Most Popular New Genre Beers on the Market

OK, me and Miki got together for some serious drinking, but we had nothing to compare. So what do you do? We picked some beers we already had before. This time we picked the most popular new genre brands of the four major Japanese beer makers. Same old, same old... here comes the ranking. Oh, forgot to say, our ranking was identical.

1. Suntory Kinmugi
2. Clear Asahi
3. Sapporo Mugi to Hop / The Gold
4. Kirin Nodogoshi Nama

Yebisu Natsu no Koku

Just like the can says, it is best "on the rocks." Nice 7% punch. Actually it is/was only available as part of gift packs, but for some reason I came across two cans of this brew at a local Sugita store which is about to go out of business in a few days.

Name: Yebisu Natsu no Koku

Ingredients: Malt, hops

Alcohol content: 7%

Tax category: Beer

Company: Sapporo Breweries

Asahi Aqua Blue

For ranking, check out my Light Happōshu post.

Name: Asahi Aqua Blue

Launch:

Ingredients: Malt, hops, barley, barley extract, starch, sugars, yeast extract, seaweed extract

Alcohol content: 5%

Tax category: Happōshu

Company: Asahi Breweries 

Asahi Style Free

For ranking, check out my Light Happōshu post.

 

Name: Asahi Style Free

Launch:
Ingredients: Malt, hops, sugars, caramel pigment, yeast extract, soy protein
Alcohol content: 4%
Tax category: Happōshu
Company: Asahi Breweries

Light Happōshu

Another weekend, another beer battle. This time, we compared all six low cal/low carb happōshu (low malt beer) currently on the market. My partner in crime was my fellow beer lover Miki. We usually stay away from light beer, but we decided what the heck let's give'em a try. However, our prejudice against light beer proved us right. Light beer just doesn't cut it for us. But nevermind all that. Here comes our ranking. 

Miki's ranking
1. Asahi Aqua Blue
2. Kirin Zero
3. Asahi Style Free
4. Kirin Tanrei Green Label
5. Sapporo Koku Zero
6. Kirin Tanrei Double

My ranking
1. Sapporo Koku Zero
2. Asahi Aqua Blue
3. Kirin Tanrei Green Label
4. Kirin Zero
5. Asahi Style Free
6. Kirin Tanrei Double

See ranking of light new genre here.

Fall Lineup 2014

Well I'm only human. Just realized that Kirin has been putting out "real" beers in the fall. So I apologize for segregating Sapporo's winter edition last year for being real beer. (Actually I am writing this post in January 2015 and I left out Sapporo's winter beer in 2014 as well.)

Anyways, I was gonna have a little get together and compare these brews, but for whatever reason I ended up drinking them by myself. But just for the heck of it, let me post this group pic of these babies.

Suntory Aki no Zeitaku

Great taste, but it tastes kinda like Kirin's Koi Aji.

Name: Suntory Aki no Zeitaku

Launch date: 

Ingredients: Happōshu (malt, hops, sugars), spirits (wheat), carbon dioxide

Alcohol content: 6%

Tax category: Beer

Company: Suntory Holdings

Note: Limited quantity.

Sapporo Migaki Mugi Creamy Shitate

Eh... Tastes like some cheap Korean import. Stay away from it!

Name: Sapporo Migaki Mugi Creamy Shitate
Ingredients: Happōshu (malt, hops, barley, sugars), spirits (barley)
Alcohol content: 5% 
Tax category: New Genre (liquor)
Company: Sapporo Breweries 
Note: Sold only at Aeon Group stores for a limited time period.

Kirin Aki Aji

Full body beer. Give it a try!

Name: Kirin Aki Aji

Launch date: 

Ingredients: Malt, hops, rice, corn, starch

Alcohol content: 6%

Tax category: Beer

Company: Kirin Brewery
Note: Limited edition.

Asahi Fukaori no Aki

Tastes like ale. Not bad, but not good either.

Name: Asahi Fukaori no Aki
Launch: Aug. 19, 2014

Ingredients: Happōshu (malt, hops, barley, corn, starch), spirits (barley)

Alcohol content: 6%

Tax category: New genre

Company: Asahi Breweries
Note: Seasonal edition

Martens Blue Pilsner

Bought this one in Niigata at a supermarket called Narus. Nice, kind of light taste. Not bad at all.

Name: Martens Blue Pilsner
Ingredients: Malt, hops, corn
Alcohol content: 5% 
Tax category: Beer
Origin: Belgium 

Note: 330ml can.

Sapporo Fūmi Sōkai Nishite

Visited Niigata prefecture for the first time. I couldn't miss the chance to try this beer which is only sold in Niigata. Pretty nice taste, although I thought it is a bit on the light side. Anyways, don't miss it if you ever visit this part of Japan.

Name: Sapporo Fūmi Sōkai Nishite
Ingredients: Malt, hops
Alcohol content: 5%
Tax category: Beer  
Company: Sapporo Breweries  
Note: Sold only in Niigata.

Grand Kirin Mild Rich

Wow! Great summer beer! It tastes kind of minty. I like it.

Name: Grand Kirin Mild Rich
Launch date: Aug. 5, 2014

Ingredients: Malt (barley malt, wheat malt), hops

Alcohol content: 5.5%

Tax category: Beer

Company: Kirin Brewery
Note: Sold at Lawson only. 330ml bottle.

Grand Kirin Browny

Good stuff. If you like ale, you will love this one.

Name: Grand Kirin Browny

Launch date: July 29, 2014

Ingredients: Malt, hops

Alcohol content: 6.5%

Tax category: Beer

Company: Kirin Brewery
Note: Sold at Circle K/Sunkus only.

Sapporo Hyakunin no Kiseki

This time appears to be the ale season in Japan. Kirin released one at the end of July and Sapporo and Yebisu will launch two more in September. I'm basically a lager fan, but this one is pretty good I think.

Name: Sapporo Hyakunin no Kiseki
Launch date: Aug. 5, 2014
Ingredients: Malt, hops
Alcohol content: 7%
Tax category: Beer  
Company: Sapporo Breweries Note: Sold at convenience stores only.

Okhotsk Blue Ryūhyō Draft

Blue beer. BLUE BEER!!! And it has the weirdest ingredients: saccharified starch, Chinese yam and gardenia pigment. OK, it has malt and hops as well. Tastes like watery shochu. Somebody must have mislabeled this guy, this is no beer by any standard.

Name: Okhotsk Blue Ryūhyō Draft
Launch date:
Ingredients: Saccharified starch, malt, nagaimo (Chinese yam), hops, gardenia pigment
Alcohol content: 5% 
Tax category: Happōshu
Company: Abashiri Brewery
Location: Abashiri city, Hokkaidō