Asahi Extra Dry

A rainy Friday night, I’m ready for my weekend. A pit stop at the liquor store next to my work and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a 1 liter can of Asahi Extra Dry beer. What’s even better is the price tag, only $3.25! Now, we’ve all been burned by bad cheap beer in the past, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see what this big silver can had in store. I was just hoping to avoid a horror show like the time I bought a 40 of Steel Reserve. Now that is cheep beer made wrong. Luckily for me, Asahi markets itself as Japan’s best selling beer, so I was eager to see what the Japanese equivalent of a cheap domestic light beer is like.

I got home and poured the light amber lager into three glasses. I was surprised to see a fluffy, persistent white head, nothing like that is present in the lion’s share of America’s domestic disasters. The glasses were all laced with gigantic bubbles similar to those found in ginger ale or Sprite, very unusual, and a bit off-putting when the beer is drunk. The smell was very much like a Heineken or Sapporo, light and a little tangy. The taste was crisp and slightly metallic on the attack, but mellowed to a light dry sweetness. The aftertaste was not at all persistent, but was pleasantly bready. All-in-all this beer is a good light beer, and very refreshing.

I generally don’t enjoy light beers because of their lack of character, but I was glad to be surprised with Asahi. Comparing this to other non-light beers is unfair for the simple reason that to be light a beer has to make some heavy concessions which put almost all non-light beers head and shoulders above them in taste, body, and character. At just over three bucks for one liter, it beats the Hell out of Steel Reserve for the poor man’s choice; very pleasant and drinkable, unlike the crank case oil that is Steel Reserve. So grab a big can of Asahi, drink it cold, and wash those rainy day blues away.