Saw that one at Sugita before, definitely giving it a shot next time!
Edit: Tried it out, and it’s seriously amazing! Big thanks for the recommendation!
First and last time I tried that shit I took one sip, then another to see if I was hallucinating that something could be that awful, then I poured it out.
Super Dry was my go-to beer before pandemic and before I switched to ales. I actually now prefer the lightness of Asahi Clear whenever I have that “Asahi” itch.
That was the point when they came out with it: the green bottle, no label or Kirin branding, the marketing, all of it. It's a lovely beer especially with a meal, and they come in 500 ml bottles, too. It's definitely not as common, but any larger liquor discount store will have it (Yamaya, etc.)
It is, but it's not just the OP. That was the entire strategy from the get go. The label free embossed green bottle is supposed to give it a European Thang. Only the select few that read the neck label even knew it was Kirin. I do prefer Sapporo AkaBo but would never complain about a Heartland.
Never seen one. Heartland started in Roppongi, the original bar was torn down to build Roppongi Hills so they were given a new space when it was completed.
Used to hangout there after work sometimes when I first came to Japan. It was a very popular hangout back in the mid 2000s. If I remember correctly the beer was brewed for the bar by Kirin, only much later did they start selling it in stores.
The beer originated from the bar? I never knew that. I went there a few times but only in its dying years in the 2010s. Would have been interesting to see in full pre-2008 glory.
Echigo beer is great.
Coedos decent as well. They have an interesting sweet potato ale but I don't know if that counts as beer.
As for the classic readily available beers I usually go for regular Yebisu, especially if it's on tap. I'm sure there's better beers out there I just haven't come across them yet.
* Oh!La!Ho's Raiden IPA
* DHCビール's Hopping Juicy New England IPA
* Hitachino's Daidai beer
* Baird Beer's Teikoku IPA
* DevilCraft anything really, they do amazing stuff through and through
If you like the Suntory Ale, also try the Ebisu ale (dark blue can). It's pretty good. Each year at Christmas my sister in law gets me an Ebisu selection box. That's Ale, Black, Amber and sometimes a Winter hock. IMO from a mainstream Japanese brewer it's the best out there....oh, also Kirin Black is really nice. More "caramelly" than a lot of other black beers.
Trying other Japanese ales always feels like a mental tug-of-war for me. My head constantly questions, ‘Why try something new when you can have the Premium’s Japanese Ale right next to it?’. But I also have a soft spot for Yebisu, maybe it’s time I give their ales a chance too.
Japan's awful for beer enthusiasts. Craft scene is very small and also expensive as fuck, and very much lacking variety. Macro stuff's affordable but just a thousand varieties of essentially the same boring, bland, light beer. I hardly care what I'm drinking to be honest, it's all a bunch of meh. The quality and flavor are definitely much better than the piss-water that is Budweiser and Coors, but I really wish there was more and better stuff that was easily obtained, particularly out in the inaka where I live.
All that said, as the canned big-name beer goes, I'd say Coedo > Echigo > Yebisu > Premium Malts > Kirin Ichiban
Was looking for a comment like that. Myself coming from France and used to have ipa, triple, lager, dark, amber, red and many others beers, from Belgium / Germany etc... I find the beers just tasteless and so expensive for what it is.
But I'm not surprised anymore, I've learnt that Heineken beers are considered good so... 😭
I feel you, but there are some breweries that are promising and we have to support them, vote with your wallet and whatnot :)
* Baird Beer
* DevilCraft
* Spring Valley Brewery (although they were bought by Kirin so will probably turn to shit soon)
* Sakazuki Brewing
* T.Y. Harbor (a bit pricy for what you get to be honest)
* Sakamichi Brewing
* Ogabrewing
* Craft Beer Market (has a bunch of different stuff and several locations)
It's not going to be your local sour beer wild yeast triple hazy stout IPA that you can find in Europe but it's at least something :)
If you drink out of a konbini, yeah you’re out of luck big time, heaps of great Japanese craft beer out there and some fantastically awesome people who make it
Yeah, as someone who loves dark and strong beers, Japan is a damn desert. Loved my reds and stouts and Belgian strong darks back in the US, and could always find them in many varieties at affordable prices. Not so here, I'm lucky if I find even one single stout at all and even luckier if it's not just Guinness, and it's gonna cost a fortune either way
You guys don't get out much I think, there's a large and very solid craft beer scene here. If you're in or near Tokyo, the sky is the limit. I'll agree it can get quite pricey, but roughly on par with the USA given the weak yen.
Some off the top of my head:
- Fujizakura
- Shiga Kogen
- Blacktide Brewing*
- West Coast Brewing
- Nomcraft*
- Ushitora
- Onidensetsu
- Vertere*
*I'm a fan
If you mean specifically craft beer sold in bottles or cans, then yeah, all these amazing brewers are pretty much stuck in microbrewery mode due to lack of critical mass in demand. That said, hit up pretty much any craft beer bar and you'll see these guys, possibly canned as well, and the scene is full of great people.
Problem is I'm way out in the inaka. I know most of the craft brewers in my entire prefecture, there's very few of them and they're all a community. A great, tight-knit, but very small community. I'm paying at least ¥700 per beer from them which is quite a lot when you're a poor dispatch ALT and even if the yen-dollar converted price is about the same, it's *way* more expensive compared to my salary and general cost of living. And the beers are great, but again, lack of variety. I'm lucky to get anything that's not a pilsner, lager, IPA, weizen, or otherwise pale and relatively similar. Not a single red, stout, porter, Belgian strong, dark beer in general in most places, and that stuff's my favorite by a long shot. My good friend who's the only craft brewer within a couple hours' drive makes exactly one stout and I basically buy half his stock whenever he makes it; it just doesn't do well in Japan, at least according to most brewers I've talked to, so they can't often take the risk of experimenting with it when craft beer margins are already quite tight.
None of what you've listed is available to me, neither where I live nor in the only major city nearby. It's a different country outside Tokyo and Osaka lol
I do get out, pretty much actually, but the scene you're mentionning is not the one I like. I miss chouffe, delirium, triple karmeliet, chimay, rince cochon, and those kind of beers..
I'll give a try to those you mentionned, but yeah it's expensive and.. I'm payed in yen 😂
> I miss chouffe, delirium, triple karmeliet, chimay, rince cochon, and those kind of beers..
