2 autumn beers for your drinking pleasure

Which came first: a seasonal-obsessed culture in Japan or convenience store demands for more and more limited-edition products? Sorry, we don't know -- we have been too busy thinking about the newest in Japan's great seasonal beers.

Autumn is a cooler season, so beer drinkers no longer need a dry, light beer they can quickly guzzle away to battle the quenched thirst of summer. Now with the cold rains and winds, more flavor is in order, but maybe not to the extremes of a porter or stout.

This year, Kirin again offers Aki-Aji ('autumn flavor') -- a relatively light take on the autumn theme. Debuting in late summer, Aki-Aji has a slightly hoppy flavor, with a tiny bit of spice. Substantial, but generally refreshing enough for the odd days of Indian summer.

Yebisu's Kohaku (amber) on the other hand is a rich red brew -- right in-between their famously favorable gold standard and their Yebisu black stout in terms of flavor. Kohaku goes on sale for a limited time starting on October 5.

There is also the happoshu Aki-Nama from Suntory -- but hey, it doesn't matter what season it is, we don't count happoshu as beer.