As we posted on this site on March 16, new tax laws in Japan now allow brewers to add various spices, fruits, and herbs to their beverages and have them recognized as “beer,” rather than labeling them “happoshu.” The laws do not allow them to brew anything that could not be brewed before, mind you—they just changed the naming procedure.
Any craft beer fan knows that fruit and spice beers make up much of the selection we see from craft breweries today, and many of these are hugely popular. It seems clear that this new law was designed to allow the “Big Four” industrial brewers to attempt to cash in on that trend.
Four of the new fruit / spice beers from the majors have been released, and I had a chance to try them all. Here are my impressions.
Suntory Beer Recipe from Across the Sea: Orange Peel Sawayaka Beer (5%):
This beer claims to be inspired by Californian beers, but it is clearly a Belgian Witbier containing wheat malt, orange peel, and coriander. It is on the rich, malty side of things, the additives not overdone. A rather well-assembled wit from a major brewer but if you want a more fulfilling experience, I recommend Minoh Yuzu White or Hitachino Nest White Ale.
Suntory Beer Recipe from Across the Sea: Cassis Maroyaka Beer (5.5%):
This is claimed to be Belgian inspired, and while I see the point, it is much less so than the previous beer. There are a number of Cassis Lambics made in Belgium, but this is no spontaneously fermented beer. This beer was mostly cassis extract in the nose and the flavor, with a bit of malt and hops coming through but overall much more like a beer cocktail than a true lambic. On the positive side it managed to avoid being over-sweet, but also seemed trying to avoid tasting anything like beer.
Asahi Gran Mild (7%):
This was something of a surprise: a strong blond beer with lemongrass. I found this nicer than I expected to. The lemongrass worked well with the hops, adding an herbal, citrus character that was not overdone and seemed to help balance (or hide) the alcohol. It did not come across as boozy. On the negative side, as with most of Asahi’s Premium Dry series, the malt character here, while unobtrusive, was actually almost non-existent. Chalk that up to the grain adjuncts. Asahi, I’d like to try an all-malt version!
Grand Kirin Lemon Beer (Hikoukigumo to Watashi Lemon-hen) (5.5%):
This seems to be a saison, adjusted from last year’s 5% Cloud Saison version with the addition of lemon peel and juice. This was easily my favorite of the bunch. While last year’s felt too heavy and rich for a saison, the lemon helps cut through that, and pairs quite well with the spicy Belgian yeast and the hops. No, it’s not as nice as a Kyoto Brewing Company saison, but it does fine in a pinch. It is also (by far) the most expensive of the four—aiming at craft beer pricing whilst the others are priced similarly to other industrial beers.
There are more fruit beers scheduled for release in the near future from Kirin and Sapporo. It will be interesting to see what direction these take. Are they simply trying to borrow the dynamism of the craft beer scene, or will they come up with some truly memorable brews? It remains to be seen.
by Professor Mark Meli, author of Craft Beer in Japan: The Essential Guide