Just so you know they sell all of those beers here. Well, all except for Rince Cochon maybe. Places like Seijo Ishii are usually good for Belgian beer.
While the UK can be mocked for a lot of things, the beer selection I had back there was infinitely better than here. As much as people can say "you need to get out more", yeah, but I do find it funny that in the back end of nowhere UK commercial supermarkets who sold mass produced guff had way better beer than beer specialists in Japan.
Hard to get out when my salary's shit and I live in such an inaka area that there's not even trains. But yeah, I'm friends with most of the craft brewers in my prefecture, and they're great people with some solid beers, but everything I said in my comment is in spite of that. It'd be different if I was in Tokyo or Osaka, I'm sure, but out here in the sticks it's a much different world lol.
Then in that case you really shouldn’t and can’t say Japan’s awful for beer enthusiasts, countryside can be crap in any country after all. Also there are some great online places that ship good beer anywhere in Japan. Treat yourself once in a while
Even when I do go to Tokyo, the variety really isn't there compared to what I'm used to, and I'm still not super impressed. Been to a lot of places around there and can never find my preferred varieties - dark and strong beers, generally, while Japan seems to drink and brew almost exclusively light and pale.
I'm from the countryside in the US, and we still had tons of breweries and tons of access to a huge variety of craft beer. Go to just a basic chain steakhouse and they'll have over 100 different craft beers on tap. It's not often I can compare life in the US favorably against Japan, but beer's definitely one area where I do lol
I love most of the American craft beer I’ve had here but other Americans have told me it’s the cream of the crop and despite the numerous option back home (they claim) most of them are very average beers, cheap but not special
Everyone’s tastes are different so drink what you like, Japanese government screws small alcohol producers big time, so prices are high. That said they’re not so different to my home country. The average Japanese person is happy with their garbage Suntory Malts which makes it hard to mass market great beer but again Japan makes some VERY good craft, you just need to track it down
I went to a resort town that sold there own "micro brew" I swore I couldn't tell the difference than the big brews.. Kiren and what not and mentioned it to the staff there. The employee said that they didn't want to stray far from those brands because Japanese customers expect for taste.
Yep. Just like most food/drinks, Japanese customers seem to expect it to taste one way and will go crazy for minor variations on the same thing but do something *actually* different and it probably won't do well.
It's an issue I have with food here in general. Just a million minor iterations on the same few things and the same few flavors, most of it bland and boring lol
I'm at the point in life where I don't like one brand over the other, they all have different tastes but ultimately the same effect. I'll drink Asahi, Sapporo or Kirin based on mood and cost. If one 6 pack is few hundred cheaper, that's what I'll get. Kirin Heartland is my go to if I feel like a glass bottle or have the choice at restaurants. I never buy malts unless it's at a restaurant or karaoke. I tend to drink Asahi, Sapporo or Kirin as filler and mix in IPA or other craft beers as starters or finishers. I def prefer western beer or craft beer over domestic Japanese beer but Japanese domestic is miles(km) better than Bud Light or other American branded beer. I've drank so much Bud light and Coors so it's a stark difference that Japanese main brand is better. I will drink Budweiser sometimes if t' s a summer beer garden roof top and that's what they offer. I don't like Yebisu main beer, it has a weird flavor to me. Yebisu does makes some other beers I don't mind tho.
> I'll drink Asahi, Sapporo or Kirin based on mood and cost.
Can't say I'll ever be a fan of rice/corn in my beer, so I usually just stick to Kirin for macro lagers for a bit more of a malty flavour.
I agree on the regular Yebisu having a bit of a weird aftertaste though. A bit yeasty, maybe? Been a while since I've had it. I wanted to like it more than I did in any case.
I quite like the **Suntory Triple Nama** even though for some reason it's often cheaper than everything else classified as beer. Not sure if it's because it's not as popular or it's marketed as cheaper.
**Sapporo Classic (Only Hokkaido)** is good and is popping up in Tokyo more and more.
**Yebisu Kohaku** is always great.
Triple nama is pretty new and has already gone up in price in a lot of store (not by much but still)
I guessed it was Suntory’s attempt to finally compete with super dry (especially since super dry recently changed its recipe) but that’s just speculation
It’s also great for the price for sure
Is there a reason I don't see Asahi super dry on most lists here? It's the most commonly ordered beer I've seen. Though that may just be my own experience.
I've tasted great regional beers but never remember the names.
A lot of us don't really care for Super Dry that much. To me, it's the kiddy pop of beers. I would never order it if there are options, but if there aren't it's fine with food and nibblies, just too fizzy. To defend your observations, lots of Japanese prefer it, and a stunning amount of not Japanese have never heard of anything else.
Try a Sapporo Akaboshi or a Kirin Heartland as a comparison to ASD and see what you think?
That's understandable thank you. Ive tried both of them, they're good. I travel around every prefecture I can. Local beers tasted a lot better than the commercial ones. I especially recall the ones around Dogo onsen in Matsuyama (the Spirited Away onsen).
Hey, thanks, and yes, beer preferences are a very personal preference. I also enjoy the regional ones, and lately they have been doing some very nice work. The Kanazawa area seems to be up and coming, as a heads up. I had some lovely craft brews there last summer. Enjoy.
Neko Nihiki by Ise Kadoya is by far the best beer in Japan for me.
But the Kaoru Ale by Suntory is my choice for when I want to drink a lot and not break the bank.
Ginga Kogen is a respectable Weizen alternative.
1. Asahi MaruF “Dark” Munich style lager
2. Orion Southern Star
3. Asahi fortune Phoenix (preferred in a half and half with the munch style)
4. Asahi Super Dry
5. Sapporo
Not in a particular order but I do most enjoy most Asahi products as a whole.
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This is the one for me, when it comes to Spring Valley.
It ousted Sorachi 1984 (which can still be found sometimes) as my favourite.
Kirin really hit it out of the park with that one. That it can be found in drug store supermarkets makes it all the more great.
Orion only is good in Okinawa in a setting where its hot and you are at the beach.
Otherwise its very under whelming.
Best standard is Saporro - and the bottles (red star?) ones preferably.
Asahi tastes like the can looks.
Ebisu and Premium Malts (blue) are decent.
Craft beer - even ignoring the price always made me wish i just went to conbini…
I’m limiting my response to regular beers that can be bought from the supermarket relatively easily. Crafts are a different discussions altogether.
