Good til the last drop

Japan has beer, and then they have "happoshu", which is actually imitation beer with very low actual malt/hop content. Happoshu however tastes nearly identical to beer, and for all intents and purposes, should, in fact, be considered a decent replacement for real beer.

There is one striking characteristic difference between beer and happoshu however. Japanese beer like Sapporo Black Label, "Asahi Super Dry", Kirin Ichiban Shibori, all have largely similar flavors which open up with a crisp and refreshing lager flavor, and have a mild and smooth aftertaste. Also, the main Japanese lagers stay very tasty even after having been opened for a bit of time. The last sip will still be comparable to the first.

The same cannot be said however for happoshu, which loses its taste quite quickly after it has been opened for a bit, or becomes slightly warm. Immediately opening a cold happoshu and taking a big swig will bring you an almost identical refreshing lager taste, but after that it's all downhill...