Hop Kotan Brewing

Microbrewery in Sorachi, Hokkaido, Japan 🇯🇵
Associated with 2 Venues

Established in 2017

Contact
上富良野町西8線北33号, Sorachi, Japan
Description
北海道の真ん中、美しい景色で知られる富良野・美瑛エリア。
その一部をなす上富良野(かみふらの)は、
道内で唯一、ホップが商用栽培されている町です。
そして私たちブルワーにとって、希少な地のホップを使って
ビールを醸すことは、この上ない幸せでもあります。

ホップづくりのプロと語らいながら、生きたホップとふれあい、
ビールづくりのプロとして、さらなるおいしさを追究したい。
ここでなら、それができる。だから私たちは、ここに集いました。

立ち上げたブルワリーの名は、忽布古丹(ホップコタン)醸造。
コタンとは、村や集落を意味するアイヌの言葉で、
まさに北海道のホップ集落=上富良野のことを指す名称です。
この国がもっとビールを楽しめる国になることを願い、
コタンから多種多様なおいしいビールを全国にお届けします。

ホップに囲まれ、幸せいっぱいの私たちは、FULL OF HOPPINESS!
このホピネスが、お飲みいただくみなさまにも伝わりますように。
数年先には、すべて地のホップを使うブルワリーをめざして。
そしていずれは地の大麦・小麦も…。
農作物のように成長する忽布古丹にご期待ください!

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Partial translation:

The name of the brewery that was launched is Hop Kotan Brewing. Kotan is an Ainu word meaning a village. It is a name that refers to the hop village of Kamifurano on Hokkaido.

I hope this country will become a country where you can enjoy more beer. We deliver a wide variety of delicious beers nationwide from Kotan.

Surrounded by hops, we are full of happiness, FULL OF HOPPINESS! I hope this happiness will be conveyed to everyone who drinks it. A few years from now, aiming for a brewery that uses all the hops of the earth. And eventually, the local barley and wheat.

     Show


7.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Tap at Komachi. Fresh hopped pilsner. Straw gold, bright, with an airy head. Bright and grassy nose, herbal, bread, biscuit. Crisp, bright, herbal flavor, sulfur notes take away from it, slightly off. Well done besides that.

Tried from Draft on 19 Oct 2020 at 05:18


7
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Tap at Komachi. Golden ale made only with their own hops. MEdium gold with a thin head. Lemony nose, honey malts. Grainy malt flavor, resins, lemon, honey, grass. Crisp and clean with unique hop character and crisp, clean bitterness.

Tried from Draft on 05 Oct 2020 at 02:59


6.5
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6

Tap at Komachi. Clear amber-orange with a low, thick head. Nose is citrus, spicy Belgian yeast. Rich, fruity malt flavor, nice citrus notes, spicy, with sweet gumball notes. The finish is very bitter and muddy, however, with a long lasting astringency that was quite unpleasant.

Tried from Draft on 05 Oct 2020 at 02:58


7
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

More like a golden ale than a pils. Lemon and shandy like. Lacking in excitement. Second time round... Nice stuff. Good wheatiness, but hoppier than the German one. Think I prefer that one but this is a good drop!

Tried from Draft at Mikkeller Tokyo on 02 Oct 2020 at 13:50


7.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Tap at Source 6. Bright, deep gold with a fine head. nose is citrus, tropical fruit, a bit soapy, pine, rather unobtrusive malt. Lemony, piny flavor. rich malt, sweet and first with a dry, bitter finish. A bit heavy. Fruity, some grapes.

Tried from Draft on 20 Sep 2020 at 00:52


7.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Hop Kotan Get Back IPA 6.5% Crystal clear copper color with a thin foamy top and bright herbal hop bouquet. Medium to light bodied and dry with bitter herbal elements but well balanced by malt sweetness. classic West Coast IPA goodness.

Tried on 23 Jul 2020 at 14:48


7.6
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Light peppery nose with yeast a bit muted, but then big yeast up front on the palate with apricot crumble, pepper, dry and fairly hoppy and funky. Nicely bitter. Super drinkable. Excellent.

Tried on 17 Jun 2020 at 03:34


7.4
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7.5

Medium dark golden color. Froth white head. The nose is dominated by Belgian yeast, spice with some citrus and lemon notes in the background. I didnt get any tropical fruit notes at all, but as a saison, the nose isnt too bad. The palate is interesting, you get this cleaniness of an IPA, Belgian funk and spicy hop character. Very dry, but enough body to support it. No spices were added, but the descriptions indicates it should be juicy and tropical in the mouth. Its not at all. Ulitimately this comes across as a Belgian IPA. I am not a massive fan of the style, BUT I dont mind this. Dont love it, but certainly would have it again

Tried on 05 May 2020 at 13:16


6.8
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 6.5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 6.5

light amber golden color. Lots of carbonation. Frothy white head. Crackery malt below citrusy, Apple and cherries in the nose. Not particularly that dank. Malt forward, big bitterness. More like a hoppy amber. Relatively well balanced but not super exciting.

Tried on 05 May 2020 at 12:58


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

Hop Kotan Dosan SMASH Golden Ale 5% 30 IBU I think dosanko is a domestic hop variety. The golden brew had a lemon, lemongrass herbal fresh citrus zest aroma. Crisp clean medium body with a decent bite. Very refreshing.

Tried on 20 Apr 2020 at 05:30