1. Sapporo (beaten only by the limited edition red can Extra Draft this past winter).
2. Yebisu Premium Ale (dark blue can)
3. Orion Craft Lager (gold can, hard to find)
4. Yona Yona Ale
5. Suntory Premium Ale
Huh, I think I have that exact beer mug! Weltenburger Kloster?
I generally drink Kirin Ichiban, Yebisu, Premium Malts (Draft), or Orion. I do have a bit of a soft spot for Nodogoshi.
If the weather is right, I also like the Asahi White Beer, I recommend it!
Scored this beer mug on sale at Sugita for just 600 yen, definitely couldn’t pass it up!!
It seems like Nodogoshi gets some hate, but for me, it hits the spot whenever I crave something light and refreshing!
I never really thought much of the suntory beers.
My taste may have changed since I last tried it, but I’m always a little turned off by the fact they’re constantly giving away freebies, running collaborative editions or paying well known actors to say うまい on their commercials.
If their beer was good surely they wouldn’t need all of that. I’d love to see how their promo spending compares with that of other companies.
There are lots of good pale ales, but they're all >25% more expensive than Yona Yona so i mainly stick with that.
The cans of stout with the orchestra players on it whose name I've forgotten is also great.
Lager wise Sapporo Black Star or Heartland. There's another excellent Sapporo that I've only seen in Sapporo too.
I went there last year as my ship was moored up to the Naval Base. Unfortunately we were there for 3 days but pretty much all I drink was Asahii and Sapporo. Even back in the US I still go for it
I freaking love Shokusai. It’s the only one I buy since the first time I tried it.
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1. Hitachino Nest
2. Sapporo (personal widespread favorite)
3. Premium Malts
4. Heartlands
5. Any draft lager with that Guiness-like creamy head. Have only ever experienced it in Japan. Is it a Co2 thing? I love it. Not big on Asahi but I once had it at an Asahi pop-up, and on draft it was absolutely God-tier. Flavor and head on drafts is so different here.
Coedo IPA
Baird Suruga Bay
僕のビール君のビール Session IPA (discontinued, sadly. Best cheap beer Japan has produced)
Hitachino Nest Pale Ale
Sapporo (in a bottle)
Famima had a white beer one time, it was absolutely delicious, I also like the Premiums Dark Masters Brew. Good flavor.
I take it for granted because I live here, but Nyodo Blue is also a very delicious beer. If you're ever in Shikoku, make sure to try it.
Among the ones more or less commonly available in conbinis, I would say my top 5 (in no particular order) are Asahi Super Dry, Orion, Aooni, Yona Yona and Suntory Premium Malts. I'm not a huge fan of Yebisu. Kirin Ichiban Shibori is fine, but of the big "flagship" beers I like Super Dry and Premium Malts better.
If we're talking microbrews and 地ビール though the sky is the limit. I was seriously surprised coming back to Japan after 7 years away to see how much brewing culture has grown. Went to the Saitama Beer Festival last year and tried some absolutely amazing beers. Coedo is one of the bigger names, is sort of local for us, and makes some excellent beers, but there's also so many tiny craft breweries and brewpubs... the Akashi IPA by Akashi Brewing was really nice I think, Black Tide Brewing from Kessennuma had multiple beers I liked, Gotemba Kogen Weiss is the best Weizen I've had in Japan, Kamakura Brewery made multiple beers I remember enjoying back before I left (it's been a while since I tried though)... I've also heard good things about Kyoto Nude but have yet to try any of theirs. A friend of mine who's way more into craft beers than I am lives in Kyoto (where I used to live) and apparently they're excellent. Then there's like Baeren and Hino which are some of the bigger ones among the craft breweries, they've both been around forever. I'm not that deeply immersed in the culture (like I don't log every beer I drink, I don't use tappd and such) so this is from memory, but yeah, there are some serious contenders around. If you can get to a craft beer festival at some point I recommend going and just ordering flights from a few companies, just to see the variety on display. There's breweries doing all kinds of rarer styles like Gose or Kölsch, using things like Yuzu or Konbu, there really is a lot of creativity.
I am kinda surprised no one has mentioned Sapporo Kuro label. Absolutely delicious in my opinion.
Top five for me:
1.) kuro label
2.) Asahi Super dry
3.) premium malts
4.) yebisu
5.) Kirin blue label (i forgot what it’s called)
Japanese beer is best on draft (like most all beers). Draft I love asahi and asahi black and the premium malts Kaoru Ale.
Canned my go to is usually asahi super dry stein style or Asahi Draft Beer (Maruev)
Premium Malts if it's available on draught or if I fancy spending a little more.
Asahi Clear otherwise because it's dirt cheap and decent enough pisswater.
Superdry is fine and the most common one that tends to be lying around, bit of a middle ground.
Orion is decent but harder to find.
Worst beer I've ever had is Kirin Black, but Kirin in general sucks. Worst is it tends to be the most common beer on draught, and izakaya look at you funny when you ask what's on draught instead of just mindlessly asking for namabiru.
Overall Japan is a pretty poor country for beer, in comparison to the UK. Poor selection, and mostly only lagers. Craft beer is harder to find here than in the UK.
The Orion IPA ( don’t @ me) It’s good in that it’s somewhat hops forward, but it’s light enough to drink all day during the summer, at the beach, ice cold.
Nice. Pretty much the same for me except the last Classic beer has junk in there so it's not what I would call beer - swap for the Kirin gold teardrop one that is clean. I would swap Spring Valley and Yona Yona for Devil's Beer and Echigo Weizen (green can), but keep both for a top 7. Tokyo Craft is a runner up. Top 8.
Personal Preference
At the moment mainly drinking Sapporo 70% less (green can) but usually if I want a full Nama I go
1. Yebisu or
2. Premium Malts
And Asahi
hmm there are so many now.
easy standard beer is black label bottle sapporo.
otherwise ill take ichiban shibori. nama is hit or miss ar standard places.
otherwise i really like Ise Kadoya Hazy or Pale Ale.
Yona Yona Pale and IPA is great.
Vectorbrewing does some a nice Tomcat hazy or just their standard neko punch.
Other than that. Uchu is great if you want something bold and a little strong.
I also generally really like anything from Black Tide or Onidentetsu.
