朧月 (Oboro)

Though we use a Belgian Ale yeast as our house strain, we hardly consider ourselves to be brewers in the traditional Belgian style. While we looked to the past for inspiration for the grains used in this modern interpretation of the Belgian Wit, with 50% being a combination of malted and unmalted wheat and oats, we looked to modern hops to take the place of the more traditional coriander and orange peel to give a refreshing, fruity nuance to the beer. The result is a soft and refreshing brew with hints of tropical fruit from the hops and spice from the yeast. No bittering hops were used, so the sweet character of the grains comes through nicely without being overly sweet or cloying. Think of this as a modern twist on an ancient sytle!

Naming: Search for the meaning of “Oboro” and you’ll come upon "moonlight" but, as with many words in Japanese, the translation is not exact and the nuance is very specific.
Oboro refers specifically to a moon seen in Japan in Spring, the image of which is often lacking a sharp outline, and interrupted by clouds.
Aside from its opaque and almost white appearance, this beer of ours is also a little unclear in its very definition. A Belgian Wit in character but yet one that does not contain any of the traditional fruit peel or spices associated with the style. A sweet nose but yet an unconventional dryness to the finish.
Maybe some things are more beautiful when not clearly defined and are left somewhat hazy, just like the spring “Oboro” moonlight.