Asahi Brewmasters Select

Brewed by Asahi Breweries
Style: Premium Lager
Tokyo, Japan

Date: 10/11/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

Appearance: clear copper, wispy off white head, bits of drippy lace,
Aroma: sweet caramel malt aroma with light floral hops,
Flavor: sweet caramel malt flavor, balancing floral hops, light bitterness,

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 9/20
Rating: 2.5/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

They do have the Vienna style likeness down with this one, albeit a little weird. Nose is faint sweet corn and caramel. A little bland and "bottle" tasting, cardboard perhaps, with some mild roast caramel malts. Not bad, but nothing to buy again.

Head is initially small, frothy, off-white, mostly diminishing. Body is medium amber. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (grain, husks), lightly hoppy (flowers), light note of chemicals. Flavor is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter, husky, unclean. Light to medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation. Gets rapidly worse as it warms. Very husky tasting.

Sampled on 4/19/2009. This pale lager pours a deep orange gold color from a 12oz bottle. Medium sized white foamy head. The aroma is cereal and grain, with a touch of citrusy hops. A medium bodied Pale Lager. The malts are cereal and grainy, perhaps a touch of rice. The hops are floral. Nice balance. Some decent flavors is this one. Good carbonation. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet and malty.

Bottle poured a clear amber with a small lasting light amber head. Aromas of carmel and dark bread. Palate was light bodied and crisp. Flavors of dark bread, carmel and light fruitiness with a crisp malty finish.

Savannah, Ga. - Habersham Beverage Warehouse - 12 oz bottle. Nice dark orange to copper pour with a frothy, sticky white head. Hint of ripening vegetables in the aroma with a hint of toffee. Chewy flavor, some back end caramelly notes, ripening vegetables and black ppper. Much more flavorful and complex than I expected. Decently thick mouthfeel. Pleasantly surprised.

Bottle. Creamy malt aroma. Reddish amber color with small head. A rice pudding flavor - light cinnamon and nutmeg but also soy sauce. Not a great flavor - I don’t really get into the soy sauce flavor that I always seem to get from Japanese beers.

I’m surprised that only three people have rated this beer. It was bought in Manhattan at a Sunrise Mart japanese grocery store on Broome Street in the SoHo neighborhood, just in case someone else is looking to find it. It’s a bit like the Asahi Super Dry but has slightly more malt and a LOT more caramel coloring added. If you don’t look at the color and just close your eyes and taste it, it’s simply a really thin, watery, fairly crisp lager. However, it’s not as crisp as the Super Dry. Not bad. I’d try it again if my only choices were Japanese beers, since I prefer dark, malty brews. I’m still looking for a bottle of Sapporo Black - it’s been a 4 year quest so far.