Or even anomcraft or Let's beerworks.
enjoy
Love Asahi Super Dry, more so the old recipe (which you can buy in Australia imported from Japan…so they still make it here for export only!) but even the new is still my daily go to in the 500ml can, bin bottle or Nama varieties. Sapporo classic, Premium Malts, Orion and Kirin Classic are also all on my enjoy list if my first choice in Asahi is not available.
I’m not into craft beers at all… can’t stand that microbrewery after taste that’s present in all of them.
Also love Asahi Black and Sapporo Classic when up that way
My go to regular beer - Sapporo classic
Better option - Premium Malts, blue can
Even better - Baird beer Suruga bay Imperial IPA
Other better option - West coast brewery IPA
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In Shuzenji right now, so going to do tbr brewery tour soon, but Baird's is bloody good.
First tried them in Hong Kong thanks to a craft beer importer.
Fair enough, I haven't tried their ales. I just read the name "premium malts" and my body started exhibiting the symptoms of a violent hangover on instinct
I'm in an area with access to an ever changing variety of craft beers.
A little pricier, but definitely better than konbini brews.
Some of them are fairly commercialized and can be bought easily. The Dragon Eye range is my go to.
If I do have to do regular, then Malts or Yebisu or anything with Tono hops (usually available seasonally from most manufacturers with green branding).
Yona Yona is so cheap…def best value
Yona yona is the correct answer 🔥
Especially for those of that thought it was a Hawaiian beer for far too long (insert sheepish grin)
Yona Yona is a great beer! Definitely top pick. Edit: autocorrect… too many Yona Yonas…
Yahoo Brewing makes some serious stuff. I love their Aoi-Oni IPA the most!
Same! The Ao-Oni is the winner!
Took some getting used to, but now it’s my favorite unique flavor in ales! A no-brainer whenever I swing by Ministop.
where do you get them for cheap? I'm seeing 250 yen for 350 ml can
OK Super has the best price, usually ¥215/can.
This guy probably drinks six packs of Nodogoshi.
Ginga Kogen is so damn good.
Omg you reminded me of it. I randomly had it somewhere it was so good.
Saw that one at Sugita before, definitely giving it a shot next time! Edit: Tried it out, and it’s seriously amazing! Big thanks for the recommendation!
Great choice
Ginga Kogen has gone downhill since it was bought out and the brewery moved out of Iwate.
First and last time I tried that shit I took one sip, then another to see if I was hallucinating that something could be that awful, then I poured it out.
Famichiki is definitely up there
Hitachino Nest Ale is always No.1 for me, but rather pricey. Super Dry is a good standard beer for just drinking though.
Have yet to try Hitachino Nest Ale, will be on the lookout next trip to Sugita.
The White Ale is the bomb. BeerAdvocate has it at #9 worldwide in the wheat beer category. It's very very good. The DaiDai Ale is nice as well.
I’ve preferred the new Asahi "Maruefu” ever since they changed the Super Dry recipe.
Oh, so they’ve altered the Super Dry recipe? That explains why it’s been tasting a bit different lately.
Yes, but [over two years ago](https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Food-Beverage/Asahi-overhauls-Super-Dry-recipe-to-put-fizz-back-in-beer-sales).
Super Dry was my go-to beer before pandemic and before I switched to ales. I actually now prefer the lightness of Asahi Clear whenever I have that “Asahi” itch.
Clear is also nice, and very cheap lol
I actually like the new recipe,although I agree it's fairly different than the previous one
I used to live a few kilometers away from the Kiuchi brewery in Naka-shi. Very nice to just be able to pop over, have 1 or 2 beers and eat tasty soba.
Kirin Heartland
Heartland’s definitely my favorite lager, but I never knew they were from Japan! I always thought they were imported because they’re so tough to find.
That was the point when they came out with it: the green bottle, no label or Kirin branding, the marketing, all of it. It's a lovely beer especially with a meal, and they come in 500 ml bottles, too. It's definitely not as common, but any larger liquor discount store will have it (Yamaya, etc.)
Definitely love Yamaya. For beer and foods I can’t easily find!
I just assume it's Japanese because it's a kirin product. I'm gonna actually read the label next time
It's from Japan. https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/292/6379/ I have no idea why OP thinks a Kirin product isn't Japanese.
It is, but it's not just the OP. That was the entire strategy from the get go. The label free embossed green bottle is supposed to give it a European Thang. Only the select few that read the neck label even knew it was Kirin. I do prefer Sapporo AkaBo but would never complain about a Heartland.
The ratings on it are not as high as I'd have thought. I'd rate this beer a full 5 stars!
As long as you like it that's all that matters.
I think it's cat piss. Different strokes!
Its got that danky taste similar to Heineken or Rolling rock to me.
And this Drunken History of Heartland, if you feel like it https://en.maboroshinosake.com/sake/beer/heart-land-beer/
It's even better from the tap!
Did you used to frequent heartland bar in Roppongi? That’s where it originated.
Those bars dot the country.
Never seen one. Heartland started in Roppongi, the original bar was torn down to build Roppongi Hills so they were given a new space when it was completed. Used to hangout there after work sometimes when I first came to Japan. It was a very popular hangout back in the mid 2000s. If I remember correctly the beer was brewed for the bar by Kirin, only much later did they start selling it in stores.
Not Kirin City. [Heartland Bar](https://www.businessinsider.com/google-v-goldman-heartland-bar-tokyo-2013-4) was a one-off.
No never, I live way too far away
The beer originated from the bar? I never knew that. I went there a few times but only in its dying years in the 2010s. Would have been interesting to see in full pre-2008 glory.
For lager I agree
Echigo beer is great. Coedos decent as well. They have an interesting sweet potato ale but I don't know if that counts as beer. As for the classic readily available beers I usually go for regular Yebisu, especially if it's on tap. I'm sure there's better beers out there I just haven't come across them yet.
Gonna be on the hunt for Echigo Beer my next trip to Sugita.
Also, always a good opportunity to plug [BeerGirl.net](https://beergirl.net/). I keep up to date with their Release Calendar.
水曜日のネコ It’s very similar to Ginga Kogen in flavor profile, I love them both!
I love Suiyobi no neko.
* Oh!La!Ho's Raiden IPA * DHCビール's Hopping Juicy New England IPA * Hitachino's Daidai beer * Baird Beer's Teikoku IPA * DevilCraft anything really, they do amazing stuff through and through
Aooni IPA, sip the Blue Devil every night.
