Hakko Calpis Parlor in Ōsaka’s Hankyu Umeda is the exclusive location for a number of Calpis products, including made-to-order Calpis-based drinks with amazake, Darjeeling tea, orange coffee and blueberry vinegar; as well as fermented butter biscuits, and prepackaged Caplis Jelly drinks. We picked up this set of Asahi Calpis Parlour Calpis Jelly earlier this year.
This set of three contained 3 bottles of Caplis Jelly and 3 fermented sauces: yoghurt and kiwi, apple cider vinegar and white peach, and fermented soy milk and strawberry.
Preparing the drinks for consumption involved chilling the can to set the jelly before adding the sauce directly into the can, and then vertically shaking the can to break up the jelly and mix the sauce. After shaking, the Calpis jelly retained a thick and chunky mouthfeel that melted swiftly on the palate.
Yoghurt & Kiwi. The combined drink was a pastel yellow-green colour with the sweet citrusy sweetness of kiwifruit coming through in the aroma and on tasting. The yoghurt aspect complemented the natural acidity of fresh kiwifruit and the Calpis flavour, which the tartness becoming almost salivating in the finish.
Apple Cider Vinegar & White Peach. The combined drink was a pastel yellow colour while the white peach flavour was more intensely aromatic and vibrant on tasting than the other two flavours. It had the crisp sweetness of white peaches from the head of each sip and into the body where the gentle acidity of the Calpis became evident. In the finish, the apple cider vinegar came through with a subtle apple flavour and amplified the tartness ahead of a clean aftertaste.
Hakko Soymilk & Strawberry. The combined drink was a pastel salmon pink colour with a fresh strawberry aroma. Upon tasting, the strawberry notes came through with a bright sweetness at the head of each sip and developed with a tartness that came to prominence in the body. The fermented soymilk component enhanced the acidity of the Calpis, emphasising a fresh strawberry flavour.
Overall, we enjoyed the twist in mouthfeel and flavour of these Calpis Jelly drinks.
This Asahi Calpis Parlour Calpis Jelly contained 810 g (270 g x 3 bottles of jelly) and 243 mL (81 mL x 3 packets of fruit sauce). It was produced in Japan and purchased in Ōsaka, Japan in 2023.