Craft Beer in Japan: The Essential Guide by Mark Meli (Beering in Mind YouTube Channel -- Beer Book Review #1)

Craft Beer in Japan: The Essential Guide by Mark Meli 

This is the the best book on the craft beer scene in Japan.

Click HERE for my YouTube review.

地ビール祭京都 2017 / Craft Beer Festa Kyoto 2017

I intentionally did not go to the Craft Beer Festa Kyoto last year. I remembered the 2015 event, and the discomfort of being stuck in a more or less immobile and thirsty crowd, trying to navigate the ridiculously long lines at the beer booths (and, of course, also at the toilets). The venue is an 800-meter long shopping arcade, which is much too narrow for the number of people who show up.

This year, I decided to chance it, since there were a few breweries attending whose beers I had rarely or never had the chance to sample..

I arrived at just after opening time, and the crowds were already swarming. Long lines at the beer booths were snaking down the street, around into the side streets, and in some cases morphing into hairpin shapes in the main street.

But I soon discovered that most of the breweries I was interested in had fairly short waiting times and that those situated at the extreme ends of the arcade often had no lines at all.

Thirty seven breweries were on show, with a heavy emphasis on Kansai-area companies.

I had wanted to try more of Talmary, a relatively new brewery from Tottori, whose beers have not yet shown up much in this area. I was not disappointed with their Spring Blonde, Smoke Brown, and Tripel Triple. Talmary is noted for producing a variety of wild yeast beers, but it seems they are also making more styles now.

Another brewery whose beers are hard to get is Zakkoku Kobo (Saitama). We chatted with the brewer and enjoyed glasses of Irodori (saison), Sansho Porter. and the thick, smoothie-like Berry Much (fruit beer)

The fast-rising Kyoto Brewing Company was also in attendance, showcasing many of their beers, including two new ones: Sandomemashite (Double IPA) and Minami Hankyuu no Yuuhi (Sunset Down Under), a wheat ale brewed with New Zealand hops. Also, although some breweries show up with only three or four different beers, Kyoto Brewing had fully ten on offer.

Strangely, a couple of the other Kyoto representatives -- Kyoto Machiya and Kizakura -- seemed underappreciated, with swarms of people moving right past the loud touts who were attempting to draw customers in.

                                                         ... perhaps some Kyoto Machiya beer...???

Mark Meli, author of Craft Beer in Japan: The Essential Guide, was at the Japan Beer Times table, talking with all who stopped by.

I honestly enjoyed the festival this year. That said, I really hope that the organizers can find another, more spacious, venue for future festivals....  and one with better toilet facilities (where a sign such as the one below will not be warranted) .....

                                                     ..... I think we need a "No" here....

 However, I was somehow able to get to most of the beers that I wanted to try without feeling exhausted or frustrated. I'm sure it's not an easy task to put together an event of this scope, and I am thankful that there are people willing to do it.

日本のクラフトビールのすべて / Craft Beer in Japan: The Essential Guide (Japanese version)

 

At long last, the Japanese-language version of Mark Meli’s Craft Beer in Japan: The Essential Guide is finally out. The original book, published in 2013, is definitely the most thorough treatment of the developing craft beer scene available in English.

More than just a translation of the original text, this new book has been updated to include breweries that have opened in Japan during the past 2-3 years. Meli includes listings of over 200 breweries, brewpubs, and beer bars, along with detailed descriptions of more than 100 of them. He also offers insights on the history and development of craft beer in several short essays, and provides a guide to Japanese beer festivals.

Meli pulls no punches when describing breweries and their beer lineups. His evaluations, while certainly subjective, are fair and honest – and this cannot be said of many Japanese craft beer books. This one will guide you to the best places and best beers being made across the nation, and steer you away from those which fall short.

The Kindle version is available HERE at Amazon.com

Hard copies are available on The Japan Beer Times website HERE for ¥2,000 (+¥500 shipping within Japan and ¥1,000 for international shipping).

Drink this book.

World Craft Beer Tasting 2014

Hats off to Tani Ai, her Craft Beer Base staff, and the numerous volunteers who made the two-day World Craft Beer Tasting, held on September 27 and 28, such a pleasant event.

For its third iteration, this small festival returned to the small park area in front of Osaka’s Nakazakicho Hall, where it was first held in 2012. Last year’s event was at Namba's Minato Riverplace venue, a space much too large for the limited number of attendees, making it feel empty and quiet. This year, the circumference of the Nakazakicho park and the number of brews available seemed just right.

A fine selection of US beers were on offer, as well as some from Scotland, Germany, and Belgium. However, there were only a limited number from Japanese breweries, and many of them were "entry beers," fine for first-time craft beer drinkers but perhps all too familar to most beer geeks. One, however, that looked quite appealing was Umenishiki Wood Finish and Assemblage -- but by the time we got around to asking for it, it had been taken off tap. The staffer simply said, “Come back tomorrow.” Also, the distributor for Stillwater Artisanal Ales had brought a “secret” beer, but it was not being tapped on that first day. In fact, many of the beers on the festival lineup were available on only one of the two days.

There were also several food stalls, handicrafts from a variety of vendors, and a play area for kids. Live music performances took place in the back of the main hall room, thus keeping the rather loud music from the outside beer area. In addition, five lectures were delivered by beer experts and distributors, including one by Osaka’s own Meli Meli, author of Craft Beer in Japan: The Essential Guide.

Here are some of the highlights:

Stone Stochasticity Project Quadrotriticale

Very fruity nose, with an added wheaty note. Peachy, with some even sweeter candyish notes. Fruit blends well thoughout, with a moderate hop jump in mid palate. Interesting mix of rye and wheat. Not quite at quad level of intensity and maybe just a bit too sweet.

Stone 18th Anniversary Golden Brown IPA

Fresh, pleasant West Coasty pungent hop nose, with a lot of caramel behind. Large caramel, which floats in a lighter state, and then comes back with a vengeance. Hops not as assertive as in the aroma.
Quite balanced for this style and for this brewery.

Coronado 18th Anniversary Imperial IPA

Solid caramel nose, a bit of alcohol fumes. Very balanced, with delicious caramel flavors, fruit, and citrusy hopping. Smooth. The alcohol is hidden quite well, in the flavor at least. Balanced at a moderate level of intensity. Very good.

Modern Times Blazing World

Moderate hoppy nose, with peaches, tropical fruit, and even a touch of cow barn. Big caramelly initial. Mixed pine and citrus hopping in mid. Just a bit cloying in mid and final, but not a caramel bomb. Very pleasant mouthfeel. Liked this one a lot.

Modern Times Phalanx

Pungent grassy nose, fresh weeds crushed up in a mortar. Nice light citrusy initial, which sort of goes to an orange soft drink in mid, and returns to form in late mid and final, with fairly scratchy hopping. Medium body, Doesn’t really seem to have such a high IBU level. Unusual, interesting flavors.

Kampai! The World of Japanese Beer / 乾杯！日本のビールの世界

Beer geeks in the New York City area who want to learn more about craft beer in Japan should consider attending Dr. Mark Meli's talk at the Japan Society on September 12. Meli is the author of Craft Beer in Japan: The Essential Guide. He is very well versed in the history of beer in Japan and the ways in which the craft beer scene there is currently developing.

Oh, and there will be a tasting reception, where you can sample several Japanese craft beers that are hard to find in the United States.

Tempted? Visit the Japan Society event page HERE to reserve your tickets.

Kampai!