Kirin The Strong — White Sour

Generally when Japanese companies put "the" in front of their product name, you can expect that whatever that product might be to be unnecessarily strong. This is seen for products such as coffee, various sauces, sodas, and even chewing gum. While looking for something new to review, Kirin's "The Strong" stood out as something that should be tried. White soda is something I've come to enjoy from Suntory, and it would be interesting to taste Kirin's 9% take on the drink.

The verdict? It's certainly strong.

Kirin The Strong White Sour

When Kirin puts out a Sour drink, they're not kidding. White Sour went down like a soda with an aftertaste reminiscent of some form of citrus. At 9% alcohol, this one can was noticeable about two-thirds of the way through, bringing a buzz from 250mL like I would expect after a 500mL can of Suntory's Double Grapefruit. All in all, it was an enjoyable can and went down way too quickly. A 355mL can generally goes for 118円 at the local grocery store and will likely be an additional 50円 at the convenience stores. I've not yet found any 500mL versions of The Strong White Sour, but Kirin most likely has them sold in cases rather than individually.

This is something that I'll definitely enjoy again later this summer.

Kirin Sicilian Lemon

When it comes to non-beer alcoholic beverages, Kirin puts out some of my favourites. Their best offering, as far as I've tried, is their Sicilian Lemon; a 5% liqueur that goes down as smooth as a bottle of lemon-flavoured water. These are particularly good on hot days alongside some takoyaki or another salty snack.

kirin sicilian lemon

One of my little pleasures is having a 355mL can of Kirin's Sicilian Lemon right after finishing a Suntory Double Grapefruit. The lighter lemon tang is complimented by Suntory's stronger citrus drink and the two tend to balance out quite nicely.

500mL cans of Kirin's Sicilian Lemon can generally be found for 197 Yen at convenience stores and about 140 Yen at grocery stores. The 355mL cans occasionally drop to 99 Yen at Apita, making them an incredibly attractive addition to any visit to the park.