Asahi Zeitaku Biyori

Can: Gold color, similarly dissapointing head that disspaits nearly as fast as you can pour the can. The nose is lightly malty, this one has at least a glimpse of some quality pale malt, not obnoxiously thin and flavorless like some of the others. The flavor has a light twinge of malt, but then goes to sleep. Very little beyond that, but it’s drinkable at least.

Aroma of citrus and a whiff of garbage can. Clean malty taste, a little hops, too, but there is some boiled rice and other elements lurking in there, I didn’t like this much.

Medium white head. Yellow body. Light malty aroma with papery, rubbery notes with hints of hops. Dry, rubbery malty taste with grainy notes. Chalky mouthfeel. Dry grassy metallic hoppy notes. If this is the taste of mere luxury, I aim for decadence, at least. But not bad. (0.35l can from a grocery store in Tokyo.)

330 ml can. Golden colour. Clear. Tall coarse white head. Crisp hops with a citrusy peppery aroma. Acidic flavours at first. Light-bodied. High carbonation level. Very clean. Vegetables. Malts are subdued and the hops are more visible, but overall it is quite balanced and neutral. Boring, indeed, but no obvious flaws other than being very industrial.

It does my heart good to see that others are enjoying the Japanese macro scene as much as I am. Their marketing is sheer genius, take the same swill and put it in as many different colored fancy cans as possible in order to gain more shelf space in the supermarkets and in all of the myriad of convenience stores that dot the country like stars on a moonless desert night. If only half the effort was put into making a decent tasting beer as what goes into the marketing of the product, we’d all be much happier here in Japan. Onto the "... taste of luxury". A crystal clear golden color, lively carbonation and a foamy white head. Mild corn flake aroma, flavor reminds me of when I was a kid....eating creamed corn straight from the can. Sweet, corny with a mild bitter end and a funky copper follow. Not one I will look for again unless I get a problem with slugs in my garden.

finally, luxury! ... the nose has a faint barley idea, and is tinny; big, airy white head; straw, near clear body; big racing bubbles; thick, watery palate, and almost oily; not much; did i even take any notes? this might as well be a carbonated corn kernel--throw it on a salad and toss it, baby! if this wasn’t so oily, and had a bigger rice profile, i would pair it with sashimi--oh well.

Pours a clear golden orange with a large fizzy white head. Aroma is yeast and corn and nothing. Dominated by the nothing. Body is thin and bubbly. Tastes like corn, rice, and maybe the smallest amount of malt. Finishes with a light bitterness...maybe from some hops. No thanks.

Rigorously selected ingredients? The ingredients on the can list "corn starch and rice" as two of the ingredients. I’ll admit that the rice is probably of decent quality, as this is brewed in Japan. But at this point I’m beginning to feel insulted by the Japanese macro breweries giving essentially the same beer a new can design, a fancy name, and a higher price, and somehow trying to pass it off as, in this case, "the taste of luxury". This is not the taste of luxury. This is a standard yellow-ish colored brew with a short-lived white head. Hardly any discernable aroma--perhaps the faintest trace of hops and corn. The flavors are predictably rice, corn, and a bit of bitterness from the hops. Watery, weak, thin body. Of course there are worse Japanese macros out there, but this one was particularly offensive due to its claim of being "the taste of luxury"...