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Asahi Nama Beer

Asahi Breweries
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🌍 Japan · Pale Lager · One of 101 Pale Lagers in hopIQ

Asahi Nama Beer, known in Japan as Maruef, first appeared in 1986 and lived on for decades only as a draught in bars before returning in cans in 2021. It is brewed from malt, rice, corn and starch in the brewery's mellow house style, at 4.5 percent and with lower carbonation than Super Dry; a later revision raised the degree of fermentation. It sits soft in the mouth, with a gentle grainy sweetness, a delicate hop aroma, moderate bitterness and a round, smooth finish.

ABV
4.5%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
SRM
pale gold4
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Where this beer sits· Four axes, the same for every beer in hopIQ.
Body
Lean body.
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
Dry finish.
drysweet
Bitterness
Soft bitterness.
mildbitter
Texture
Crisp mouthfeel.
crispcreamy

The texture leads here, with everything else held in gentle reserve.

Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another Pale Lager.
Hop character
hoppy
Malt character
malty
Fermentation & yeast
clean
Distinctive notes
smooth drinking

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Asahi Nama Beer

◎ Appearance

Pale golden hue with excellent clarity and a fine, delicate white head. The carbonation is noticeably softer than typical mass-market lagers, creating a gentle effervescence that allows the head to settle into a thin, persistent lacing around the glass.

pale goldenbright clarityfine headgentle carbonation

◌ Aroma

Subtle and restrained on the nose, with soft grainy notes from the malt and rice base. A delicate floral hop character emerges without asserting itself, while the overall impression remains clean and gentle, free from any harsh solvent or adjunct aromas.

grainy sweetnessdelicate hop aromaclean nose

◐ Taste

Entry is soft and mellow on the palate, with a gentle malty sweetness that builds from rice and corn adjuncts. The mid-palate reveals a balanced moderate bitterness that prevents the beer from becoming cloying, while the soft carbonation allows the flavors to sit comfortably rather than dominate.

smooth mouthfeelmoderate bitternessmalty-sweetbalanced

◑ Finish

The finish is round and smooth, with the bitterness fading gracefully into a clean, slightly dry aftertaste. No harsh edges or lingering sweetness; the overall impression is refreshing and approachable.

clean finishsmoothrefreshing
72
hopIQ score
Aroma
72
Taste
74
Appearance
75
Finish
72
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Asahi Nama Beer

Serve at 4–7°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Serve well-chilled at 4–6°C. Carbonation and crispness are the main event — cold preserves both.

Stein
Recommended for this style

The sturdy German stein maintains temperature and keeps carbonation intact. Built for long, convivial drinking.

Store cold and drink fresh. Lagers are at their crispest within 3–4 months.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Asahi Nama Beer

About Pale Lager

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Pale Lager?

Euro Pale Lagers are clean, refreshing lagers with 4–5.5% ABV and IBU 10–25. Soft malt sweetness, light hop bitterness and high carbonation make them supremely drinkable.

Finding a similar Pale Lager

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same smooth, smooth-drinking, malty character as Asahi Nama Beer will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other Pale Lagers in hopIQ

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