Tag: News_English

Far Yeast Brewing (Head Office: Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan; President: Shiro Yamada) whose mission is to introduce original beers from Japan to the world, will release the 9th installment of the “Off Trail” brand: “Kriek in the Barrel”, a collaboration with our good friends at Culmination Brewing in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday, February 20th. The Off Trail program aims to innovate in brewing, seeking new challenges with each project.

In November of 2019, we welcomed “Off Trail” into our brand portfolio as our third brand alongside “Far Yeast” and “KAGUA”. The name “Off Trail” is inspired by our aim to innovate and experiment with every batch to discover new recipes and chart undiscovered territory in brewing. These unique brews often contain region-specific specialties or seasonal fruits such as grapes and peaches, and are aged in wood barrels that were previously used for wine, sake, or whiskey. 

This edition of “Kriek in the Barrel” marks our 4th collaboration with Culmination Brewing and the second time we have done this project. The beer begins as a kettle soured* cherry ale before it is divided in two. Part of it goes to a stainless steel fermenter and becomes “Kriek in the Flesh”, most recently released in June of 2020. The rest of it is transferred to oak barrels where it ferments on a wild yeast called Brettanomyces for 8 months. This longer aging time, different vessel, and abnormal yeast, produces a depth and complexity of flavor that makes this beer truly spectacular.

We were overjoyed when our 2020 batch of “Kriek in the Flesh” won a silver medal at the Asia Beer Championship 2020 in the Fruit Flavoured Beer category. Our previous version of “Kriek in the Barrel”, released in 2019, also took home a bronze award at the Asia Beer Championship and has received high praise internationally.

 

＊Kettle souring is a traditional method for making sour beer in which the wort undergoes a lactic acid fermentation by live bacteria added to the boiling kettle before the main fermentation.

 

Gentle sourness precedes blood cherry notes on the palate followed by leathery funk and cherry stones, terminating in a dry, fruity finish. This light bodied, fruit-forward, wilder, more complex version of Kriek in the Flesh shines when paired with grilled meats, wild mushrooms, or baked poultry.

 

Kriek in the Barrel will be released on February 20th nationwide in Japan. 

 

【About Culmination Brewing】

Culmination Brewing Company, who earned the prestigious “Mid-sized Brewery of the Year” award at the 2019 Oregon Beer Awards, was founded in the heart of Portland, Oregon in 2014. Known for their ever-growing, large selection of classic and innovative beers, Culmination Brewing Company is a locally driven brewery focused on community and collaboration. They are committed to bringing great beer, good food, and community together in one concept, under one roof.

https://culminationbrewing.com/

【Product Overview】

 

Product name: Kriek in the Barrel

Sales start date: Saturday, February 20th, 2021

Price: Open price

Ingredients: Malt (produced overseas), cherry, hops, sugar

ABV: 5.5%.

Category: Happoshu

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

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

Online shop： https://faryeast.stores.jp/

On Friday, December 25th, Far Yeast Brewing will release Percinnamon, a strong ale brewed with persimmons and spiced with cinnamon, to commemorate the first anniversary of Off Trail, a brand based on the concept of taking on the challenge of innovative beer.

 

Off Trail was born in November 2019 as the third brand following our two major brands, Far Yeast and KAGUA. Off Trail’s mission is to challenge viewer perception of craft beer and discover new possibilities in ingredients and process. The name embodies the spirit of the project, conjuring the notion of forging a new path on an unpaved road, going Off Trail, rather than keeping to the beaten path of conventional brewing. Our aim is to brew unique beers using barrel-aging and blending techniques, wild yeasts and bacteria, and local ingredients to produce beers that are unique expressions of our region, resources, and creativity.

Percinnamon, the eighth release in the Off Trail series, celebrates and memorializes the brand’s first anniversary. Inspired by the persimmons ushering in Winter and dotting the landscape of Kosuge Village, home to our brewery, in late autumn, we came up with the idea of brewing a project using dried persimmons as the featured ingredient.

After a lot of mock blending and careful consideration, we chose to pair the persimmon’s aroma with cinnamon spice to give depth and balance to the blend. As the flavors combined and the ratios were dialed in, we struggled to find the right amount of cinnamon to add. The cinnamon was more potent than we had anticipated, overpowering the aromas and flavors of the persimmons in every combination we assembled.

