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Find out what this limited-edition beverage tastes like after the break!

With spring officially less than two months away in Japan, people are getting ready to dust off their picnic hampers, bring out their tarpaulin mats and start scouring the shelves for sakura-themed items to bring along to their hanami cherry blossom viewing parties.

Not to be outdone by last year’s Sakura Pepsi, Coca-Cola Japan has decided to add some cherry flavour to one of the staple products in their range, the Royal Milk Tea. Called the “Sakura Sakuranbo Royal Milk Tea”, this new offering is said to pack a punch with the addition of both “sakuranbo”, which is the cherry fruit itself, and “sakura” cherry blossoms.

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The packaging itself is enough to tantalise customers into giving it a try, with a pair of glistening cherries set against a background of cherry blossom leaves. Seeing as sakura appear at the same time as entrance ceremonies for students around the country, the bottle also includes a cute image of a wooden ema votive plaque on the back, emblazoned with a prayer for the passing of exams.

Using fresh cream from Hokkaido and 100-percent domestically produced milk to mellow out the strong flavour of the Assam tea leaves, this drink is said to be a perfect partner for the sweet and sour cherry flavours and aromas. We picked up a bottle to see if this was actually true, and surprisingly, it really is a match made in heaven! The distinct fruity flavour, which tastes remarkably similar to peach, is luxuriously creamy and balances out the flavour of tea so well that we’ll definitely be stocking up on these for the hanami cherry blossom viewing season.

The Sakura Sakuranbo Royal Milk Tea is on sale for a limited time from 9 January, but if you prefer a drink with an alcoholic kick, you might want to keep an eye out for Suntory’s Sakura Sakuranbo canned chu-hi, which is also a hit at hanami flower-viewing parties.

Source, images: PR Times
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