Kuju Suisengyo Craft Beer Village

Did you know Kuju Suisengyo Craft Beer Village is at about 800 meters above sea level? It's the highest beer brewery in Kyushu.

They draw underground spring water from the Kuju mountain range and use it as their brewing water. This water is crystal clear and mellow, and it gives the beer a flavor you can only get here.

They use German malt and hops as ingredients, and brew with only four things: malt, hops, yeast, and water. It's a strict German-style approach that doesn't add anything unnecessary. And because it's unfiltered, the yeast is still alive when it goes into the bottle.

That's what's impressive about this brewery: they developed a proprietary three-stage heat-treatment technique that doesn't kill the yeast but puts it to sleep, and even obtained a manufacturing patent for it. With this method called "live yeast aging," they can preserve the flavor with the yeast still alive.

The lineup is great too. "Kaze" is a Weizen, "Hana" is a Brown Ale, and "Hoshi" is a Stout. And "SORIN" is a brown rice beer made with brown rice. SORIN takes its name from the Sengoku warlord Otomo Sorin, who has ties to Oita.

What's more, you can see the Aso Five Peaks, Mount Sobo, and the Kuju mountain range from the brewery. Drinking freshly made beer against that spectacular backdrop is the biggest attraction. It's a small brewery that's been passed down through generations, and it focuses entirely on the land and the water.