French hops and foam

Shokusai

Brand: Asahi

Price: 250 yen

Place of purchase: 7-11

Rating:

Asahi Brewery released Shokusai, a beer in a "nama mug" can. The elegant gold aluminum cans have a pull tab that lifts the entire lid off the can. Shokusai is brewed with Aramis rare hops, a variety that is grown in the Alsace region of France. The hop is characterized by its sweet, spicy, and citrusy qualities. I pulled the tab and was pleased to see the beer has a promising fruity, floral scent and a lot of foam. It's well carbonated and the berry fruit flavor and tart citrus make it a really lovely beer.

This is really nice beer. I was a bit suspicious of the "nama mug" can design. Aluminum cans of beer are the default now, it seems, and I've learned to be particular about pouring into the right kind of glass to get the most of the flavor. But Shokusai really works as a beer quaffed directly from the can. Asahi has really made the most of the fruity, sharp Aramis hop. The label indicates how to properly pull the tab. You have to be careful to pull it straight up. The product website has advice on chilling and correct tab pull - https://www.asahibeer.co.jp/shokusai/