Topvalu Best Price Furano Nama Beer
Sapporo Breweries Ltd.

Okay so I found this at an Aeon supermarket, “best price beer.” I found out that Sapporo is making this beer for them to be sold exclusively under their Top Valu brand.
I was very surprised since there is not much that you can expect from those Value things, let alone beer (take the Barreal series for example) but this one was great!
The can tells you that they used a hop variety unique to Hokkaido’s Furano region called Little Star in more than 50% to make this beer - and the result is an extraordinarily aromatic Pilsner! Aromatic, flowery maybe but first and foremost, hoppy and the flavor also has some intensive notes that are characteristic to this certain hop variety (that I can’t quite compare with anything that I know.) If only I knew German hops better... (These hops were faintly reminiscent of Saaz, but since the beer is supposed (?) to be a Pilsner I’m not surprised.
Altogether I WOULD seek this beer out again at such a price (a dollar and a half,) I could even say that it is way better than any of your other average Japanese beer. Sapporo, you did it again.
...and this is the third time I’m impressed by Sapporo this year, guess I’d better keep my eyes on them.