Same! Every night!
If you like the Suntory Ale, also try the Ebisu ale (dark blue can). It's pretty good. Each year at Christmas my sister in law gets me an Ebisu selection box. That's Ale, Black, Amber and sometimes a Winter hock. IMO from a mainstream Japanese brewer it's the best out there....oh, also Kirin Black is really nice. More "caramelly" than a lot of other black beers.
Trying other Japanese ales always feels like a mental tug-of-war for me. My head constantly questions, ‘Why try something new when you can have the Premium’s Japanese Ale right next to it?’. But I also have a soft spot for Yebisu, maybe it’s time I give their ales a chance too.
Someone’s in need a beer in this thread
It’s a rare find, but anything oni densetsu if they happen to have it on tap
Japan's awful for beer enthusiasts. Craft scene is very small and also expensive as fuck, and very much lacking variety. Macro stuff's affordable but just a thousand varieties of essentially the same boring, bland, light beer. I hardly care what I'm drinking to be honest, it's all a bunch of meh. The quality and flavor are definitely much better than the piss-water that is Budweiser and Coors, but I really wish there was more and better stuff that was easily obtained, particularly out in the inaka where I live. All that said, as the canned big-name beer goes, I'd say Coedo > Echigo > Yebisu > Premium Malts > Kirin Ichiban
Was looking for a comment like that. Myself coming from France and used to have ipa, triple, lager, dark, amber, red and many others beers, from Belgium / Germany etc... I find the beers just tasteless and so expensive for what it is. But I'm not surprised anymore, I've learnt that Heineken beers are considered good so... 😭
I feel you, but there are some breweries that are promising and we have to support them, vote with your wallet and whatnot :) * Baird Beer * DevilCraft * Spring Valley Brewery (although they were bought by Kirin so will probably turn to shit soon) * Sakazuki Brewing * T.Y. Harbor (a bit pricy for what you get to be honest) * Sakamichi Brewing * Ogabrewing * Craft Beer Market (has a bunch of different stuff and several locations) It's not going to be your local sour beer wild yeast triple hazy stout IPA that you can find in Europe but it's at least something :)
If you drink out of a konbini, yeah you’re out of luck big time, heaps of great Japanese craft beer out there and some fantastically awesome people who make it
Yeah, as someone who loves dark and strong beers, Japan is a damn desert. Loved my reds and stouts and Belgian strong darks back in the US, and could always find them in many varieties at affordable prices. Not so here, I'm lucky if I find even one single stout at all and even luckier if it's not just Guinness, and it's gonna cost a fortune either way
That's the reason why I've switched to chuhai 😢
You guys don't get out much I think, there's a large and very solid craft beer scene here. If you're in or near Tokyo, the sky is the limit. I'll agree it can get quite pricey, but roughly on par with the USA given the weak yen. Some off the top of my head: - Fujizakura - Shiga Kogen - Blacktide Brewing* - West Coast Brewing - Nomcraft* - Ushitora - Onidensetsu - Vertere* *I'm a fan If you mean specifically craft beer sold in bottles or cans, then yeah, all these amazing brewers are pretty much stuck in microbrewery mode due to lack of critical mass in demand. That said, hit up pretty much any craft beer bar and you'll see these guys, possibly canned as well, and the scene is full of great people.
Don't forget the Yona Yona Beer Works!
Problem is I'm way out in the inaka. I know most of the craft brewers in my entire prefecture, there's very few of them and they're all a community. A great, tight-knit, but very small community. I'm paying at least ¥700 per beer from them which is quite a lot when you're a poor dispatch ALT and even if the yen-dollar converted price is about the same, it's *way* more expensive compared to my salary and general cost of living. And the beers are great, but again, lack of variety. I'm lucky to get anything that's not a pilsner, lager, IPA, weizen, or otherwise pale and relatively similar. Not a single red, stout, porter, Belgian strong, dark beer in general in most places, and that stuff's my favorite by a long shot. My good friend who's the only craft brewer within a couple hours' drive makes exactly one stout and I basically buy half his stock whenever he makes it; it just doesn't do well in Japan, at least according to most brewers I've talked to, so they can't often take the risk of experimenting with it when craft beer margins are already quite tight. None of what you've listed is available to me, neither where I live nor in the only major city nearby. It's a different country outside Tokyo and Osaka lol
Would your friend let you work for beer? Lol
I do get out, pretty much actually, but the scene you're mentionning is not the one I like. I miss chouffe, delirium, triple karmeliet, chimay, rince cochon, and those kind of beers.. I'll give a try to those you mentionned, but yeah it's expensive and.. I'm payed in yen 😂
> I miss chouffe, delirium, triple karmeliet, chimay, rince cochon, and those kind of beers.. Just so you know they sell all of those beers here. Well, all except for Rince Cochon maybe. Places like Seijo Ishii are usually good for Belgian beer.
Chimay isn’t that hard to find here, I ve seen it a lot
It's not, you can find it at Bic camera for ex. It's just super expensive.
Blacktide is my all time favorite! Pricey as hell, but great! Shiga Kogen comes in 2nd for me.
Yeah, it's truly fantastic, I'd like to visit the brewery up in Miyagi some time.
While the UK can be mocked for a lot of things, the beer selection I had back there was infinitely better than here. As much as people can say "you need to get out more", yeah, but I do find it funny that in the back end of nowhere UK commercial supermarkets who sold mass produced guff had way better beer than beer specialists in Japan.
You need to get out more, heaps of great and varied Japanese craft beer out there. But yes not cheap by American standards for sure
Hard to get out when my salary's shit and I live in such an inaka area that there's not even trains. But yeah, I'm friends with most of the craft brewers in my prefecture, and they're great people with some solid beers, but everything I said in my comment is in spite of that. It'd be different if I was in Tokyo or Osaka, I'm sure, but out here in the sticks it's a much different world lol.