On a whim, we tried adding a whiskey barrel-aged stout to the blend and were surprised to discover a wonderfully balanced beer. The stout brought darker tones forward and mellowed out the cinnamon just enough that the persimmons were able to shine through. Finally the Percinnamon blend was decided: three different Barrel-Aged Strong Ales and a Whiskey Barrel-Aged Stout. 

Upon first encounter, aromatic cinnamon greets your nose followed by aromas reminiscent of caramel, dried apricots, and raisins. From the first sip of this beer a warmth washes over you followed by the rich flavors of dried persimmons, chocolate, cinnamon, and oak tannins. Enjoy this rich dessert beer on a cold winter night in a warm room with roasted chestnuts and your favorite pastries.

Percinnamon will be on sale nationwide on Friday, December 25th 2020. 

【Product Specification】

Product name: Percinnamon

Sales start date: Friday, 25 December

Price: Open price

Ingredients: malts (foreign-manufactured), hops, oats, barley, sugars, lactose, persimmons, cinnamon

ABV: 11%

Item: Beer

Brewery: The head brewery of Far Yeast Brewing (Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture)

Specifications: 750ml bottle, 10L keg

 

On November 18th(Wed.), 2020, the Asia Beer Championship 2020 awards were announced. Far Yeast Brewing took home four awards, including a gold medal for “Far Yeast Tokyo White” in the Saison category. In addition to a gold medal for Tokyo White, Far Yeast Brewing won a silver medal in the Wild Ale category for “Off Trail: Ume-kin’ Me Crazy!”, another silver medal in the Fruit Flavoured Beer category for “Kriek in the flesh”, and received a Chairman’s Selection for “Peach Haze” in the New England Style IPA category. 

About Asia Beer Championship

The Asia Beer Championship is an international beer competition for asian breweries. Beers & Ciders may be entered in any of the 22 different style categories. The top 3 beers in each category are awarded Gold, Silver & Bronze medals respectively. All beers that reach a predetermined level of quality receive a “Chairman’s Selection” accolade.

The 2020 competition was judged in Singapore on November 6th and 7th, 2020 with the results announced on November 18th in an online award ceremony. 

More details for Asia Beer Championship : Asia Beer Championship – Home

 

【Awards beers detail】

「Far Yeast Tokyo White」

Far Yeast Brewing’s flagship saison beer. 

Dry, smooth Saison boasting an aroma that is both refreshing and fruity, derived from a combination of esters and hops.

More details about Tokyo White : https://faryeast.com/en/far-yeast/

 

Price：Open Price

Ingredients：Malted Barlet, Malted Wheat, Hops, Raw Wheat, Sugar

ABV：５％

Brewed at the Headwaters Brewery, Japan

330ml bottle / 350ml can

 

「Ume-kin’ Me Crazy!」

As part 2 of our Yamanashi Support Project, Ume-kin’ Me Crazy! was brewed in Kosuge village. We fed plums harvested locally in Kosuge Village to our barrel-aged wheat-strong ale, creating a complex sour ale with a refreshing plum aroma reminiscent of ume-shu.

More details about Ume-kin’ Me Crazy!  : https://faryeast.com/en/news/17154/

Price：Open Price

Ingridients：Malted Barley, Plum, Sugar, Hops

ABV：7.7％

Brewed at the Headwaters Brewery, Japan

330ml bottle / 750ml bottle / 10 L keg

 

「Kriek in the flesh」

Kriek in the Flesh is a kettle-soured fruit ale made with sour cherry juice. We developed this beer in collaboration with our good friends at Culmination Brewing in Portland, Oregon. 

More details about Kriek in the flesh  : https://faryeast.com/news/16692/

Price：Open Price

Ingridients：Malted Barley, Cherry juice, Sugar, Hops

ABV：4.5％

Brewed at the Headwaters Brewery, Japan

350ml can 

 

「PEACH HAZE」

As part 1 of our Yamanashi Support Project, Peach Haze was brewed in Kosuge village. 

This fruit-forward hazy IPA was brewed with Fresh Peaches from Yamashita Peach Farm in Yamanashi City in the Kofu Basin.

More details about Peach Haze  : https://faryeast.com/news/16941/

Price：Open Price

Ingridients：Peach, Malted Barley, Flaked Oats, Malted Wheat, Hops, Sugar

ABV：5.5％

Brewed at the Headwaters Brewery, Japan

350ml can / 15L keg / 20L keg

We’d like to congratulate all of the other breweries who also medaled in the Asia Beer Championship 2020 and express our appreciation for all of the participating breweries! With healthy competition in our industry, we hold each other to a higher standard and all of our beers improve. A Special Congratulations to Ugly Half Beer in Taiwan, Effingut Brewery in India, Outlaw Brewing in Thailand, NBeer Craft Brewing in China, AnC Brewing in Korea, and Jim & Dad’s Brewing in Taiwan, who all medaled in the same categories as us. Thank you for the stiff competition!

