Author: 若月香

On Thursday, October 28, 2021, the results of the Asia Beer Championship 2021 were announced, and Off Trail Kriek in the Barrel was selected as the Gold Award in the Wild Ale category. In addition to Kriek in the Barrel, 9 beers were selected as the Chairman’s selection in seven categories. 

About Asia Beer Championship

The Asia Beer Championship is an international beer competition for brewing companies from all over Asia, from Jordan to Japan.  There are 32 categories, with Gold, Silver and Bronze awards in each category, and a Chairman’s Selection for beers which quality meet or exceed the standard.

This year, the tasting was held in Singapore on October 22 and 23, and the results were announced at a ceremony broadcast live online on October 28.

Click here for more information about Asia Beer Championship

【About the award-winning beers】

WILD ALE category：Gold medal

『Off Trail Kreik in the Barrel』

A barrel-aged fruit sour ale fermented and aged in oak barrels for eight months with wild yeast added to the wort of KRIEK IN THE FLESH, a collaboration beer with Portland brewery Culmination Brewing. The result is a well-balanced taste with a mild sourness followed by a bright cherry fruit aroma, and the oak barrel and leathery notes that only barrel age can provide.

Kriek in the Barrel was released once in 2019 and won a bronze award at the Asia Beer Championship 2019. It’s a product that has been highly praised internationally,

Click here for more information about  “Off Trail Kreik in the Barrel”

INTERNATIONAL LAGER category：Chairman’s Selection

『Far Yeast WESTBOUND 5th India Pale Lager』

This is the only lager style beer by Headwaters Brewery.

Using five types of hops, including Nelson Sauvin and Lemon Drop, and focuses on cleanliness and drinkability rather than strong hop flavours. With ABV 4.8%, which is slightly lower than most lager styles, and with its refreshing citrus flavor and crisp drinkability, it is easy to pair with food and can be enjoyed in a wide range of situations.

Click here for more information about Far Yeast WESTBOUND 5th India Pale Lager

SOUR BEER category：Chairman’s Selection

『Off Trail Hops and Dreams』

This is a new hop aroma product made by dry-hopping a barrel-aged blonde sour ale with HBC630, a new hop variety in the experimental stage.

When poured into a glass, it has a sweet aroma of candy-like esters, freshly picked peaches, and bananas, and when you sip it, the tropical lychee and apple cider flavors from the base beer burst in your mouth, and the hop aroma reminiscent of raspberries and cherries invites you into a dream world. 

Click here for more information about Off Trail Hops and Dreams

SOUR BEER category：Chairman’s Selection

『Far Yeast Silk Road ～Hazy Sour Ale～』

A sour ale with a silky smooth mouthfeel, with the refreshing and slightly woody aroma of lime based on the rich hop aroma of pine and citrus like Juicy IPA. It is a collaboration beer with Nara Brewing Company, which took on the challenge of encountering a new aroma.

Click here for more information about Far Yeast Silk Road ~Hazy Sour Ale~

SAISON category：Chairman’s Selection

『Far Yeast Tokyo White』

Tokyo White is one of the flagship beers from  Far Yeast Brewing. It has a fruity ester aroma and a gorgeous hop flavor characterized by a dry and sharp mouthfeel. 

Click here for more information about Far Yeast Tokyo White. 

GOLDEN ALE category：Chairman’s Selection

『Far Yeast Tokyo Blonde』

A light, refreshing golden ale made with an abundance of aromatic hops.

The aroma of hops, a hint of esters and malt, and the sweetness and bitterness of the fruity hop flavors are in perfect balance.

Click here for more information about Far Yeast Tokyo Blonde. 

GOLDEN ALE category：Chairman’s Selection

『Far Yeast Farm to Brew』

This fresh hop beer is made with Sorachi Ace and Sterling hops harvested in the morning of the brewing day at Kobayashi Farm in Hokuto City. To simply enjoy the aroma and flavor of the hops, we have created a Kölsch style that is aromatic and easy to drink. You can enjoy the fruity flavor of the malt and hops in a clean and drinkable way.

Click here for more information about Far Yeast Farm to Brew. 

AMERICAN STYLE IPA category：Chairman’s Selection

『Far Yeast Tokyo IPA』

Belgian IPA with a gorgeous aroma from Belgian yeast and American hops.

It has a well-balanced aroma of hops, malt and esters, with a citrusy hop aroma and bitterness, and a hint of roasted malt flavor.

Click here for more information about Far Yeast Tokyo IPA. 

FRUIT FLAVOURED BEER category：Chairman’s Selection

『Far Yeast Peach Haze』

This Hazy-style fruit pale ale is made with an abundance of peaches from Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture. Freshly picked peaches are used to bring out the freshness of the peaches, with two types of hops, Eldorado with its stone fruit aroma and Mosaic with its tropical aroma, enhance the peach aroma.