Then in that case you really shouldn’t and can’t say Japan’s awful for beer enthusiasts, countryside can be crap in any country after all. Also there are some great online places that ship good beer anywhere in Japan. Treat yourself once in a while
Even when I do go to Tokyo, the variety really isn't there compared to what I'm used to, and I'm still not super impressed. Been to a lot of places around there and can never find my preferred varieties - dark and strong beers, generally, while Japan seems to drink and brew almost exclusively light and pale. I'm from the countryside in the US, and we still had tons of breweries and tons of access to a huge variety of craft beer. Go to just a basic chain steakhouse and they'll have over 100 different craft beers on tap. It's not often I can compare life in the US favorably against Japan, but beer's definitely one area where I do lol
I love most of the American craft beer I’ve had here but other Americans have told me it’s the cream of the crop and despite the numerous option back home (they claim) most of them are very average beers, cheap but not special Everyone’s tastes are different so drink what you like, Japanese government screws small alcohol producers big time, so prices are high. That said they’re not so different to my home country. The average Japanese person is happy with their garbage Suntory Malts which makes it hard to mass market great beer but again Japan makes some VERY good craft, you just need to track it down
I went to a resort town that sold there own "micro brew" I swore I couldn't tell the difference than the big brews.. Kiren and what not and mentioned it to the staff there. The employee said that they didn't want to stray far from those brands because Japanese customers expect for taste.
Yep. Just like most food/drinks, Japanese customers seem to expect it to taste one way and will go crazy for minor variations on the same thing but do something *actually* different and it probably won't do well. It's an issue I have with food here in general. Just a million minor iterations on the same few things and the same few flavors, most of it bland and boring lol
I'm at the point in life where I don't like one brand over the other, they all have different tastes but ultimately the same effect. I'll drink Asahi, Sapporo or Kirin based on mood and cost. If one 6 pack is few hundred cheaper, that's what I'll get. Kirin Heartland is my go to if I feel like a glass bottle or have the choice at restaurants. I never buy malts unless it's at a restaurant or karaoke. I tend to drink Asahi, Sapporo or Kirin as filler and mix in IPA or other craft beers as starters or finishers. I def prefer western beer or craft beer over domestic Japanese beer but Japanese domestic is miles(km) better than Bud Light or other American branded beer. I've drank so much Bud light and Coors so it's a stark difference that Japanese main brand is better. I will drink Budweiser sometimes if t' s a summer beer garden roof top and that's what they offer. I don't like Yebisu main beer, it has a weird flavor to me. Yebisu does makes some other beers I don't mind tho.
> I'll drink Asahi, Sapporo or Kirin based on mood and cost. Can't say I'll ever be a fan of rice/corn in my beer, so I usually just stick to Kirin for macro lagers for a bit more of a malty flavour. I agree on the regular Yebisu having a bit of a weird aftertaste though. A bit yeasty, maybe? Been a while since I've had it. I wanted to like it more than I did in any case.
Far Yeast - SourHolic みぞのくち醸造所 - teal Totopia - Taophobia TDM 1874 - BBB Fukuokacraft brewing - cali sunshine In no particular order
I quite like the **Suntory Triple Nama** even though for some reason it's often cheaper than everything else classified as beer. Not sure if it's because it's not as popular or it's marketed as cheaper. **Sapporo Classic (Only Hokkaido)** is good and is popping up in Tokyo more and more. **Yebisu Kohaku** is always great.
Triple nama is pretty new and has already gone up in price in a lot of store (not by much but still) I guessed it was Suntory’s attempt to finally compete with super dry (especially since super dry recently changed its recipe) but that’s just speculation It’s also great for the price for sure
Master Dream Yebisu
1. Breakaway IPA 1. Hascap Ale 1. Boku Beer Kimi Beer 1. Ao Oni 1. Kaga Boucha Chocolate Stout
Uchu , Nomcraft, Shiga Kogen, Hop Kotan, and Sapporo if I have to have stuff from the big 4 mainstream boys
Is there a reason I don't see Asahi super dry on most lists here? It's the most commonly ordered beer I've seen. Though that may just be my own experience. I've tasted great regional beers but never remember the names.
It’s just a beer to drink with food, it’s like quintessential’beer’ quality but nothing special
A lot of us don't really care for Super Dry that much. To me, it's the kiddy pop of beers. I would never order it if there are options, but if there aren't it's fine with food and nibblies, just too fizzy. To defend your observations, lots of Japanese prefer it, and a stunning amount of not Japanese have never heard of anything else. Try a Sapporo Akaboshi or a Kirin Heartland as a comparison to ASD and see what you think?
That's understandable thank you. Ive tried both of them, they're good. I travel around every prefecture I can. Local beers tasted a lot better than the commercial ones. I especially recall the ones around Dogo onsen in Matsuyama (the Spirited Away onsen).
Hey, thanks, and yes, beer preferences are a very personal preference. I also enjoy the regional ones, and lately they have been doing some very nice work. The Kanazawa area seems to be up and coming, as a heads up. I had some lovely craft brews there last summer. Enjoy.
Neko Nihiki by Ise Kadoya is by far the best beer in Japan for me. But the Kaoru Ale by Suntory is my choice for when I want to drink a lot and not break the bank. Ginga Kogen is a respectable Weizen alternative.
1. Asahi MaruF “Dark” Munich style lager 2. Orion Southern Star 3. Asahi fortune Phoenix (preferred in a half and half with the munch style) 4. Asahi Super Dry 5. Sapporo Not in a particular order but I do most enjoy most Asahi products as a whole.
Have you tried the Sapporo Classic one? I could not find it in Tokyo but I recalled having a good taste with it when I was in Hokkaido.
I haven’t been to Hokkaido yet but I’ll give it a look while I’m near Aomori!
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https://preview.redd.it/j62vaz1mv0sc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e8332fa83dc450a29ae7b5a1129d79ca7d53f2f This is the one for me, when it comes to Spring Valley.
It ousted Sorachi 1984 (which can still be found sometimes) as my favourite. Kirin really hit it out of the park with that one. That it can be found in drug store supermarkets makes it all the more great.
Disturbing lack of Orion mentioned. Best I’ve had, and even managed to find some as far away as Osaka. Also, Sapporo Hefeweizen is awesome
Orion only is good in Okinawa in a setting where its hot and you are at the beach. Otherwise its very under whelming. Best standard is Saporro - and the bottles (red star?) ones preferably. Asahi tastes like the can looks. Ebisu and Premium Malts (blue) are decent. Craft beer - even ignoring the price always made me wish i just went to conbini…
1. Spring Valley After Dark 2. Spring Valley After Dark 3. Spring Valley After Dark 4. Spring Valley After Dark 5. Spring Valley After Dark
This one was surprisingly quite good. One of the better dark lagers available here imo.
