Tendo Brewery Highlights Craft Beer Quality Improvement Efforts
SPRING VALLEY BREWERY, Kirin Beer’s craft beer brand, is launching its Quality Sensory Evaluation Meetings at nine Kirin breweries across Japan. At Tendo Brewery inside Ichiraku in Tendo, Yamagata, visitors can enjoy locally inspired beers while considering the quality practices supporting Japan’s growing craft beer scene.
Hop BroA craft beer story set at Tendo Onsen—and tied to a sensory quality panel—is a great one.
MugiWhat? Hot springs and beer already sound perfect. Is this like a beer tasting contest?
Hop BroPretty close! SPRING VALLEY BREWERY runs it to help craft breweries improve quality at Kirin Brewery sites nationwide.
MugiNo way! Isn't quality just taking a sip and saying, "This tastes great!"?
Hop BroIt combines chemical analysis with sensory evaluation. That means people carefully assess aroma, flavor, and finish with their senses.
MugiOhhh! Does my "the aroma goes poof!" count? Maybe I can be a nose-only judge!
Hop BroYou may have talent. Brewers also share issues and improvement examples, while evaluating the same beers over time.
MugiThirty-six breweries are expected, and it has grown to nine sites nationwide? They are growing better beer together!
Hop BroThat makes me want to visit Tendo Brewery at Yubo Ichiraku, a brewpub inside a hot-spring inn with fresh draft beer.
MugiDraft beer on a terrace after a soak... I'm smiling already! What should we drink there?
Hop BroSaint Cherry uses Yamagata cherries for fragrant, gently sweet, refreshing flavor. Mr.A lets you enjoy the aroma of soba, too.
MugiCherry beer and soba beer? Knowing the care behind them makes that post-onsen pint sound even more irresistible!
Supporting Better Craft Beer Quality
SPRING VALLEY BREWERY will begin its Quality Sensory Evaluation Meetings in early September as part of an initiative supporting the sustainable growth of the craft beer industry. The program has continued since 2022, and this year its reach will expand from seven to nine Kirin Beer plants: Chitose, Sendai, Toride, Yokohama, Nagoya, Shiga, Kobe, Okayama, and Fukuoka.
Participating breweries’ beers will undergo chemical analysis and sensory evaluation. Brewers will then discuss aroma, flavor, and quality-related challenges, while sharing solutions and practical knowledge for improvement. This year, the same beers will be evaluated continuously rather than only once, allowing more hands-on support for flavor development. As many as 36 breweries are expected to participate, the largest number to date.
Beer and Hot Springs at Tendo Brewery
Tendo Brewery, also known as Ichiraku, is a brewpub located inside the Tendo Onsen ryokan Yubo Ichiraku in Tendo, Yamagata. Guests can enjoy freshly drawn beer from the brewery, and staying visitors can drink it on the terrace after a hot spring bath. The setting brings together brewing, local travel, and relaxation.
The brewery’s signature beers include Seio-bo, or Saint Cherry, made with Yamagata cherries. It offers a fragrant profile with a slightly sweet and refreshing finish. Mr. A is a soba-inspired beer created to highlight the aroma of buckwheat, connecting the brewery with the region’s food culture. Bottled products are also available, while freshly brewed beer can be enjoyed on site depending on availability.
As breweries exchange knowledge through initiatives such as these evaluation meetings, drinkers benefit from a wider range of reliable and distinctive beers. A visit to Tendo Brewery offers the chance to experience that craft tradition alongside the hot springs of Tendo.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the venue’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroA craft beer story set at Tendo Onsen—and tied to a sensory quality panel—is a great one.
MugiWhat? Hot springs and beer already sound perfect. Is this like a beer tasting contest?
Hop BroPretty close! SPRING VALLEY BREWERY runs it to help craft breweries improve quality at Kirin Brewery sites nationwide.
MugiNo way! Isn't quality just taking a sip and saying, "This tastes great!"?
Hop BroIt combines chemical analysis with sensory evaluation. That means people carefully assess aroma, flavor, and finish with their senses.
MugiOhhh! Does my "the aroma goes poof!" count? Maybe I can be a nose-only judge!
Hop BroYou may have talent. Brewers also share issues and improvement examples, while evaluating the same beers over time.
MugiThirty-six breweries are expected, and it has grown to nine sites nationwide? They are growing better beer together!
Hop BroThat makes me want to visit Tendo Brewery at Yubo Ichiraku, a brewpub inside a hot-spring inn with fresh draft beer.
MugiDraft beer on a terrace after a soak... I'm smiling already! What should we drink there?
Hop BroSaint Cherry uses Yamagata cherries for fragrant, gently sweet, refreshing flavor. Mr.A lets you enjoy the aroma of soba, too.
MugiCherry beer and soba beer? Knowing the care behind them makes that post-onsen pint sound even more irresistible!
