West Coast Brewing
『West Coast Brewing (WCB)” is a craft beer brewery located in Mochimune, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
There are approximately 900 craft beer breweries in Japan (as of 2024), but among them, this brewery is popular due to its high quality and delicious taste.
This time we will be taking a tour of West Coast Brewing's brewery andWCB Mochimune Taproom”, so I would like to introduce it to you.
Brewery tour
A brewery is a beer brewery, and a brewery tour is a tour of a beer factory.
Brewery tours are only available on Saturdays and Sundays and must be reserved in advance.
『online siteYou can make a reservation from .
The fee is 3,500 yen, and payment will be made on the day of the event.
At the end of the tour, you can receive a bottle of beer as a souvenir, and each bottle of WCB beer costs around 1,000 to 1,500 yen, so the actual tour fee would be 2,000 to 2,500 yen.
The event is generally held from 10:30 to 12:00.
The reception and meeting place for tours is at the accommodation facility operated by WCB.The Villa & Barrel Lounge” is on the 1st floor.
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Also on the 1st floor is ``WCB Mochimune Taproom”, where you can enjoy WCB beer and breakfast, as well as purchase beer and goods.
If you are taking a tour, there is no problem as long as you are in the building at 10:30, butWCB Mochimune Taproom' is open from 8:00, so you can come a little early and have a beer while you wait.
Start of tour
Now that the time has come, let's take a tour.
It was not allowed to take pictures inside the brewery, so photos will only be taken from outside.
During the tour, you can see the barley itself being polished, and you can also see the entire production process, including the preparation, fermentation, and tanks in which it is stored for a while after production.
Unlike factory tours of major beer manufacturers, there were no exhibits, so I thought it would be a good idea to have some knowledge about beer.
By the way, there is a restaurant located next door.Mochimune Minato Onsen” You can also see a little inside.
I visited before the tour, but I recommend you to visit either before or after the tour.
One interesting thing I heard during the tour was that off-flavors (unwanted flavor components) are generated during the beer manufacturing process.
By storing (aging) the manufactured beer in tanks, off-flavors fade.
The brewer will determine whether the off-flavor is gone by actually smelling the aroma, and the product will not be shipped unless all brewers give the OK.
The brewers are of various nationalities, and each race has a different taste, so they make judgments from multiple perspectives.
During the tour, wear this strap around your neck to identify yourself as a participant.
This is a sticker, and you can get it after the tour ends.
At the end, you will receive a bottle of beer as a souvenir.
As you can see, the tour itself does not involve drinking, so you can visit by car.
Attached is ``WCB Mochimune TaproomYou can drink beer there, so it is recommended to visit by public transportation. .
Souvenir: Modal Bliss
After I got home, I drank the Modal Bliss that I received as a souvenir.
There are citrus nuances and a slightly tropical impression, but there is also a citric acid-like sourness and a fruity finish.
Points to note: Be careful with your clothes
It's quite hot inside the brewery.
You can leave your coat and luggage with us, but we recommend that you wear light clothing such as a T-shirt or long T-shirt even in winter.
We will also be wearing protective goggles and shoe covers during the tour.
I also usually wear glasses, but please be prepared as it will be on glasses on glasses.
The ground inside the brewery is wet in some areas, so we cover our shoes so they can be slippery.
I think it's best to avoid wearing sandals or heels and wear sneakers.
WCB Mochimune Taproom
Before and after the tourWCB Mochimune TaproomI had a beer there, so I'd like to introduce it to you.
There were 15 types of beer available that day.
I didn't use it this time, but you can have meals and snacks in addition to beer.
By the way, the accommodation facility'sThe Villa & Barrel Lounge'There are beers available exclusively to guests, but there are no beers exclusive to the taproom.
However, the new beer will be shipped on Monday, and by Tuesday evening, ``WCB Mochimune Taproom”, which has the advantage of being the quickest way to obtain and drink new products.
By the way, I was told that it would be available around Shizuoka Station on Wednesday, and at stores outside the prefecture on Thursday.
This is an advantage for WCB enthusiasts who want to get it and drink it quickly. .
Dark Crispi Boi
I had some time before the tour, so I drank this while I was there.
Lager is a type of beer.
It has a strong wheat taste and a deep, rich impression.
The bitterness is also modest, so you can drink it in large gulps.
Especially “Mochimune Minato OnsenIt tasted even better because I had just gotten out of the bath.
GMT+9 The Dark Delight
I received this after the tour.
The type of beer is imperial stout.
Imperial stout is a word that people who don't drink craft beer may not be familiar with.
It has characteristics such as high alcohol content, but the most distinctive feature is that it is aged in barrels.
The barrels used for its aging are from the Gaia Flow Shizuoka Distillery, in other words, they are the same barrels used to mature whisky.
The aging period is quite long, from 2 years and 8 months to 3 years and 4 months.
It has a rich, dense flavor with hints of chocolate and red berries, and a slight carbonation.
By the way, this one is sold in bottles for about 4,000 yen.
I have too much at home, so I have to drink something like this on tap.
Endgame Magic
I should have had the imperial stout later, but I had another one.
It is classified as a Triple New England IPA.
Triple is a luxurious beer that uses three times as many hops as normal beer.
As for the taste, the texture felt tropical, and the second half felt meaty.
I would have liked to have had some more drinks, but I had other plans after this, so I left.
Impressions
West Coast Brewing's brewery tour and ``WCB Mochimune Taproom” and was very satisfied with the content.
Not only can you drink and buy beer, but you can also take a tour and learn about beer production.
By knowing how the alcoholic beverages you drink on a daily basis are made, you will love the alcoholic beverages even more and will be able to enjoy them even more.
I can't recommend it to people who don't drink beer at all, but if you like beer even if it's not craft beer, you should definitely give it a visit.
It's 2 stops + 10 minutes walk from Shizuoka Station, and you can visit it in 30 minutes one way, so be sure to include it in your schedule when traveling to Shizuoka.
Next time you visit,The Villa & Barrel LoungeI would like to stay at a hotel and drink beer that is only available to guests.
Facility Information
Regular holidays: Irregular holidays (2-3 days a month)
Access: About 10 minutes walk from Mochimune Station
Reservations required for brewery tours
Business days are ``hereYou can check from .
