Tinny kiwi and grapefruit combo

-196 Muto Kiuwi & Gurefuru

Brand: Suntory

Price: 120 yen

Place of purchase: Belx Supermarket

Rating:

This shochu highball in a can initially appealed to me for the can design. It's got the term 無糖 muto, or sugarless, in big kanji characters. And it's got a vibrant illustration of kiwi and grapefruit. Suntory's -196 patented a method of freezing fruit to extract the juices and infusing alcohol. The result is some punchy flavors. The 7% alcohol content doesn't dominate, though it's a bit higher than most alcoholic drinks. Combining kiwi with grapefruit is not something I imagined. The fruit juice is 2%.

This shochu highball from Suntory, Muto kiwi & grapefruit flavored, is priced the same as other similar drinks. But I wouldn't bother with it again. Who doesn't like kiwi? Sweet, tart, and juicy, right? And grapefruit has its own appeal. But it's an odd combination. The result is a slightly astringent and a bit tinny flavor. Maybe it's because the juice is so acidic. Besides the novelty of the two fruit flavors, the bold label design, and the sugar-free chuhai, it's also a limited-time product. The product website says production for this number is finished.