Asahi Super Dry - Dry Premium - Kaoritate Koku no Premium

Not impressed at all. Asahi is going for the impossible and miserably fails. I have a feeling that their product philosophy is to maintain the Asahi Super Dry taste but at the same time come up with something new. Limited design freedom results in limited success.

Name: Asahi Super Dry - Dry Premium - Kaoritate Koku no Premium
Launch: Feb. 17, 2015
Ingredients: Malt, hops, rice, corn, starch
Alcohol content: 6.5%
Tax category: Beer
Company: Asahi Breweries Note: Limited edition.

Orion Ichiban Sakura

 Pretty good stuff. Tastes kind of like Asahi Super Dry.

Name: Orion Ichiban Sakura
Ingredients: Malt, hops
Alcohol content: 5%
Tax category: Beer
Company: Orion Breweries 
Note: Available only during the spring.

Asahi Super Dry - Dry Premium - Hatsushikomi Premium

This one was a huge disappointment. Too watery and lacks any real beer taste. And what's with the name? Asahi Super Dry - Dry Premium - Hatsushikomi Premium. Too long and two words are used twice in it. My guess is that they wanted to make sure that the consumer understands that this beer is REALLY dry and REALLY premium.
 

Name: Asahi Super Dry - Dry Premium - Hatsushikomi Premium
Launch: Dec. 24, 2014
Ingredients: Malt, hops, rice, corn, starch
Alcohol content: 6%
Tax category: Beer
Company: Asahi Breweries
Note: Limited edition.

Suntory Craftsman’s Beer / Kasshoku no Yoin

Fruity. Good balance. Long aftertaste. Great.

Name: Suntory Craftsman’s Beer / Kasshoku no Yoin

Launch: December 9, 2014

Ingredients: Malt, hops

Alcohol content: 5%

Tax category: Beer

Company: Suntory Holdings

Note: Limited quantity sold only at Aeon Group stores.

Suntory Craftsman’s Beer / Enjuku no Umami

It is obvious they put a lot of effort into this brew. Great stuff.

Name: Suntory Craftsman’s Beer / Enjuku no Umami

Launch: October 14, 2014

Ingredients: Malt, hops

Alcohol content: 5.5%

Tax category: Beer

Company: Suntory Holdings

Note: Limited quantity sold only at Aeon Group stores.

Fuyu Kirin

See details here for winter 2014 beer battle.

Name: Fuyu Kirin
Launch:
Ingredients: Happōshu (malt, hops, barley, corn, sugars), spirits (barley)
Alcohol content: 5%
Tax category: New Genre (liquor)
Company: Kirin Brewery

Suntory Fuyo no Hōjun

See details here for winter 2014 beer battle.

Name: Suntory Fuyo no Hōjun

Launch date: 

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

Alcohol content: 5%

Tax category: Beer

Company: Suntory Holdings

Note: Seasonal edition.

Asahi Fuyu no Okurimono

See details here for winter 2014 beer battle.

Name: Asahi Fuyu no Okurimono

Launch: Sep. 30, 2014

Ingredients: Happōshu (malt, hops, barley, corn starch, flavor enhancer [amino acid]), spirits (barley)

Alcohol content: 5.5% or above but less than 6.5%

Tax category: New genre

Company: Asahi Breweries
Note: Seasonal edition

Asahi Hop Kaoru Pink no Beer Cocktail

Yep, pink beer, this is what the market needed. It tastes like rose hip...tea...or something.

Name: Asahi Hop Kaoru Pink no Beer Cocktail
Launch: Oct. 7, 2014
Ingredients: Malt extract, hops, sugars, dietary fiber, soybean protein, yeast extract, rose hip juice powder, anthocyanin pigment, flavor enhancer (amino acid), sweetener (acesulfame-K)
Alcohol content: 4%
Tax category: Happōshu
Company: Asahi Breweries Note: Limited volume.

Asahi Super Dry / Dry Black / Orange & Black

I just don't understand why I torture my taste buds with funky stuff like this.

Name: Asahi Super Dry / Dry Black / Orange & Black
Launch: Sep. 9, 2014
Ingredients: Malt, malt extract, hops, rice, corn, starch, essence
Alcohol content: 5.5%
Tax category: Happōshu
Company: Asahi Breweries
Note: Limited volume.

Asahi Beer Spritzer

Tastes more like wine, less like beer. I really don't get what the product philosophy behind a hybrid drink like this one. People who wanna drink beer will buy beer and people who wanna drink wine will buy wine. Only beer bloggers like me and those unfortunate ones who left their glasses home while out shopping would buy such a funky product.

 

 

Name: Asahi Beer Spritzer

Launch: Sep. 9, 2014
Ingredients: Malt, hops, sugars, caramel pigment, white wine, grape juice, yeast extract, soybean protein, acidifier, essence
Alcohol content: 3.5%
Tax category: Happōshu
Company: Asahi Breweries

Kohaku Yebisu

Just came out today! Hmmm, very little initial taste followed by some unexpectedly strong bitter aftertaste.

Name: Kohaku Yebisu

Ingredients: Malt, hops

Alcohol content: 5.5%

Tax category: Beer

Company: Sapporo Breweries

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

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

Suntory Malt's Summer Draft

Wow! Wonderful smell or shall I say fragrance? Great taste. Suntory has just come up with something special. Don't miss it! Kind of smells like homemade elderberry juice which I used to drink when I was a kid.

Name: Suntory Malt's Summer Draft
Launch date: July 15, 2014

Ingredients: Malt, hops

Alcohol content: 5%

Tax category: Beer

Company: Suntory Holdings

Note: Limited quantity sold only at convenience stores.

Orion Okinawa Dayori

This beer is all about the can. Just by looking at it, you can feel the cool breeze on your face, hot sand under your feet and a cold one in your hand. Unfortunately, taste-wise...nothing special.

Name: Orion Okinawa Dayori
Ingredients: Happōshu (malt, hops, barley, rice, corn, starch, sugars), spirits (barley)
Alcohol content: 5%
Tax category: New Genre
Company: Orion Breweries
Note: Available only for a limited time.

Suntory The Premium Malt's / Kuro

Unquestionably the worst Japanese dark beer. For ranking check out my All Blacks post.

Name: Suntory The Premium Malt's / Kuro
Ingredients: Malt, hops
Alcohol content: 5.5%
Tax category: Beer
Company: Suntory Holdings