Craig’s tasting

One of the great strengths of the Japanese culture is the emphasis they place on research. It makes sense that they only produced this beer after conducting an in depth analysis of what beer drinkers wanted.

As an Australian I am qualified to say that the Australian/Japanese national relationship is at best a love hate partnership. For example, we hate them for whaling, they hate us for hating them whaling.

While getting through a bottle or glass of Asahi Super Dry you will immediately notice that this is one of the most inoffensive beers you will find, it has little taste to talk about and next to no aroma.

It would be irresponsible of my to suggest the subtleness of this beer is in stark contrast that the lack of subtleness displayed by the Japanese in conducting mass whaling expeditions year after year in the interest of “research” so I am not going to do that.

I am however going to make an assumption that the only reason we have this average beer on the market in Australia is to get us back for exporting our average beers to Japan.

I am happy for Japan to take all our good beef and keep sending overworked, karaoke loving businessmen to the Gold Coast for three days of golfing, booze and women. So long as they keep sending Toyota Hilux, Nintendo Wii and Sony LCD TV’s to Australia.

This beer does have a place and clearly a lot of people like it. It is a beer for the masses, a beer for those who don’t really love or appreciate a beer. Which, funny as it sounds doesn’t make it wrong. Just different. It is still a beer.

Danny’s tasting

Most people have tried Asahi Super Dry at some stage or other. Usually whilst trying not to get hit in the head by flying rice bowls and eggs hurled in your direction by the chef of your local Teppanyaki Bar.  In this environment, a nice cold ASD is a welcome addition to the evening.

When we tried ASD, my fellow reviewer went out on a limb by saying this beer was “quite dry”. He’s not the best colour commentator in world beer reviews for nothing folks. All I could come up with was “super” but that’s stating the obvious. Not my best effort I’m afraid.

Asahi has a great colour with a crisp dry taste. It easily falls into the 6.5 - 8.0 range of “good drinking anytime”.

I give it a 7. (I could give it more but I hate Sushi and whaling)

As that great Japanese philosopher once said, “I drink, therefore I am”. I think that’s how it went.  Great thinkers the Japanese.

Asahi Super Dry

First sales of Asahi Super Dry were completed in 1987 after the Japanese brewer conducted a research campaign involving 5000 people. The aim was to determined what the main preferences for beer were. By 1990 Asahi Super Dry was selling over 100 million cases. Asahi means “rising sun” in Japanese.

Origin: Hokkaido, Japan

Alcohol/vol: 5.0%

Style: Pale lager

Average Rating: 6.50 

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