2016 Poll on Japan's Best Craft Breweries

In early 2015, a Japan-based RateBeer member asked people who frequent the Japan forum group of the Rate Beer site to take part in a survey to determine the best breweries in Japan. That fellow has since moved out of Japan, but this year another member created the same survey.

Each participant was asked to give his/her top ten breweries, ranked in order from one to ten. Points were awarded from 10 down to 1 for positions 1 to 10. Some participants chose to focus on how well they felt the breweries did 2016 alone; others voted based on their impressions over several years.

And… drumroll please! Here are the results for 2016:

1. Shiga Kogen Beer (Tamamura-Honten) (117 points)

2. Kyoto Brewing Company (103)

3. Yorocco Beer (101)

4. Y Market Brewing (84)

5. Fujizakura Brewery (69)

6. Shonan Beer (Kumazawa Brewing) (60)

7. Oni Densetsu (Noboribetsu) (56)

8. Oku Noto Beer (Nihonkai Club) (52)

9. Zakkoku Kobo Microbrewery (34)

10. Devil Craft (33)

11. AJB (Anglo-Japanese Brewery) (19)

12. Baird Brewing Co. (14)

13. Thrashzone Brew Labo (12)

14. Ushi-Tora Brewing (11)

15. Baeren  (10)

16. Ise Kadoya  (8)

17. Brewery Songbird (7)

17. Daisen G Beer (7)

17. Atsugi Beer Company (7)

20. Swan Lake (Hyouko Yashiki No Mori Brewery) (6)

21. Mojiko Retro Beer (4)

21. Hitachino Nest (Kiuchi Brewery) (4)

24. Locobeer (3)

24. Yo-Ho Brewing Company (3)

26. Outsider Brewing (1)

26. Oh! La! Ho (1)

The top ten list looks somewhat similar to last year's. However, Minoh, Swan Lake, and Thrashzone Brew Labo, dropped below, while both Oku Noto Beer (Nihonkai Club) and Devil Craft broke in.

Shiga Kogen retained its top position, despite some trouble with bottling and sanitation. Their 10th anniversary beer, Sono Ju, as well as Takashi Imperial Stout are very highly regarded.

There was lots of praise for Brewery Songbird, which was the only new brewery on the list for 2016.

One big surprise: Minoh Beer, rated at #9 last year, did not receive a single vote and dropped off the list completely.

More people participated in the poll last year, and so this year's list included fewer breweries (26 compared to 37 last year)

For comparison, below are the rankings for 2015.

2015 ranking

1. Shiga Kogen (Tamamura-Honten) (191)

2. Y. Market Brewing (150)

3. Kyoto Brewing Company (113)

4.. Fujizakura Brewery (78)

5. Yorocco Beer (59)

6. .Zakkoku Kobo Microbrewery (55)

7. Thrashzone Brew Labo (43)

7. Swan Lake (Hyouko Yashiki No Mori Brewery) (39)

9. Minoh Beer (35)

10. Oni Densetsu (Noboribetsu) (34)

10. Shonan Beer (Kumazawa Brewing) (34)

11. Oku Noto Beer (Nihonkai Club) (28)

12. Daisen G Beer (25)

13. AJB (Anglo Japanese Brewery) (24)

14. Baird Brewing Co. (23)

15. Ise Kadoya (19)

16. Devil Craft (17)

17. North Island Beer (15)

17. Ushi-Tora Brewing (15)

18. Iwate Kura Beer (13)

19. Baeren (12)

19. Locobeer (12)

20. Outsider Brewing (9)

21. Yo-Ho Brewing Company (8)

22. Hideji Beer Brewery (6)

22. Oh! La! Ho (6)

23. Chateau Kamiya (Ushiku Beer) (5)

23. Hitachino Nest (Kiuchi Brewery) (5)

23. Sankt Gallen Brewery (5)

24. Aqula (3)

24. Johana Beer (3)

24. Mojiko Retro Beer (3)

25. Atsugi Beer Company (2)

25. Bayern Meister Bier (2)

25. Coedo (Kyodo Shoji Koedo Brewery) (2)

25. Hida Takayama Beer (2)

26. Tazawako Beer Brewery Pub (1)

Summing Up: New Beers from the Japanese Major Brewing Companies in 2016 /日本の大手企業からの新しいビール 2016: 結語

Over the past four posts, we have reviewed the majority of new beers brought out by the four major Japanese breweries. If you like, have a look at the posts for Asahi (HERE), Kirin (HERE), Sapporo (HERE), and Suntory (HERE).

The four major Japanese brewers produced 73 different beers, which is slightly fewer than last year's 79. They made 17 different styles of beer, down from the 28 produced in 2015.

Sapporo released 25 new beers in 10 different styles, followed by Kirin with 20 (in nine styles), Suntory with 14 (in 10 styles), and Asahi trailed the pack with 14 beers (in only four styles).

The most common style (34 / 47%) was, of course, pale lager, with Kirin producing 12, Sapporo ten, Asahi eight, and Suntory four. The second-most popular style (6 / 8%) was premium lager, with Sapporo offering four new ones in their Yebisu line, while Kirin and Suntory made one each.

Asahi produced only four styles: Pale Lager (8), Imperial Pils/Strong Pale Lager (2), Fruit Beer (3), and one Dunkel/Tmavý.

Kirin produced more beers (20) in more styles (9) than last year, including Pale Lager

(12), and one each of Premium Lager, Saison, Imperial Pils/Strong Lager, Weizen Bock, India Pale Ale, Wheat Ale, Amber Ale/, and Oktoberfest/Märzen

Sapporo offered up 10 different styles, including Pale Lager (10), Premium Lager (4), Pilsener (3), Golden Ale/Blonde Ale (2), and one each of Dortmunder/Helles, Oktoberfest/Märzen, Amber Lager/Vienna, German Kristallweizen, India Pale Ale, and Saison.

Suntory gave us ten styles, including Pale Lager (4), Golden Ale/Blonde Ale (2), and one each of the following: Amber Lager/Vienna, Amber Ale, English Pale Ale, Pilsener, Premium Lager, Wheat Ale, German Kristallweizen, and Saison. This is quite a cut back from last's year's 25 beers in 17 different styles.

All except Asahi produced one Saison, and both Kirin and Sapporo attempted IPAs.

So, after the past two years of experimenting with style ranges, 2016 seems to have

been a year of retrenchment.

Judging from average rating scores and my own ratings (out of a possible top score of 5.0) from RateBeer, and admittedly a limited sample, for all 73 new beers, Suntory, Sapporo, and Kirin produced somewhat more interesting and tastier beers than Asahi. I feel that Kirin's Grand Kirin series is the best of the "crafty" brews being produced in Japan.

Suntory: 14 new beers

RateBeer Avg. 2.86     My Avg. 2.88

Sapporo: 25 new beers

RateBeer Avg. 2.82     My Avg. 2.82

Kirin: 20 new beers

RateBeer Avg. 2.70    My Avg. 2.89

Asahi: 14 new beers

RateBeer Avg. 2.70     My Avg. 2.31

What 2017 will bring is anybody's guess. Beer consumption in Japan has been declining for the past 11 years, and the majors' attempts to woo younger drinkers do not appear to have much spirit. Their "crafty" sideline beers, designed and promoted to draw craft beer drinkers, have been mostly lackluster imitations of true craft beer styles. Some brewers, most notably Asahi, are expanding their purchases of beer (and other drinks) businesses abroad, in a move to increase their percentage of sales coming from outside of Japan.