HOPIQ FACEOFF
56%
Overall similarity
HOPIQ TAKE
Sapporo if you want the classical Japanese adjunct lager with the crisp finish that the star label promises, Suntory Premium Malt's if you want the all-malt challenger that broke the adjunct dominance. Both are premium-tier Japanese lagers, both around 5%, both flagship exports — but they represent two paradigms of Japanese brewing. Sapporo Premium (Sapporo Brewery, since 1877) uses a rice adjunct alongside barley — traditional Japanese practice, engineered for a clean crisp finish that pairs with delicate cuisine. Suntory The Premium Malt's (2003) is all-malt, using Diamond Malts from Europe and Saaz + Hallertau noble hops, designed as a direct challenge to the adjunct standard. Sapporo is the older-guard classic; Suntory is the beer that convinced Japanese drinkers to pay more for all-malt.
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WHEN TO CHOOSE WHICH
Pick Sapporo Premium Beer when…
- →You are eating sushi, sashimi, or delicate Japanese cuisine
- →You want the traditional Japanese premium adjunct experience
- →You want the crisp-dry finish that Japanese brewing standardised
Pick Suntory The Premium Malt's when…
- →You want the Japanese lager that tastes like it flirts with Munich
SIDE BY SIDE
| Sapporo Premium Beer | Suntory The Premium Malt's | |
| ABV | 4.7% | 5.5% |
| Bitterness | Lightly bitter | Lightly bitter |
| Colour | Pale gold, SRM 3 | Pale gold, SRM 4 |
| Style | Japanese Lager | Japanese Lager |
| Origin | Japan |
WHAT IT TASTES OF
Both beers
STRUCTURE — HOW IT'S BUILT
TASTING NOTES
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What makes Suntory 'all-malt' different from Sapporo?
Sapporo (like most Japanese lagers, including Kirin Lager and Asahi Super Dry) uses a portion of rice adjunct alongside barley malt — traditional Japanese practice that lightens the body and cleans the finish. Suntory Premium Malt's uses ONLY barley malt, no adjunct. That's the primary structural difference: Suntory has fuller body, more residual sweetness, more perceptible malt character; Sapporo is leaner, cleaner, more palate-cleansing.
Is Sapporo really from 1877?
Yes — Sapporo Beer Company was founded in Hokkaido in 1876 by a German-trained Japanese brewer (Seibei Nakagawa, who studied at a German brewing school), with the first beer released 1877. Making Sapporo one of Japan's oldest continuously-operating breweries and a founding force of the Japanese beer industry. The star on the label is from the Meiji-era Hokkaido colonisation office logo, kept for continuity.