Sakura Japanese Sake KitKats combine rice wine and cherry blossoms for a sweet hanami experience

Sakura-flavoured KitKats now come with 0.07 percent alcohol.

Now that the cherry blossoms have officially started blooming in Japan, the sakura-themed goods are flying off shelves as people stock their picnic baskets in preparation for this year’s hanami flower-viewing season.

One of the most popular, and surprising, finds you can get at supermarkets in Japan right now comes from chocolate makers Nestlé, who are celebrating the arrival of spring with a gorgeous new limited-edition release: Sakura Japanese Sake KitKats.

The new chocolates come in a beautiful package, featuring images of sakura blooms and petals, a pink-hued bottle of sake, and a Japanese castle floating on a sea of gorgeous blooms.

Like their past sake KitKats, these ones contain 0.07 percent alcohol content, making them unsuitable for children or people with a weak tolerance to alcohol.

These are categories that don’t apply to us, so we picked up a multi-pack of 12 mini bars, and when we opened them up, we found each one was individually wrapped, and adorned with an image of cherry blossoms falling towards a glass of sake on the front.

We ripped into one, and were immediately hit with the familiar aroma of sakura. It was surprisingly strong, and had us instantly curious to find out what this beautiful pink KitKat would taste like.

As soon as we took a bite, our eyes grew wide as we tried to take in everything that was happening to our taste buds. The floral, slightly sour sakura took over straight away, making us gasp with its intensity. But then, there was a hit of alcohol, and not just any alcohol, but the rich, familiar flavour of Japanese sake.

Each bite came with a dizzying swirl of intense sakura and sake flavours, which hit us in alternating waves as the floral ingredient filled our nose and taste buds with its intense aromatics, while the distinct bite of rice wine played out in between it all.

According to the notes on the package, the Japanese sake in these KitKats has been blended into the white chocolate coating, while a sakura-leaf cream fills the inner wafers, which helps to create a well-crafted balance between the two intense flavours.

This is definitely one of the most unique Japanese KitKats we’ve tried to date, so if you see them at the store, be sure to pick them up and give them a try. They’re the perfect addition to any hanami picnic, and will enhance your time under the blooms, no matter which one of these top cherry blossom spots you decide to visit!

Photos © SoraNews24

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