Hop Kotan Brewing

Microbrewery in Sorachi, Hokkaido, Japan 🇯🇵
Associated Venue: Tap Room Beer Kotan

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


6.8/10 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

7.6/10 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

7.2/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 6
Hop Kotan Kuchi Bue Session Black Saison Very interesting fruity blackberry aroma coming from this ruddy caramel brown brown topped with a dense beige head. Full bodied but with a very dry finish. The taste is that berry up front then a rich buttery caramel before a dry biscuit finish. Alright.
Tried on 16 Apr 2020 at 06:17

7.3/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
medium amber color. Clean pale malt nose with apricots and apples. Crisp apple, citrus and apricot character with nice biscuity malt backbone. Off dry. Very balanced, straight forward and highly enjoyable. Excellent
Tried on 12 Apr 2020 at 13:02

7.1/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7.5
hazy medium purple color. Nice fruity hascup character, slightly tart with nice funkiness from the yeast. Very fruit forward with nice hascup character then the saison comes in with nice soft hoppiness, slight yeastiness. Very dry and light bodied. Finish continues to show a lot of hascup. Pretty good but it was slightly warming in the finish which for 7% was surprising.
Tried on 12 Apr 2020 at 12:29

7.2/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
Brought a book for some chilling... Hop Kotan Haskap Fruit Saison 7% 10 IBU Ruby red with an off-white head and a tart berry kool-aid aroma. The light dry body gives toe jam and tart berry notes. This reminds me of KBC’s Fruitful Life. Solid.
Tried on 10 Apr 2020 at 08:05

6.8/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 6.5
Medium brown color. very dry brownies and citrus. Not that interesting and way too dry.
Tried on 29 Mar 2020 at 07:35

6.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7
Tap at Bungalow. Amber-orange, clear. Nose is caramel, touch of chocolate, toffee, more UK than Munich though. Nutty caramel flavor, toffee, burnt sugar. A bit herbal and bitter. Estery. Not really a proper dunkel but nice enough.
Tried from Draft on 26 Mar 2020 at 02:35

5/10
Didn’t help my whistling, nor my thirst. Seems unfinished. Sad, cuz I always love these Hokkaido peeps!
Tried on 23 Mar 2020 at 17:53

7.5/10
Gimme them hopz . 3rd from L
Tried on 06 Mar 2020 at 19:52