We compare the new and old versions of Kirin Afternoon Tea Straight Tea, Milk Tea, and Lemon Tea, which are being revamped for the first time in six years
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Kirin Afternoon Tea Straight Tea/Milk Tea/Lemon Tea to be revamped for the first time in six years! | 2024 | Kirin Holdings
https://www.kirinholdings.com/jp/newsroom/release/2024/0423_01.html
According to Kirin's materials, the straight tea has evolved to have a 'gorgeous fragrance and a clean aftertaste!', the lemon tea to have a 'refreshing fragrance and a sweet and sour lemon flavor!', and the milk tea to have a 'richer fragrance and more milky flavor!', but this alone doesn't really give you an idea of the changes in taste.
So I bought the old product and compared them. The product on the left is the old product I bought, and the product on the right is the new product that was provided to me.
If you look closely, you'll notice that the engraved pattern on the bottle is different. The new product, which has a diamond cut (right), is said to have a 'clearer liquid color and looks more appetizing.' In addition, the picture and shape of the label have also changed.
◆Straight tea
First, let's compare the straight tea. First, check the ingredients. The old product is on the left and the new product is on the right, but the ingredients are exactly the same, even in the order they are arranged. Sugars (fructose glucose liquid), sugar, black tea (Dimbula (Sri Lanka) 20%), flavoring, and vitamin C.
The calories are 16 kcal per 100 ml. Both are 500 ml, so one bottle is 80 kcal. Other nutritional information is almost the same, but the new product has 0.1 g less carbohydrates.
When poured into a glass, the new product (right) looked slightly thinner.
When you actually try it, the newer product gives you a more direct taste of the tea leaves. The first impression on the tongue for both the old and new product is 'sweet,' followed immediately by a bitter, spicy taste from the tea leaves, but the flavor of the tea leaves, which can't be described as either bitter or spicy, is stronger in the new product, and the longer you let it roll around on your tongue, the more you can feel the difference. Other comments include that the old product leaves a bitter taste after drinking, while the new product doesn't leave much of a bitter taste, making it seem lighter.
◆Milk tea
Next, we tried the milk tea. Comparing the ingredients of the old product (left) and the new product (right), the order of the ingredients such as milk, sugar, and tea is the same for both the old and new products.
The calories are 36kcal per 100ml, or 180kcal per bottle.
They look the same. I couldn't tell the difference when I tried them. If I had to say, the new product seemed to have a stronger milk flavor that passed through my nose after drinking it, but that might be a misunderstanding because I already knew that the new product had more of a milky taste. Other editorial staff members commented that the old one emphasized the sugar, while the new one blended the sugar and black tea, and that the sweetness was not as prominent. There was also an opinion that the new one had less of a sugary aftertaste.
◆Lemon tea
The raw materials for lemon tea are sugar and black tea (15% Nuwara Eliya (Sri Lanka)), and there is no difference between the old product (right) and the new product (left).
The calorie content is 28 kcal per 100 ml, or 140 kcal per bottle. As with the straight tea, the new product has 0.1g less carbohydrates.
There is no difference in appearance.
Some of the editorial staff who tried it said that the lemon's sourness was emphasized, while others said that the tea-like flavor was emphasized and the lemon was merely a flavor. Another commented that the new version had a lingering lemon flavor.
Overall, the majority of opinions were that 'the newer ones emphasize the black tea flavor.' There were also opinions such as, 'I liked the juice-like junky feel of Afternoon Tea, but the emphasis on the black tea flavor made it seem stilted.' On the other hand, an editorial staff member who has been drinking Afternoon Tea for several decades said, 'There is really only a very slight difference, and there is no difference at all in the milk tea,' and that he would not have noticed unless someone had told him.
The suggested retail price for Kirin Afternoon Tea Straight Tea/Milk Tea/Lemon Tea is 160 yen (excluding tax) and will be available nationwide from June 18, 2024.
On Amazon.co.jp, a pack of 24 'Straight Tea' is being sold for 2,290 yen including tax (95 yen per bottle).
A box of 24 'Milk Tea' bottles costs 2,218 yen including tax (approximately 92 yen per bottle).
A pack of 24 'Lemon Tea' was sold for 2,391 yen including tax (about 100 yen per bottle).
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