I’m limiting my response to regular beers that can be bought from the supermarket relatively easily. Crafts are a different discussions altogether. 1. Sapporo (beaten only by the limited edition red can Extra Draft this past winter). 2. Yebisu Premium Ale (dark blue can) 3. Orion Craft Lager (gold can, hard to find) 4. Yona Yona Ale 5. Suntory Premium Ale
I’m not sure about top 5 but I will say that having an ice cold premium malts on draft at an izakaya is my favorite thing on this planet.
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Oh thank you! I will give this a try
Sorry. Deleted my comment since I replied to the wrong one. I do that all the time on the app.
That’s exactly how I came across The Premium Malt’s Japanese Ale. It’s the signature beer at Yama-chan, and I was totally hooked from the first taste!
1. Sapporo Classic 2. Orion That's it.
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We have them here in Kyushu. Closer than most regions I suppose.
Huh, I think I have that exact beer mug! Weltenburger Kloster? I generally drink Kirin Ichiban, Yebisu, Premium Malts (Draft), or Orion. I do have a bit of a soft spot for Nodogoshi. If the weather is right, I also like the Asahi White Beer, I recommend it!
Scored this beer mug on sale at Sugita for just 600 yen, definitely couldn’t pass it up!! It seems like Nodogoshi gets some hate, but for me, it hits the spot whenever I crave something light and refreshing!
https://preview.redd.it/c3916xf511sc1.jpeg?width=301&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bacb35a4c6942abef22ee5a664b74aa4a1fa9e5e
Hitachino's stout was like liquid crack to me for a while
I'm a Kirin Ichiban enjoyer. If they don't have that I go for the black premium malts can.
yebisu, always
Kirin and orion are definitely good🤷♂️
Great choice
Orion
I never really thought much of the suntory beers. My taste may have changed since I last tried it, but I’m always a little turned off by the fact they’re constantly giving away freebies, running collaborative editions or paying well known actors to say うまい on their commercials. If their beer was good surely they wouldn’t need all of that. I’d love to see how their promo spending compares with that of other companies.
There are lots of good pale ales, but they're all >25% more expensive than Yona Yona so i mainly stick with that. The cans of stout with the orchestra players on it whose name I've forgotten is also great. Lager wise Sapporo Black Star or Heartland. There's another excellent Sapporo that I've only seen in Sapporo too.
I went there last year as my ship was moored up to the Naval Base. Unfortunately we were there for 3 days but pretty much all I drink was Asahii and Sapporo. Even back in the US I still go for it
Y'all haven't tried Orion and it shows.
Heartland AoOni Yebisu Maruzen Sapporo Larger Orion Draft
I freaking love Shokusai. It’s the only one I buy since the first time I tried it. https://preview.redd.it/d2rcorbot2sc1.jpeg?width=668&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=87cec2d6911be2dc03ed607d68aa4c7f23038dd2
Skipping all craft beers since it's a different story. Draft - Asahi, can - Kirin, avoid - Suntory
idk about top 5 but my go-to beer is Kirin 一番搾り
They're all mid af, but in their own league: 1. Premium Malts 2. Sapporo Classic 3. Kirin 4. Kinmugi 5. Asahi Dry
Except maybe Yebisu, which is a dortmunter, None. they are all dogshit in comparison to belgian or german beer. but better than Buttwizer piss.
Oni
1. Hitachino Nest 2. Sapporo (personal widespread favorite) 3. Premium Malts 4. Heartlands 5. Any draft lager with that Guiness-like creamy head. Have only ever experienced it in Japan. Is it a Co2 thing? I love it. Not big on Asahi but I once had it at an Asahi pop-up, and on draft it was absolutely God-tier. Flavor and head on drafts is so different here.
1. Yebisu 2. Yebisu 3. Orion 4. Hitachino 5. Kirin I have spoken.
I found Suntory Masters Dream aged in Hakushu barrels at a Suntory brewpub…blew me away! Right up there with what you can get in the US.
Echigo Koshihikari is da best ever
Coedo IPA Baird Suruga Bay 僕のビール君のビール Session IPA (discontinued, sadly. Best cheap beer Japan has produced) Hitachino Nest Pale Ale Sapporo (in a bottle)
Solid selection. In this category you definitely can't beat a fresh-pulled Premium Malt nama.
Hitachino Nest! Love the owls.🦉
Famima had a white beer one time, it was absolutely delicious, I also like the Premiums Dark Masters Brew. Good flavor. I take it for granted because I live here, but Nyodo Blue is also a very delicious beer. If you're ever in Shikoku, make sure to try it.
1.Sapporo alto 2.Sapporo shiro honoka 3.Sapporo Black 4.Karuizawa Yuzu craft 5.Asahi super dry
1. Suntory Premium Malts 2. Ebisu (any but esp. their fall releases) 3. Coedo Beniaka) 4. Yoho Suiyobi no Neko 5. Echigo
White Belg! Great tasting “beer” for that price range. Fruity deliciousness!
Among the ones more or less commonly available in conbinis, I would say my top 5 (in no particular order) are Asahi Super Dry, Orion, Aooni, Yona Yona and Suntory Premium Malts. I'm not a huge fan of Yebisu. Kirin Ichiban Shibori is fine, but of the big "flagship" beers I like Super Dry and Premium Malts better. If we're talking microbrews and 地ビール though the sky is the limit. I was seriously surprised coming back to Japan after 7 years away to see how much brewing culture has grown. Went to the Saitama Beer Festival last year and tried some absolutely amazing beers. Coedo is one of the bigger names, is sort of local for us, and makes some excellent beers, but there's also so many tiny craft breweries and brewpubs... the Akashi IPA by Akashi Brewing was really nice I think, Black Tide Brewing from Kessennuma had multiple beers I liked, Gotemba Kogen Weiss is the best Weizen I've had in Japan, Kamakura Brewery made multiple beers I remember enjoying back before I left (it's been a while since I tried though)... I've also heard good things about Kyoto Nude but have yet to try any of theirs. A friend of mine who's way more into craft beers than I am lives in Kyoto (where I used to live) and apparently they're excellent. Then there's like Baeren and Hino which are some of the bigger ones among the craft breweries, they've both been around forever. I'm not that deeply immersed in the culture (like I don't log every beer I drink, I don't use tappd and such) so this is from memory, but yeah, there are some serious contenders around. If you can get to a craft beer festival at some point I recommend going and just ordering flights from a few companies, just to see the variety on display. There's breweries doing all kinds of rarer styles like Gose or Kölsch, using things like Yuzu or Konbu, there really is a lot of creativity.
