Classic
Sapporo Breweries Ltd.

10/16/16 - Coworker "imported" this from Japan for me. Cool can written in Japanese. Tall boy poured into an imperial pint glass. Dark yellow with nice white head that quickly dissipates. Taste is fine and went down very easily as we grilled outside. I'll get it again the next time I have sushi.

Look – Poured from a can into a branded tasting glass, it presents a bright, pale golden hue. A creamy white head forms easily and, while it settles fairly quickly, it leaves behind a fine ring of lacing that hints at the beer’s clean malt backbone.

Smell – Soft, biscuity malt notes lead the aroma, joined by a gentle grain sweetness and a subtle nutty character. There’s very little hop presence on the nose, but what stands out most is how crisp and restrained everything feels.

Taste – Light malt sweetness arrives first, smooth and well-rounded, before giving way to a mild yet satisfying hop bitterness. The balance is excellent, with no harsh edges and a refreshingly dry, clean finish that encourages another sip. It’s simple, but executed with confidence.

Feel – Light-bodied and easy-drinking, with lively carbonation that keeps it crisp without being sharp. At 5% ABV, it sits perfectly within the style, offering flavour without ever feeling heavy.

Overall – Sapporo Classic is a good example of a well made pilsner: clean, balanced, and quietly satisfying. While not flashy or complex, it excels at what it sets out to do, deliver a smooth, refreshing lager with solid malt character. Considering its quality and price point by Japanese standards, it’s an excellent beer and one that rewards repeat drinking.

 

 

Look - poured from a 500 ml can into a tasting glass. Light golden in color, with a nice foamy head that dissipates quickly, leaving behind trace lacing. A version of Sapporo that is brewed and supposedly only sold in Hokkaido.

Smell - biscuity malts and a light nutty fragrance, though nothing more. very clean.

Taste - light malts that hit the palate first balanced out by low to moderate hoppy bitterness. very clean finish.

Feel - light bodied, above average carbonation, and standard in ABV for the style at 5%.

Overall - a run of the mill German style pilsner, though both price and quality are quite good for Japanese standards. bottle and draft versions (which I had in the past) had significantly better lacing retention and malt flavor, but the can does the job.

You find this everywhere in Hokkaido. Every supermarket. Also a lot of Izakaya have this on tap.

Extremely smooth, a bit too smooth for my taste. I don’t taste the hop at all. it’s lacking a punch. No bitterness.
I like it that it doesn’t have too much carbonation though.

Quite creamy when on tap. I find the taste difference between can and tap quite big with this beer. Def prefer on tap. Probably because the creaminess covers the lack of bitterness?

Probably the cheapest beer in Japan not including rice. in Hokkaido supermarkets it usually is sold at the same price as asahi super dry, kirin ichiban, Sapporo black etc.

 

Drank this in Hokkaido, I like the malt flavors, not too hoppy.

 

This is labeled “Hokkaido Limited” although they sell this all over Japan. Glad to have tried though, much better than the staple Sapporo. It is pretty much your average German Pilsner, nothing more, perhaps a bit less than more in terms of character and taste but was still okay, especially when taking the average Japanese beers into consideration…
Wouldn’t mind drinking it again though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sapporo Classic, from the can, poured into a short glass. This was sent to me by a friend living in Hokkaido.

Look: Pouring the beer into the glass showed an extremely clear golden-copper color with a pure white head composed of medium/small bubbles about an inch thick. The head quickly dissipates to a weak sub-monolayer floating about the edge of the glass. Medium carbonation causes a steady slow stream of bubbles towards the surface. Looks very appetizing.

Smell: A faint bitter hop scent with obvious skunkiness. Really burying your nose in the glass reveals some sweeter floral aromas and a bit of alcohol presence.

Taste: Weak hop bitterness leads here followed by a generic maltiness. I expected some off skunky flavors given the aroma, but detected none on the taste. A corn flakes/cereal grain taste predominates with a coppery undertone. Alcohol is present but not obvious, a "classic" Japanese beer taste that really makes me crave some fried or salty food to offset the pale malt/hop character of the beer. Very drinkable.

Feel: An extremely crisp beer. The beer feels silky on the mouth with weak carbonation offering refreshment. Extremely palatable and refreshing. The clean taste invites another sip which I am inclined to accommodate.

Overall: Japanese beers do have a reputation for being dull and tasteless, but this brew represents a quality entry in its style. Clean flavor, extremely crisp feel , very pleasing golden color and refreshing nature make this beer extremely enjoyable.