After trying the Tully’s Barista's Choice Black a while back, I was really excited to see the Espresso Classico 微糖 Black at a conbini in Tokyo. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the coffee buying mood, so I thought I'd just pick one up back home when I got a chance. Well, for almost a month I've been searching but came up with nothing. Last night I popped into the conbini at Fukui station, and they just happened to stock it.
At first I saw the kanji 糖 (tou) meaning "sweetened" and was a little turned off. However the kanji in front of it 微 is read "bi" and means slightly, so I was more open to buying it. 微糖 (Bitou) was not in any of the dictionaries in my A9800, or even Eijiro, but if you put two and two together, it just means "slightly sweetened" or as Rikaichan states "low in sugar." The 285mL can has just 7.8g of sugar, and 35 kcal for you Calorie counters out there. "Low calorie" is a major theme for food manufacturers right now.
If you've tasted any of the usual sweetened can coffees, you know they can be quite sweet. However, with the Bitou Black, there's just a hint on sweetness. It's actually quite pleasant, complimenting the natural sweetness of the Arabica beans, and counteracting any bitterness you'd find. There are a lot of canned coffees coming out on the market, and while I haven't tried a lot of them yet, Tully's sure sets the bar high. The Barista's Choice Black is my favorite, with this Espresso Classico a close second.
With the weather finally starting to warm up, look for Espresso Classico in the cooler, and if you're lucky enough, pour over a some ice cubes during the summer for a refreshing hit of caffeine. As a side note, here's a nice article about the differences in sweetness levels (and labels) if you'd like to practice your ninja Japanese skillz.
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