Rice Beer

Ive tried rice beers from Japan before, where there is a strong tradition of brewing with rice. Actually, theres a tradition of brewing with rice in the US too, but not very well. The big name brewers use rice and corn for their beers because its cheaper than barley, but they usually dont do it well. This one does. Its the Samurai Rice Ale from Great Divide Brewing Company in Colorado.
While Japanese beers tend to be light and dry, this one keeps the flavor more in line with American tastes. Its a lovely pale gold, with lots of carbonation, and slightly cloudy. The aroma is amazing for a beer. Ever stick your head inside a box of rice crispies? Yup, thats what this smells like. Lightly sweet and ricy, plus some hoppy notes just to tease you. The flavor is quite nice, if on the light side. You get the tickling light sweetness of the rice malt, plus a touch of citrus and some crisp spicy notes from the hops. The aftertaste is not heavy at all, but has enough bitterness to balance. Overall a darn refreshing beer.
Look: 3 - cloudy gold
Aroma: 5 - rice crispies. seriously. wow.
Taste: 3 - light and clean
Feel: 3 - good body for a light beer
Total: 3.5