Asahi "Diet Kafeo"

What the can has to say: "The soothing taste of deep-roasted rich coffee. Slightly bitter but pleasantly sweet. Truly satisfying. Diet Kafeo."

What I have to say: The "diet" aspect gave me the heebie jeebies before I took my first sip, but this turned out to be my favorite canned coffee so far. It has a simple, genuine-coffee flavor that is mellowed by milk and not overwhelmed by sweeteners. Harsher critics might argue that the flavors are so subtle as to be practically nonexistent, but it is this delicateness that won over my jaded palate. On top of that, it comes in a nice, stout can that holds twice as much as typical canned coffees. Oh yes, and it contains xylitol, which -- if Japanese chewing gum commercials are anything to go by -- Scandinavians are fond of.

Let's see how this "diet" drink stacks up against Georgia "Platinum Blend" in terms of nutritional content (based on a serving size of 100g):

Asahi "Diet Kafeo"
Energy: 19kcal
Protein: 1.0g
Fat: 1.0g
Carbohydrates: 1.9g
Sodium: 26mg
Sugar: 0g
Xylitol: 1.2g

Georgia "Platinum Blend"
Energy: 28kcal
Protein: 0.5g
Fat: 0.5g
Carbohydrates: 5.3g
Sodium: 42mg
Sugar: Not labeled. In other words, enough to melt an extracted wisdom tooth in 36 hours were it plopped into the can for the purposes of science. Imagine if you accidentally took a swig of the coffee after the tooth had completely dissolved. Damn.
Xylitol: Sadly, none.

-- David Cady