This is the Asahi Calpis Hakko Blend Plum Wine. It blended regular Calpis with 10% plum juice as well as lactobacillus helveticus.
The beverage was an opaque white hue with a sweet yoghurt aroma reminiscent of Calpis. Upon tasting chilled, initial acidity marked the beginning of each sip, followed by the emergence of Calpis notes as a sweetness developed, briefly accompanied by dairy yoghurt undertones. As the beverage progressed, these notes swiftly transitioned into vibrant plum wine qualities, featuring the signature tartness that lingered through to an astringent in the finish. The predominant note of this drink was acidic, leaving the mouth salivating, yet well complemented by the Calpis base, which mitigated the sourness of the plums to some extent, given Calpis’s inherent sweetness as a drinkable yoghurt.
Overall, this beverage tasted as one would expect from a combination of Calpis and plum wine, resembling the Japanese or Korean version rather than the salted Chinese variety. While enjoyable, it leaned a touch too acidic for our preferences and lacked the textural interest of the jelly in the Asahi Calpis Parlor Calpis Jelly.
This Calpis Hakko Blend Plum Wine contained 300 mL. It was produced in Taiwan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2023.