Far Yeast Brewing Co. (Head office: Kosuge, Yamanashi Prefecture; Representative Director: Shiro Yamada), a craft beer brewery that brings beer brimming with originality from Japan to the world, has announced the third installment of the “Yamanashi Support Project” to liven up Yamanashi Prefecture with beer: “Grapevine”. This Italian Grape Ale is brewed with grapes from Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture. 

As COVID-19 continues to lead to event cancelations and a decline in tourism around Yamanashi prefecture, we at Far Yeast Brewing are doing what we can to help revitalize our local agricultural, tourism, and food & beverage industry partners the best way we know how: brewing beer! The first Yamanashi Support Project, “PEACH HAZE,” was brewed in July using peaches harvested in Yamanashi Prefecture. The second project, “Ume-kin’ Me Crazy!” was blended using plums grown in Kosuge Village, home to our head brewery and company headquarters. Both products achieved great success and were very popular.

Our third release in the Yamanashi Support Project is GRAPEVINE, a beer brewed with grapes from Sunrise Farm in Nirasaki, Yamanashi Prefecture. Three grape varieties were used: Kyoho, Gorby, and Pione. Kyoho and Gorby were the grapes produced by a Japanese Viticulturist.  We were planning to brew a beer using grapes from Yamanashi Prefecture, a friend of the head brewer introduced us to Mr. Hirotaka Yokomori of Sunrise Farm, and we were able to brew this beer.

 

■Utilizing grapes that have lost their commercial value due to plant disease

Under the influence of the long rainy season in July and the intense heat in August 2020 this year, the plant disease called Glomerella cingulata spread mainly among black grape varieties such as Kyoho grapes and Pioneer grapes, dropping yields significantly in Yamanashi Prefecture. At Sunrise Farm, our partner for this time, some of the Kyoho grapes and Peonies infected the disease too, and once a part of the bunch infected, the product value vanished, so they were not able to sell them as products. As a result, many defective grapes had to be discarded. However, the part of bunch of grapes that are not affected by the disease is still delicious with a right balance of sweetness and sourness. So, we carefully cut off the diseased part from a bunch of grapes one by one and remained a part that could be used for brewing beer. 

　When we received the grapes from Sunrise Farm, our brewing staff visited them and helped harvest the grapes and dispose of the defective grapes.  We could hear various stories about the difficulties of cultivating crops that are strongly influenced by nature. It was a meaningful opportunity for us to interact with our neighbor agricultural producers in Yamanashi Prefecture.

■Adoption of a part of winemaking methods

We have adopted the “cold soak” method of winemaking. Before the fermentation process, the entire tank is placed in a refrigerated container and marinated at a low temperature for approximately one week to extract more color and aroma components from the grapes. 

■The Italian Grape Ale, with its distinctive fruitiness. 

This beer style is the Italian Grape Ale. It is the beer style started by Italian craft breweries using wine grapes and uses grape pulp, skin, and juice in the beer brewing process. GRAPEVINE introduced cold soak, a wine technique, before the fermentation process, and added fruit juice during the fermentation process. The hops used was Enigma, with tropical fruit, berry, and stone fruit aroma, combined with the grapes’ complex aroma. The pale malt mixes’ bronze color with the grapes’ color to create an orange wine appearance fruity beer. 

GRAPEVINE will go on sale nationwide on Wednesday, November 18.

And, It will be on tap at our brewpub, Far Yeast Tokyo Brewery & Grill, in Gotanda, Tokyo. 

We will continue brewing beers with a variety of made-in-Yamanashi ingredients. 

Yamanashi Support Project page: https://faryeast.com/yamanashi-project3/

【Product Information】

Name：GRAPEVINE

Release date：November 18th(Wed)

Price：Open Price

Ingredients: Grapes (Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture Origin), Wheat Malt, Hops

ABV：5.5%

Style：Italian Grape Ale

Brewery：Far Yeast Brewing Genryu Brewery 

Format：350ml CAN, 15L SUS keg

＊This beer “GRAPEVINE” was named after its meaning of the word grapevine— born from many people’s connections.