In a bid to continuously excite customers, Asahi came up with the The Double in 2018 (back then it came in a red-coloured can) which was meant to offer up a unique beer combo that would feature a "golden ratio" of ale and pilsner. The idea was to create an expression that had the richness of an ale, and the full-bodied and crisp quality of a pilsner.

For the new edition of the Asahi The Double, it now comes in a white-coloured can that features a cute drawing of an ale and a pilsner clinking to each other.

Let's see if this lives up to its goal! Onward!

Asahi The Double Ale & Pilsner, 5% ABV | アサヒ ザ·ダブル - Review

Tasting Notes

Color: Clear Copper

Aroma: Slightly darker and heavier with more on caramel, dark honey, toasted bread, light notes of wheat. It’s somewhat reminiscent of a dunkel. There’s alittle bit of char of roasted malts. Definitely richer. Over time more of the hoppiness shows up.

Taste: Definitely richer and more full-bodied, with more caramel, toasted bread, dark honey, still alittle bit of that roasty notes. There’s a quiet but noticeable hoppy bitterness at the back.

Finish: Clean with a slight bitterness of char. Over time a more crisp and drying bitterness becomes apparent, with a slight umami savouriness of oyster sauce.

My Thoughts

Hmm… This is certainly pretty easy to drink but takes some getting used to. It truly is what you think the combination of an ale and a pilsner might taste like. The richer, darker and heavier ale notes definitely takes the fore, with the crisper, lighter pilsner characteristics taking some time to show up.

Initially the aromas and the taste on the palate were pretty ale-forward - all those caramel, toasted bread, honey and that slight roastiness. But over time the more crisp, hoppy and slightly bitter and drying pilsner backbone becomes more apparent - on the aroma it’s a slight fragrant leafy hoppiness, and on the palate and finish there’s definitely more crispness and bitterness.

What does it make this brew? Well, it’s sort of neither here nor there, which is why it takes some getting used to.

It’s heavier and richer than a pilsner but lighter, more crisp and drying than an ale. It’s overall a decent brew, but I still don’t know if this would be my top pick.