Click here for more information about Far Yeast Peach Haze. 

FRUIT FLAVOURED BEER category：Chairman’s Selection

『Far Yeast Passion Haze』

A Hazy IPA with passion fruit aromas and tropical flavors of pineapple, mango, citrus, and coconut. 

Click here for more information about Far Yeast Passion Haze. 

The International Beer Cup 2022 was held on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 in Ota-ku, Tokyo, and Far Yeast Brewing’s “Far Yeast Peach Haze” won the Silver Award in the fruits beer category. Off Trail Ume-kin’Me Crazy! 2022″ won the Bronze Award in the Wood-and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer category, and “Off Trail Kriek in the Barrel 2022” won the Silver Award in the Fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer category. 

About The International Beer Cup

The International Beer Cup is a beer competition organized by the Japan Craft Beer Association and has been held annually since 1996. (Prior to 2013, it was called the International Beer Competition.) Although the competition is held in Japan, it is not only limited to domestic and microbrewed beers, but also includes beers from outside of Japan as well

Click here for the list of awards

【About the award-winning beers】

Far Yeast Peach Haze

Far Yeast’s seasonal summer staple. It is the most popular product of the “Yamanashi Support Project”, a project to promote the charms of Yamanashi through beer. This Hazy-style fruit pale ale is made with peaches from Peach Senka Yamashita, a peach farmer in Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture.

Off Trail Ume-kin’Me Crazy!2022

A barrel-aged strong ale brewed with hand-picked plums in Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, where the brewery is located, in collaboration with a business that works to restore, manage and utilize farmland in the village under the theme “Terroir Kosuge.

Off Trail Kriek in the Barrel2022

A collaboration with Culmination Brewing, a brewery based in Portland, Oregon, this barrel-aged sour ale was first released in 2019 and has since gone on to win various medals in international competitions. It is a product that is gaining worldwide recognition.

Craft beer brewery Far Yeast Brewing Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, Representative Director: Shiro Yamada) that has been introducing beers full of originality from Japan to the world, is pleased to announce that Off Trail #20 Kriek in the Barrel 2022, a collaboration beer with Culmination Brewing in Portland, Oregon, will be released to the public on Thursday, January 20, 2022. And it will be available for pre-sale on the official online store starting Tuesday, January 11 at 1pm.

■ This is the third installment of the internationally acclaimed Kriek in the Barrel series.

Kriek in the Barrel, a collaboration beer with Culmination Brewing, Portland, Oregon, was first released in 2019 and won a bronze award at the Asia Beer Championship 2019. The second instrument was released in February 2021 and won gold at the Asia Beer Championship 2021 and silver at the European Beer Star 2021.

This year’s release is the latest in a series of medals won in international competitions and a growing global reputation. The third brew collaborates with Culmination Brewing, like the previous two.

■Deep flavor , Barrel Aged Sour Ale with rich fruit flavor

　Kriek in the Barrel 2022 is a barrel-aged sour ale made by adding Brettanomyces yeast to kettle-soured lactic acid fermented red ale wort. It had fermentation and aging in oak barrels for 17 months with soaking cherries in it. Various characters coexist, including woody aroma and sourness due to the barrel aging, giving it a complex flavor.

When poured into a glass, the beautiful garnet red color, red wine vinegar, and fresh let The aroma of cherries and roses spread. There is a mild cherry acidity, and barrel-aged funky, leathery notes blend together. The finish is dry and fruity. The light-bodied yet fruity flavor is perfect with grilled dishes such as steak, sauteed mushrooms, and grilled chicken.

Originally a Belgian beer style, Kriek is a sour fruit ale made by adding cherries to a spontaneously fermented lambic beer. Kriek in the Barrel is inspired by traditional Kriek but brewed with originality in the process. Kriek in the Barrel has received high international acclaim and will be released annually as a winter seasonal. Kriek in the Barrel 2022 will go on sale nationwide on Thursday, January 20. Our online store will start accepting pre-orders from 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 11.

【Product summary】

Off Trail #20 Kriek in the Barrel 2022
Sales start date: Thursday, January 20

Suggested retail price: Open priceIngredients: malted barley (foreign-manufactured), cherries, sugar, hops

ABV: 7.9%

Style: Barrel-Aged Sour Ale with Cherries

Brand: Happoshu

Brewery: Far Yeast Brewing Headwaters Brewery (Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture)

Specification : 750ml bottle, 330ml bottle, 10L keg

※Click here to purchase at the online store.https://faryeast.stores.jp/items/61c3d27cb8979f6232a1e881

【About Culmination Brewing】

Starting in 2015, the Portland, Oregon-based brewery treasures everything local and finds the perfect pairing. Born in a brewery that was built in a beer bar with more than 20 taps, the majority owner and brewer Tomas Sluiter has grown the company to brew over 100 types of diverse beers.

https://culminationbrewing.com/