Kirin Sparkling Hop

Japanese Name: キリン スパークリングホップ
Brewer: Kirin
Release: Nov. 28, 2012
Type: Liqueur (発泡性)
Alcohol: 5%
Purchase Price: ￥105 @Aeon

Tasting Notes:
First released by Kirin in 2007 to great fanfare, Sparkling Hop was once again brewed for the masses for the 2012-13 winter season. Kirin Sparkling Hop features Japanese grown “frozen hops” for freshness and hops imported from New Zealand. It is a very nice third-tier brew, with nice fruity notes and a bitterness that envelopes the mouth with a little tartiness at the end. Overall, Sparkling Hop can be described as a decent everyday brew that won’t put you in the poor-house. You might be able to still find it on store shelves, but not for long.

Recent beer selection

From the left: Asahi Blue Label, Suntory Kinu no Zeitaku, Orion Ichiban-Sakura. These beers have made a re-appearance on grocery shelves recently, so give them a try while they’re available.

My daily brew, Sapporo Mugi to Hop has also made a renewal, even more beer flavor in every drop! Plus, they’ve added Atsuko Maeda of AKB48 fame to their spokesperson lineup.

Asahi Winning Brew

Japanese Name: アサヒ ウイニングブリュー
Brewer: Asahi
Release: Jan. 22, 2013
Type: Liqueur (発泡性)
Alcohol: 5%
Purchase Price: ￥105 @Aeon

Tasting Notes:
Specially brewed for the 2013 World Baseball Classic is Asahi Winning Brew. It is made in part with American Nugget hops for a crisp taste. Up front, Winning Brew has a nice light flavor with slight malt vinegar tones. All in all, it is a nice easy drinking brew.

Kaori Hanayagu Yebisu: Japan meet Joël Robuchon

Japanese Name: 薫り華やぐヱビス
Brewer: Yebisu
Release: Feb. 20, 2013
Type: Japanese Beer
Alcohol: 5%
Purchase Price: ￥259 @7-eleven

Tasting Notes:
When you have a can of Yebisu, know there’s something good inside. And with the “Chef of the Century’s” name gracing the label, it has to be special. The original premium Japanese label Yebisu x Joël Robuchon have combined forces to create the limited production Kaori Hanayagu Yebisu, utilizing malt from the Champagne region of France and Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand. You would be smart to stock up on this one if you love bitter.

The package design sports a unique red harlequin pattern. Popping the scarlet can, reveals and unexpected light straw colored brew in the glass. Also unexpected is the strong fruity fragrance of the hops coming off the head, just incredible. Your first gulp will reveal the bitterness of a microbrew. Without being too overwhelming it slowly slides down the back of the tongue and stays building with each gulp. On the back end there are also some hints of fruitiness and some clove-like spiciness to top it off.

Beers like this do not come to the Japanese masses very often. If you like your beers bitter and flavorful, stock up while you can.

Sapporo Kuradashi Draft Beer

Japanese Name: サッポロ 蔵出し生ビール
Brewer: Sapporo
Release: Jan. 9, 2013
Type: Japanese Beer
Alcohol: 4.5%
Purchase Price: ￥215 @7-eleven

Tasting Notes:
Back in September 2012, Sapporo let consumers vote on one beer to be reproduced from a choice five discontinued beers. The winner with 29% of the vote was Sapporo Kuradashi Draft Beer, originally released in 1994, touting a “straight from the cellar” flavor.

Kuradashi Draft is an all malt beer with a slightly lower 4.5% ABV. On the front end, there is a rich malt flavor with a little bitterness from the hops. However, these flavors all dissipate on the back, leaving a dry clean finish.

You’ll find this one only at the convenience stores here in Japan. They’re still on the shelves as of this writing, so give Sapporo Kuradashi Draft a try while you can.

Sapporo Migaki Mugi

Japanese Name: サッポロ みがき麦
Brewer: Sapporo
Release: Nov. 26, 2012
Type: Liqueur (発泡性)
Alcohol: 5%
Purchase Price: ￥105 @Aeon

Tasting Notes:
Produced by Sapporo for the Aeon Group (Aeon, MaxValu, etc.), Sapporo Migaki Mugi is made with polished barley malt removing the husk, Czech fine aroma hops, and boasts a creamy head when poured.

Indeed out of the can, the head was nice an creamy. On my first gulp I encountered a lot of malt flavor, the bitterness was all up front, with some vinegar-ish tones. Migaki Mugi finishes clean without much flavor lingering on the back.

Personally, I didn’t prefer the taste of this one. It had a lot going for it, but was missing “something.” If you want to give it a try, head out to your local Aeon supermarket. Sapporo Migaki Mugi is still gracing the cooler shelves.

Score! Asahi Japan Gold.

For the 2012 London Olympics, Asahi produced a limited new genre brew called Asahi Japan Gold that was delicious. After I tried my first can, I wanted to buy more but it was sold out at the neighborhood grocery store. Well, on a recent trip to Tsuruga in Fukui the drugstore across the street from our hotel still had Japan Gold in stock! Plus it was on sale, so I picked up a 6-pack.

Kirin Tanrei Nama (Winter, 2012)

Rounding out Kirin Tanrei’s four seasons of package design is their 2012 winter version. A clear night sky with stars shining bright and various colors of snowflakes grace the can.

Suntory Caramel Brown

Japanese Name: サントリ カラメル ブラウン
Brewer: Suntory
Release: Nov. 21, 2012
Type: Liqueur (発泡性)
Alcohol: 5%
Purchase Price: ￥105 @Aeon

Tasting Notes:
As the name states, you won’t find a light straw colored liquid in your glass. Suntory Caramel Brown pours a deep ochre color, with a subtle flavor that you might expect from a dark beer. It’s not over the top, but more of a faint coffee, chocolaty malt aroma you’d find in a stout. There isn’t a lot of bitterness, and the flavors dissipate quite rapidly.

Sapporo Hyakunen Bakuga

Japanese Name: サッポロ 百年麦芽
Brewer: Sapporo
Release: Nov. 7, 2012
Type: Liqueur (発泡性)
Alcohol: 5%
Purchase Price: ￥105 @Aeon

Tasting Notes:
Sapporo Hyakunen Bakuga, is made in part from Czech malt, produced by hand in a special process going back over 100 years. The use of this rare malt creates a new genre brew with a lighter beer flavor, while keeping a full bodied taste. The lack of bitterness enhances the flavor of the malt and makes for a very smooth drinking, enjoyable brew.

Although produced in limited quantities, you might be able to find it at your local conbini or grocer for a little while longer.