Beering in Mind YouTube Channel Beer Review #236 -- Sapporo Ginza Lion Beer Hall Special

Sapporo Ginza Lion Beer Hall Special commemorates the 110th anniversary of the oldest beer hall in Japan. 

Click HERE to watch my YouTube review.

Summing Up: New Beers from the Japanese Major Brewing Companies in 2019 /日本の大手企業からの新しいビール 2019: 結語

Over the past four posts, I reviewed the majority of new beers brought out by the four major Japanese breweries in 2019. 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 46 different beers, down by 10 from 2018 (and by 20 from 2017).

They made 13 different styles of beer, five fewer than the 18 styles produced the year before (and nine fewer than the 22 styles made in 2017).

The most common style (26 / 56%) was, of course, pale lager, with Asahi producing eight, Kirin three, Sapporo 10, and Suntory five

The second-most popular style (6%) was pilsner, with three, all made by Sapporo.

The third-most popular style, at two each, were Pale Ale, IPA, Blonde/Golden Ale, Apple Cider, Helles/Dortmunder, and Imperial Pilsner.

The biggest surprise is that Kirin came out with only six new beers (compared to 13 in 2018). 

Asahi and Suntory were also down, with only 14 new beers (18 in 2018) and nine new beers (14 in 2018), respectively. 

Only Sapporo increased their number, with 17 new beers (compared to 11 in 2018).

Judging from RateBeer average rating scores and my own ratings (both out of a possible top score of 5.0), admittedly a limited sample, for all 46 new beers, it seems that Kirin produced somewhat more interesting and tastier beers, with Sapporo and Suntory not too far behind, than did Asahi or Kirin…. and with Asahi trailing quite a bit on both accounts.

Asahi:  14 new beers

RateBeer Avg. 2.73    My Avg. 2.35

Kirin:  6 new beers

RateBeer Avg. 2.89    My Avg. 2.86

Sapporo: 14 new beers

RateBeer Avg. 2.88    My Avg. 2.75

Suntory:  9 new beers

RateBeer Avg. 2.88     My Avg. 2.82

Asahi is making weak efforts in cheapest happoshu (low-malt) and “new genre” (no malt / fortified) styles, including their several new beers in the Asahi Clear series and a new “crafty” line called Asahi Craft Style. 

Kirin’s Grand Kirin series, which usually has a few nice new styles each year, was represented by a single disappointing brew: Grand Kirin Orange IPA. 

Sapporo was all over the place, with four new premium Yebisu beers and an equal number of low-malt or no-malt brews in their Mugi to Hoppu line

To my mind, Suntory’s Premium Malt’s line continues to be the best series of major brewery premium lagers made in Japan (especially the four beers in the Master’s Dream series, which can be considered ultra-premium).

The Japanese beer market has been declining for years, and the Japanese companies are looking for growth overseas. Three of the big four breweries have been purchasing breweries outside of Japan. 

In November of last year, Kirin (through its subsidiary, Lion Little World Beverages) bought New Belgium Brewing, which is/was the fourth-largest craft brewer in the United States. 

Kirin also has a stake in Brooklyn Brewery and bought acclaimed Fourpure Brewing Co. in 2018. 

Sapporo bought Anchor Brewing Co., an iconic brewery credited with sparking the American craft beer scene in the 1970s. 

Asahi has purchased a number of larger international breweries in Eastern Europe and Australia.

New Beers from the Japanese Majors in 2019: Sapporo Breweries / 日本の大手企業からの新しいビール 2019: サッポロビール

We’re into 2019 now. It's time to take stock of new beers brought out in 2019 by the four major breweries in Japan: Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory. I'll discuss them each in a separate post. I'll also give the current RateBeer weighted average score and my own rating score (both scores out of a possible total of five), keeping in mind that most of these newer brews have fewer than ten ratings.

Now, let’s have a look at Sapporo’s new offerings in 2019:

Two very limited-edition beers, each with hops from a single producer:

Sapporo Seven Premium Kamifurano Oosumi-san no Hoppu Batake Kara

Pale Lager - Intl / Premium / 5% /My Rating 3.1 / RateBeer Avg: 2.96

What a weird name. Did they really get ALL the hops from that one guy's hop field? Thick fruity nose, some grass and hay. Bright clear gold color, thick sponge-like head. Ripe stone fruit, thin bitterness. Flavors fade after mid palate. Thin body. Hmm... certainly has some decent hop aroma, but flavor is thin and disappointing. This one will not be around very long, I'm sure.

Sapporo Seven Premium Aomori Takko-machi Tanuma-san no Hoppu Batake Kara

Pale Lager - Intl / Premium / 5% / My Rating 3 / RateBeer Avg: 2.91

7-11 limited brew. Nose of grain and a pungent sort of grassiness. Medium gold color and a quickly dissipating head. Flavors of grain, punchy fruity hops with moderate bitterness, and a light peppery finish. Thin-medium body. Pretty malty, with some tangy hoppiness,..... but anyway....

Four new beers in the Yebisu line:

Sapporo Yebisu Shizuku

Helles / Dortmunder Export / 6% / My Rating 3.3 / RateBeer Avg: 2.94

Thin malty aroma, fine noble hop nose, all very fresh. Medium gold color, with a thin creamy white head. Smooth malty initial, rich in mid palate. Goes a bit spicy and peppery with hops, Mild bitterness and a thin dryish finish. A pleasant variation on the standard Yebisu, with a little more richness and punch to it.

