Summing Up: New Beers from the Japanese Major Brewing Companies in 2017 /日本の大手企業からの新しいビール 2017: 結語

Over the past four posts, I 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 74 different beers, exactly the same number as in 2016. They made 22 different styles of beer, five more than the 17 styles produced the year before.

The most common style (28 / 39%) was, of course, pale lager, with Kirin producing 16, Sapporo six, Asahi ten, and Suntory two. The second-most popular style (6 / 8%) was Premium Lager. Adding the five Imperial Pils/Strong Pale Lager beers, we find that lager comprises more than half of all new offerings in 2017. No surprise, really.

Asahi produced only five styles: Pale Lager (10), Imperial Pils/Strong Pale Lager (1), Spice/Herb/Vegetable (1), Oktoberfest/ Märzen (1), and Dunkel/Tmavý (1).

Kirin produced more beers (26) in more styles (11) than last year, though the majority were Pale Lager (16). In addition, Kirin put out one each of Premium Lager, Saison, Imperial Pils/Strong Lager, India Pale Ale, Wheat Ale, AmberLager/Vienna, Belgian Ale, India Style Lager, German Hefeweizen, and Fruit Beer.

Sapporo offered up 12 different styles, including Pale Lager (6), Premium Lager (3), American Pale Ale (2), Fruit Beer (2), Witbier (2)and one each of Pilsener, Dortmunder/Helles, Oktoberfest/Märzen, German Kristallweizen, Imperial Pils/Strong Lager, Scwarzbier, and Wit.

Suntory gave us eight styles, including Pale Lager (2), AmberLager/Vienna (2), Imperial Pils/Strong Lager (2), Premium Lager (2), American Pale Ale, German Kristallweizen, Golden Ale/Blond Ale, and Saison.

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 74 new beers, Sapporo and Suntory produced somewhat more interesting and tastier beers than did Kirin or Asahi. I do still feel that Kirin's Grand Kirin series is the best of the "crafty" brews being produced in Japan. However, Sapporo is trying hard with its new Innovative Brewer beers, and Suntory’s Premium Malt’s line continues to be the best series of Premium Lager made in Japan (especially Master’s Dream, which is a sort of ultra-premium).

Sapporo: 22 new beers

RateBeer Avg. 2.94    My Avg. 2.86

Suntory:  12 new beers

RateBeer Avg. 2.92     My Avg. 2.80

Kirin:  26 new beers

RateBeer Avg. 2.83    My Avg. 2.68

Asahi:  14 new beers

RateBeer Avg. 2.77    My Avg. 2.64