I don't think I would be able to distinguish this from any other Japanese rice lager. I enjoy Kirin and Asahi, so this was very enjoyable, but one note and a bit uninteresting. The taste of mellow slightly sweet rice permeated throughout my entire experience drinking this beer, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. There was a slight hop bitterness in the end and aftertaste, but other than that, there wasn't any other depth or complexity to it.

The feel on this beer was predictably light-bodied, dry from start to finish, mod-high carbonation, and refreshing. With a relatively low ABV, I thought that this was very easy to drink. I can definitely see myself drinking multiples of these, preferably with some sushi.

Overall, I thought this was very good, but nothing really special. This is more expensive than both Kirin and Asahi, and if you put all three beers next to me, they'd be almost indistinguishable in taste. If you're out to save money, buy Kirin or Asahi. But if you want to support craft beer and more specifically Bottle Logic Brewing, I'd definitely get this instead.
Jun 23, 2020
Photo of entheos
Reviewed by entheos from California

3.43/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5
It’s more like a saki that tastes like a lager than a lager alone. Very crisp and clean, but halting in it’ll the way it pours down the throat. Definitely a lager aftertaste, but rice lagers can better than this.
Jun 20, 2020
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Perfectly clear gold body with two fingers of white foam. Smell is mild, as one reviewer put perfectly, it smells like regular rice cakes, I will also add slight sweet malt. Taste adds some playful grassy hops with hints of lemon to the cereal malts and sweet rice. Feel is smooth, bright, light but not watery, and crushable. It still isn't an exciting beer, but the best I have had of the style by far.
Jun 05, 2020
 
Rated: 4.05 by jtk21351 from California

May 15, 2020
 
Rated: 3.11 by TheWyatt from California

Mar 22, 2020
 
Rated: 3.66 by PhineasMcClintock from Massachusetts

Mar 06, 2020
Hanamachi from Bottle Logic Brewing
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 88 ratings