This is the Suntory -196 Freeze Crush Summer Kiwi Chūhai, featuring liquor infused with kiwifruit produced in Ehime Prefecture.
The chūhai presented clear and colourless. Aroma opened with fresh sweet-tart notes of kiwifruit, with a bright fruit character that was immediately recognisable.
Initial contact delivered crisp kiwifruit notes with gentle sweetness, supported by soft, finely integrated effervescence. The flavour captured the distinctive profile of fresh kiwifruit, balancing tropical sweetness with restrained tartness while remaining clean and natural in expression.
Through the mid-palate, the fruit character developed further, with the sweetness broadening and a mild acidity emerging to provide structure and lift. The kiwifruit profile retained a fresh clarity throughout, avoiding the confectionery qualities often found in fruit-flavoured alcoholic beverages. Texture remained smooth and cohesive, with the carbonation contributing refreshment without becoming aggressive or prickly.
Towards the finish, the kiwifruit notes persisted with little loss of intensity, while the mouthfeel remained balanced and remarkably free from alcoholic bitterness, ethanol heat or drying characteristics. The carbonation gradually lifted the remaining fruit flavours from the palate, producing a clean resolution with minimal residual flavour. The absence of lingering bitterness allowed the fresh fruit character to remain the defining impression from start to finish.
Overall, a flavoured chūhai with a layered flavour trajectory and highly cohesive texture integration, resulting in a fresh, fruit-driven structure that balances vibrant kiwifruit character with exceptional smoothness.
This Suntory -196 Freeze Crush Summer Kiwi Chūhai contained 340 mL. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2026.