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


7/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7
Nice enough. Grainy. Light hops.
Tried on 22 Jan 2020 at 16:11

6.6/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 6.5 Flavor 6.5 Texture 7 Overall 6.5
Clear gold with a decent white head. Light dank and weedy notes. Weedy with some light dank notes.
Tried from Draft at Craft Beer Works Kamikaze on 13 Jan 2020 at 12:24

5.9/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 5.5 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6
Clear dark gold with a decent white head. Light earthy hops. Bitter and some sweetness.
Tried from Draft at Craft Beer Works Kamikaze on 13 Jan 2020 at 12:15

6.9/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 6.5 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7
Clear pale gold with a decent white head. Citrus lemon peel note. Candied lemon and a nice dry light grainy finish.
Tried from Draft at Craft Beer Works Kamikaze on 13 Jan 2020 at 10:46

6.5/10
That’s good. Left.
Tried on 15 Dec 2019 at 19:55

6.9/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 6 Texture 8 Overall 6.5
Tap at Bungalow. Pitch black, lightly shiny, with a brown head. Nice nose: orange, chocolate, spice, licorice, pepper, light roast. Flavor is more funky and weird, licorice, charcoal, pepper, miso or even natto-like soy, plus citrus hops. A bit too funky for me (I hate natto). With some chicken liver pate, however, it was excellent. Just not alone. Very bitter.
Tried from Draft on 28 Nov 2019 at 00:33

7.3/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
Tap at Bungalow. Lemony, herbal hops and light crackery malt in the nose. Pale to medium gold, clear. Thick, low head. Crisp, grainy bread and crackers. Lemony, herbal. A proper helles. Nice.
Tried from Draft on 20 Nov 2019 at 03:09

6.5/10
goody. English Dark Mild Ale. Last.
Tried on 16 Nov 2019 at 22:05

6.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7
Tap at bungalow. Dark brown with orange tints and a low, thick head. Light malty nose, chocolate, caramel, cream. Dark chocolate flavor, lightly fruity, creamy. Light and crisp. Nice.
Tried from Draft on 31 Oct 2019 at 04:07

7.5/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 7 Overall 7
Decent pils feeling.
Tried on 23 Oct 2019 at 15:00