冬眠からの目覚め (Winter's End)

We kept back a limited portion of our previous release of Winter's End for a year to allow it to mature. The overall feel is much more rounded and any perceived bitterness and harshness has calmed, while the luscious cacao and liquorice character is still there to enjoy in this highly limited special edition.

We use Belgian yeast as our house strain and have always been impressed by the wide range of flavours in our year round beers, from the banana-like Nagoriyuki to the licorice nose of Kuroshio no Gotoku and the pungent spice of Ichii Senshin. The original idea for Winter’s End was to see what happened when we introduced it to a whopping 600kg of grain, which included three types of crystal malts, two varieties of roasted malt, and a blend of two base malts. This massive load of malt puts a lot of strain on our yeast, which means after an extended fermentation, maturation takes nearly two months. In many ways, this beer is like a pre-hibernation bear, gorging itself on malt before laying down for a long, deserved rest.

The result is an intense flavour roller coaster of dark malts and yeast, highlighted by a complex nose of licorice and chocolate. This is a beer that we crafted slowly and, considering the ABV and complex flavour profile, we recommend you enjoy it slowly as well!

Naming: This beer is brewed late each year, just as the Kyoto winter really starts to show its teeth, and only emerges from the tank after months of rest. Just as many animals are making their first steps out into the new season, this beer is finally ready to awake from its prolonged slumber and make its way into the world!