初雪 (First Snow)

1 bar limited to 2x kegs max

We have experienced many firsts during the relatively short seven month period since our opening. During this time we have learned a lot about our beers and our ingredients, one of them being that our house yeast often exhibits intensely fruity and somewhat banana like aromas during certain fermentations. We have experimented with this characteristic in several previous batches, but never in what is often thought as its most fitting place: a beer made with a high percentage of wheat malt.

With Hatsuyuki, we experimented with a grain bill containing 37% wheat malt and 63% base malt, providing a cloudy and silky base to the beer. The wheat malt also provides a bready character and a slight acidicity, which blends nicely with the berry and spicy character of French hops. The result is a highly drinkable wheat beer that finishes very dry despite an intensely fruity nose.

Naming: The first occasion is something that is often given special importance in Japanese culture. The timing of our first wheat beer aligned nicely with the transition of fall to winter. The strikingly white and cloudy color reminded us of the first snow of the season ("hatsuyuki" in Japanese), something the three founders used to wait excitedly for as the signal that the snowboarding season was just around the corner.

Style: Wheat Beer Ale

Malt Bill:

Pilsner, Wheat

Hops:

Bittering: Merkur

Flavor/Aroma: Triskel, Aramis

Yeast: Belgian Ardennes

ABV: 4.9%

IBU: 17

Gas Volumes: 2.6