Japanese Beers 02: Asahi - Japan's most famous Beer

If we were to make a spectrum from least known and popular to most, the last beer I covered would be the least known beer in Japan and today’s beer is by far the most known. It seems strange to have to cover it at all since it is so synonymous with Japan. It is impossible to not know about this beer no matter who you are. The company has a 40% share of the Japanese beer market. And from what I’ve seen most of the advertisement for any beer is for this beer.

This can I found hiking with Jordan in the mountains in Toyohashi.

Asahi is huge. But funny enough their website sucks. It only covers their mega popular Asahi Super Dry. This beer is easily the most popular beer in Japan. But to be honest there is nothing much to it. I tried it in February and I thought it had little to no taste. It’s frothy and tastes like a common pale lager. I guess that’s why it is so popular it’s simply a common beer.Even Hugh Jackman needs to promote it for a lot of money.

But the main reason for covering this beer is because although Asahi is famous for its Super Dry the other beers it makes are less known and deserve to be covered. Asahi makes at least 20 something beers and from what I’ve gathered they all taste about the same. In some ways one of the reasons I chose bottled beer was because of Asahi. If its in a bottle it has to be a recognised by the company as being a premium beer. If the company only releases their beer in a can, I feel like there is something wrong with it or its somehow lesser in quality. There was one episode of the Simpsons where Homer goes to the Duff Brewery and they show Duff, Duff Light and their new Duff Dry all being fed from the same pipe. That is how I feel about some canned beers.

Although Asahi has 20+ beers that it produces it only has 5 in bottles.

1) Asahi Super Dry - 5% – Easily purchased in any supermarket, corner store or most restaurants. 6/10 "Fresh, crisp and clear - with a sharp delivery that slakes thirst before slipping gently on."

2) Asahi Stout - 8% – This one I found in a small restaurant in Kyoto. I loved it so much I came back just to have the beer again. Dark black pour with a fluffy tan head. Aroma is very sweet and malty with some hints of roasted coffee and whiskey. Flavour is smooth and roasted at the beginning with a smooth and slightly chocolaty middle. Finishes warm with a mild and sweet malt finish. This is so far the best stout I have had since I started my book. It really is excellent. 9/10 "Strong stout, made in the Irish and British tradition. This huge beer is earthy, tar-like, smoky, whiskyish and very much a winter warmer."

3) 3) Asahi Premium (Jukusen) - 5.5% - This one sometimes has two names as it also goes by the name Premium Draft Beer – Low fluffy white and quickly disappearing fluffy head. Clear golden body. Mild barley malt aroma with grassy notes. Mild barley malt flavour and strong hops bitterness. Short aftertaste. Bad hops smell. - 5/10 "This beer is brewed from quality ingredients by using our pure cultured yeast and our brewing techniques."

4) Asahi Black (or Kuronama) - 5% – I finally found one restaurant that has this I’ll update it when I’ve tried it."Asahi Black is made from three different roasted malts. This gives it a rich, nutty flavour and makes it incredibly smooth-drinking. Unlike other, more bitter dark beers and stouts, it’s brewed in a process called bottom fermentation, which gives it a subtle, sweet edge and smooth"

5) Asahi Brewmaster’s Select - 5% – Never seen this one and it may be available only outside Japan but I’ll keep my eye out."An original premium lager skillfully crafted using our finest malt and pure yeast selected by our brewmaster."

The main brewery, the Asahi Beer Hall, is considered one of Tokyo's most recognizable modern structures. Locals call it "the golden turd" (kin no unko, 金のうんこ) and the Asahi Beer Hall itself as "poo building" (unko-biru, うんこビル).

This brings our total of Japanese beers up to 7.

Japan, 〒130-0001 東京都墨田区吾妻橋１丁目２３−１ +81 3-5608-5111

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