Hite Beer Review: HiteJinro’s Legacy Korean Lager

By Dan Smullen
3.2/5
Hite is HiteJinro’s legacy lager and the beer that gave the whole company its name, a mild, malt-and-rice pale lager built for pairing with food rather than sipping solo.

Hite Beer Review at a Glance

StyleEuropean-style pale lager (malt and rice adjunct)
ABV4.5%
BreweryHiteJinro (formerly Chosun Beer, founded 1924)
CountrySouth Korea
Serving temp2 to 4 C (35 to 39 F)
US availabilityAsian grocery retailers, specialty import shops
Bottle of Hite beer poured into a glass at an outdoor table
Hite is brewed by HiteJinro, the company that took its name from this beer.

How It Tastes

Hite pours a pale, bright gold with a thin white head that fades fast. The nose is mostly clean grain with a light floral hop touch. It drinks thin-bodied and slightly sweet up front, courtesy of the rice in the grain bill, with almost no bitterness and a short, clean finish. It is built the same way Budweiser or other American rice lagers are: refreshing, unchallenging, and made to be drunk very cold alongside food rather than analyzed.

Hite tastes like it was built for a table full of Korean fried chicken, not a tasting flight, and it does that one job well.
Malt
2/5
Hops
1/5
Bitterness
1/5
Body
2/5
Drinkability
4/5
Our tasting scores, 1 (low) to 5 (high).
Pros
  • The beer that gave HiteJinro its name, a genuine legacy brand
  • Very easy-drinking, low-bitterness profile
  • Widely available at Asian grocery retailers in the US
  • Pairs well with Korean fried chicken and barbecue
Cons
  • Has lost domestic market share to Cass and Terra over the past decade
  • Thin body, minimal aroma
  • Not stocked on Saucey
Final score3.2 / 5
Availability note: Hite is not stocked on Saucey but is widely available in the US through Asian grocery retailers and specialty import shops.
See how Hite compares to Korea’s other major brands in our Korean beer guide, or check our Cass beer review and Terra beer review for how the three compare side by side.

FAQs

Is Hite a Korean beer?

Yes. Hite is brewed by HiteJinro, a South Korean company founded in 1924 that took its current name from this beer after a 1993 rebrand.

How strong is Hite beer?

Hite is 4.5% ABV.

Is Hite the same company as Terra?

Yes. Both Hite and Terra are brewed by HiteJinro, Hite is the company’s legacy flagship, while Terra is a newer lager launched in 2019 to win back market share from Cass.

Can you buy Hite in the US?

Yes, Hite is available at Asian grocery retailers and specialty import shops in the US, though it is not currently stocked on Saucey.

For more on Korean beer culture and the Cass-versus-Hite rivalry, see our Korean beer guide.

Dan Smullen Beer is my life profile
Dan smullen, beer EXPERT

Hi, I'm Dan, founder of BeerIsMyLife. I've been an avid homebrewer for over ten years, and beer is my true passion. I've traveled all over the world, visiting breweries, tasting beer, as well as making my own batches. I set up this blog to share that experience with you.

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