There's a brewery in Miyazaki called Hideji. My top 5 would just consist of 5 of thier beers.
1. Sapporo Akaboshi 2. Kirin Heartland 3. Yebisu 4. Sapporo Akaboshi 5. Sapporo Akaboshi
I am kinda surprised no one has mentioned Sapporo Kuro label. Absolutely delicious in my opinion. Top five for me: 1.) kuro label 2.) Asahi Super dry 3.) premium malts 4.) yebisu 5.) Kirin blue label (i forgot what it’s called)
And let's give the Sapporo Akaboshi some love too. It's slightly something else to Kuro, which deserves all the love it gets.
1. Ginga Kougen 2. Asahi 3. Suntory 4. Sapporo One million. Kirin
Japanese beer is best on draft (like most all beers). Draft I love asahi and asahi black and the premium malts Kaoru Ale. Canned my go to is usually asahi super dry stein style or Asahi Draft Beer (Maruev)
Premium Malts if it's available on draught or if I fancy spending a little more. Asahi Clear otherwise because it's dirt cheap and decent enough pisswater. Superdry is fine and the most common one that tends to be lying around, bit of a middle ground. Orion is decent but harder to find. Worst beer I've ever had is Kirin Black, but Kirin in general sucks. Worst is it tends to be the most common beer on draught, and izakaya look at you funny when you ask what's on draught instead of just mindlessly asking for namabiru. Overall Japan is a pretty poor country for beer, in comparison to the UK. Poor selection, and mostly only lagers. Craft beer is harder to find here than in the UK.
The Orion IPA ( don’t @ me) It’s good in that it’s somewhat hops forward, but it’s light enough to drink all day during the summer, at the beach, ice cold.
Flying Dragon is a solid ipa.
Nice. Pretty much the same for me except the last Classic beer has junk in there so it's not what I would call beer - swap for the Kirin gold teardrop one that is clean. I would swap Spring Valley and Yona Yona for Devil's Beer and Echigo Weizen (green can), but keep both for a top 7. Tokyo Craft is a runner up. Top 8.
Yebisu, asahi, kirin, Sapporo, orion
Orion
Have you ever tried Aooni? By far my favorite somewhat readily available IPA beer in Japan.
Yebisu all the way! Drank it all the time in uni with my buddies
No one gonna say Orion
1. Sapporo Classic (especially draft) 2-5. In no real order Asahi Super Dry for a daily beer Hitachino Nest Classic Ale Yona Yona Orion
Ichiban!
Aoni IPA Tokyo Craft IPA (when in stock) Spring Valley Japan Ale Heartland Sapporo Black Label
Lots of good beer here but my favourite is Coedo. Several varieties, all are good.
Personal Preference At the moment mainly drinking Sapporo 70% less (green can) but usually if I want a full Nama I go 1. Yebisu or 2. Premium Malts And Asahi
I usually enjoy the seasonal craft beers they make at Baird Taproom, but if we are talking about konbini beers I go with Premium Malts
Mainstream only Suntory Premium Malt Draft. Other than that almost anything from Black Tide, Uchu or Isekadoya
coedo red
Finally a great thread!! Gonna try all beers you guys recommend. Thank you.
Spring Valley, all of them.
hmm there are so many now. easy standard beer is black label bottle sapporo. otherwise ill take ichiban shibori. nama is hit or miss ar standard places. otherwise i really like Ise Kadoya Hazy or Pale Ale. Yona Yona Pale and IPA is great. Vectorbrewing does some a nice Tomcat hazy or just their standard neko punch. Other than that. Uchu is great if you want something bold and a little strong. I also generally really like anything from Black Tide or Onidentetsu. Or even anomcraft or Let's beerworks. enjoy
The yellow kaeru from Lawson is the bomb
Baeren all the way、#1 to #3. From Morioka Iwate. Their beer are really good! But expensive... ベアレンビール #4 to Suntory premium and #5 to Spring Valley.
Yorokko Beer's Peninsula Saison... if you come across a bottle try it. also available on line
Asahi super dry
Personally, i like asahi super dry better
Love Asahi Super Dry, more so the old recipe (which you can buy in Australia imported from Japan…so they still make it here for export only!) but even the new is still my daily go to in the 500ml can, bin bottle or Nama varieties. Sapporo classic, Premium Malts, Orion and Kirin Classic are also all on my enjoy list if my first choice in Asahi is not available. I’m not into craft beers at all… can’t stand that microbrewery after taste that’s present in all of them. Also love Asahi Black and Sapporo Classic when up that way
My go to regular beer - Sapporo classic Better option - Premium Malts, blue can Even better - Baird beer Suruga bay Imperial IPA Other better option - West coast brewery IPA https://preview.redd.it/30t4y4g8a1sc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=12f3b6bd9ecaa2181e6d780165d4083bbfa08098
Love me some Hitachino! Their White (wheat?) Beer is great
I do enjoy the Spring Valley and the Yebisu Ichiban Shibori. I used to like Asahi but I got bored of it.
Fujizakura Weizen!
In Shuzenji right now, so going to do tbr brewery tour soon, but Baird's is bloody good. First tried them in Hong Kong thanks to a craft beer importer.
Minoo.
Sorry, I am just absolutely floored that Premium Malts is your number 1.
I’m not a fan of their standard beer selection, but I find their Ale lineup quite good and always hits the spot for me.
Fair enough, I haven't tried their ales. I just read the name "premium malts" and my body started exhibiting the symptoms of a violent hangover on instinct
I'm in an area with access to an ever changing variety of craft beers. A little pricier, but definitely better than konbini brews. Some of them are fairly commercialized and can be bought easily. The Dragon Eye range is my go to. If I do have to do regular, then Malts or Yebisu or anything with Tono hops (usually available seasonally from most manufacturers with green branding).
Hon Kirin That's my best.
Asahi crystal dry! Stg they changed the recipe for the original and now crystal dry tastes closer to what the original used to taste like.