Sapporo Yebisu Joel Robuchon French Pils (2019)

Pilsener / Pils / Pilsner / 5.5% / My Rating: 3.40 / RateBeer Avg: 3.09

Sweet delicate malty aroma, with citrus and grapes. Bright gold color. Smooth malty initial, some citrus tang, grape juice or wine, and a light metallic note in the finish. Medium body, a little heavy for the style, and some fuzzy carbonation tingle on the tongue. Champagne malt (whatever that is) and two kinds of hops. The grape / wine note makes it feel a bit more alcoholic than it really is. Almost seems like a hybrid. This is the seventh, and the last, beer that Joel Robuchon supervised for Sapporo before he died in August of 2018.

Sapporo Yebisu Premium Ale

Red Ale / Intl Amber Ale / 5.5% / My Rating: 3.3 / RateBeer Avg: 3.15

Can. Light spicy nose, with berries, and mild stone fruit. Deep copper/brown color, moderate head. Fruity flavor, with mild caramel. Bitterness hits pretty hard in mid palate and extends through to the finish. Thin-medium body. Interesting mix of flavors (for a Yebisu). Nose isn't much. Bitterness quite strong.

Sapporo Fukkoku Tokusei Yebisu

Helles / Dortmunder Export / 5% / My Rating: 3.4 / RateBeer Avg: 3.09

Malty nose, with lightly pungent grassy notes and all a bit fuzzy on the sinuses. Bright gold color, thin white head. Thick malty initial, heavy and bready in mid palate, with a surprisingly sharp bitterness near finish. Medium body. Nose is "Yebisu," but the flavor incorporates more bitterness than most beers in the Yebisu line. The body is heavier as well

Sapporo Hokkaido Nama Beer

Pale Lager - North Am. / Light / 5.5% / My Rating: 3.2 / RateBeer Avg:     2.91

Can. Light malty nose, some grass. Medium gold color. Mild bready malt, pleasant gentle bittering, then a bit sweetish, and a fairly bland finish. Thin-medium body. Okay. Nothing really special or "Hokkaido" about this one.

Sapporo Beer Surprise Shifuku no Kaori

Pilsener / Pils / Pilsner / 5% / My Rating: 3.3 / RateBeer Avg: 3.14

Nose is herbal, with plenty of citrus and noble hops. Bright gold color. Smooth fruity flavors, lightly bready, and has rather sharp bittering from mid palate onward. Thin-medium body, very light hop burn. The sharp bitterness is similar to that in other beers is this series. “Beer Surprise” – such a wonderful name....;((

Sapporo Honkaku Karakuchi

Pale Lager - North Am. / Light/ 5% / My Rating 2.1 / RateBeer Avg: 2.49 

Nose of spirits, grain, some grass, and light alc. fumes. Medium gold color. Mild malt, spirits emerge pretty quickly, light sugars, and a thin touch of bitterness. Thin-medium boy. Pretty not good.

Sapporo Mugi to Hoppu So no Kaori

Pale Lager - North Am. / Light / 5% / My Rating: 2.5 / RateBeer Avg: 2.79

Can. Fuzzy citrus nose, light grass. Medium gold color. Mild stone fruit flavor, with light apple and pear notes. Tiny bitterness. Has some of the requisite spirits presence but not too much. Thin-medium body. Not terrible.

Sapporo Mugi to Hoppu Natsudzumi

Pale Lager - North Am. / Light / 5% / My Rating: 2 / RateBeer Avg: 2.70

Thin floury malt aroma, mild spirits + hop mixture. Bright medium gold color, with a spongy off-white head, and lazy carbonation. Fruity initial, then grain spirits slip in, and then a mild hop bitterness. Thin-medium body. Nothing special or even summery about this one.

Sapporo Mugi to Hoppu Hon Juku

Pale Lager - North Am. / Light / 6% / My Rating: 2.4 / RateBeer Avg: 2.72

Overripe stone fruit nose, mosquito spray, spirits. Clear bright gold color. Thick stone fruit extract, spirits. The spirits flavor extend to the finish, along with a mild hop bitterness. Medium body. Covers up the junky aspects somewhat. Not the worst turd in the Mugi to Hoppu punch bowl, but not worth purchasing

Sapporo Mugi to Hoppu Tohoku No Kaori

Pale Lager - North Am. / Light 5% / RateBeer Avg: 2.79

No chance to try this one

Sapporo Hokkaido Off No Gochisou

Pale Lager - Intl / Premium / 5% / RateBeer Avg: 2.89

No chance to try this one

Sapporo Mega Lager

Pale Lager – Strong / 6% / My Rating 1.8 / RateBeer Avg: 2.68

Can. Nose of sewer pipe, and crushed rotten fruit. Clear medium gold color. Harsh fruity flavors, rough sweet and sour stuff. Big carbonation jump in mid palate. Ouch! Yuck! Label says "beer taste" – Oh, yeah? Well, hardly, says I. Herkules hops -- so what? Avoid this one.

Sapporo Innovative Brewer Sorachi 1984

Blonde Ale / Golden Ale / 5.5% / My Rating: 2.8 / RateBeer Avg: 3.01

Aromas of stone fruit, soap, some sort of wine, and lemons fried up in butter. Dark gold color. Flavors of stone fruit, apples, light citrus, green onions, dill, mint, and more soap. Thin-medium body. Flavors are certainly unusual. Sorachi Ace seems a bit too strong to be used as a single hop. Hard to drink at first, and then the palate gets (somewhat) used to it.

Sapporo Innovative Brewer Sky Pils

Pilsener / Pils / Pilsner / 5% / RateBeer Avg: 2.76

No chance to try this one