Exclusive Okinawan brew popped up in a Kanto supermarket

Orion The Dark

Brand: Orion

Price: 200 yen

Place of purchase: Belx Supermarket

Rating:

I'm a big fan of Orion, the brewery based in Nago, Okinawa. A sip of Orion brings back memories of the sights and sounds from my Okinawa trip. This week at a Kanto area supermarket, I spotted the tall letters of the Orion logo on a deep brown and black label. Orion The Dark was first brewed as an export beer, and released in the Okinawa market in 2025. The European-inspired dark lager has a strong terroir, with Yambaru water and barley grown in Okinawa. The beer pours a rich, dark colour and has a malty, caramel flavour.

For Japanese beer fans who like dark brews, I recommend this one. As long as it's in the shop, I'll get it. For a dark European-style lager, it has some lovely and surprising character. You get a deep, caramel, malty flavour with notes of coffee. The beer has a lightly bitter tail end. Orion's done a great job of producing a dark beer with a slightly lighter body and crisp finish. It suits the tropical climate. The beer is usually sold online, directly by Orion and through online retailers. I suspect the manager at the local supermarket is a die-hard fan of Okinawa.