For years I have wondered what the difference is between the different brands of Japanese beers.
Living there for 3 years in the late 90s / early 00s, I certainly worked my way through every possible beer I could find, but that was before I developed a love of tasting flights and comparing / contrasting flavours.
On a recent trip to Japan for the cherry blossom season in 2023, I found myself in the JAL Business Lounge in Sapporo airport where they had all 4 main brands of beer on tap. What an opportunity!
I poured myself a glass of each, no doubt attracting stares from the other guests, and took out my notepad and pen.
To cut a short story shorter, my findings were as follows:
- Suntory (The Premium Malts)- tight, aggressive fizz. Light hops. Bitter.
- Asahi (Jukusen) – softer bubbles and flavour with a light citrus note
- Sapporo (Classic) – light fizz with underlying bitterness.
- Kirin Ichiban (Shibori Premium) – light fizz. Very citrusy with yuzu / soft grapefruit and a touch of sweetness.
These were brewed and drank in Japan.
In other countries such as the UK, the beers are made under contract at local breweries and may not taste the same.
A further post will come once I get around to doing a taste comparison of the Japanese beers brewed in the UK.
Tasted – 27 April 2023
