Free Spirits Brewing Releases SMaSH IPA with Tokyo's Fiesta
Free Spirits Brewing of Himeji, Hyogo announced the start of sales of a new SMaSH IPA created in collaboration with the beer bar Fiesta in Tokyo. By narrowing the ingredients and spotlighting the character of Nectaron hops, the beer is finished at 6.8% ABV and 18 IBU.
Hop BroToday I'm bringing you news of a new SMaSH IPA from Himeji's Free Spirits Brewing, made together with Fiesta in Tokyo.
MugiWhoa, a Tokyo-Himeji collaboration!? So what exactly is this beer called, SMaSH IPA?
Hop BroSMaSH means a single-hop, single-malt setup, and this one uses only Nectaron × Ale malt.
MugiThat's like a workout menu! But that sounds hard to pull off... The article mentioned whirlpool temperature too?
Hop BroThat's where the craftsmanship comes in: they tuned the temperature and dry-hop timing to push the beer toward full-on tropical aroma.
MugiNice! Pineapple, peach, and passion fruit - it's basically a tropical fruit festival!
Hop BroThe numbers are interesting too: ABV 6.8% and IBU 18, so it's substantial to drink without being too bitter.
MugiAt IBU 18, even I could manage it! And hazy without oats means hop-derived polyphenols did the work!?
Hop BroThat's a sharp read. You can drink it at the Himeji shop too, and being so close to the station is a plus; it's a pretty strong beer for comparative tasting.
MugiIt's decided! Tonight let's toast while checking out the Nectaron character in this Fiesta collab SMaSH IPA!
New Collaboration Release is a "1 Hop x 1 Malt" SMaSH IPA
According to a post on Free Spirits Brewing's Instagram, this new release is a collaboration beer with the Tokyo beer bar "Fiesta." The style is SMaSH IPA, and only New Zealand Nectaron hops and British Ale malt were used.
The core of the recipe is how far they can bring out the aroma of a single hop. In the post, they explain that by adjusting the whirlpool temperature and the timing of the dry hop addition, they were able to layer in strong aromas of pineapple, peach, and passion fruit.
The Beer Design in Numbers
The published specs are as follows.
- ABV: 6.8%
- IBU: 18
- Hop: Nectaron
- Malt: Ale malt
While the alcohol content is on the higher side, the structure aims for the sweetness and full body that come from ale malt. They also shared a brewing insight that, even without oats, hop-derived polyphenols created a hazy appearance.
The Current Position of a Brewery from Himeji, Hyogo
Free Spirits Brewing is a brewery based in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. In the post, they also provided store information for their location in Kubomachi, Himeji City (5 minutes on foot from JR Himeji Station, 3 minutes on foot from Sanyo Himeji Station), showing an effort to balance a local drinking experience with collaboration projects.
This release sees a locally rooted brewery teaming up with a Tokyo beer bar to unveil an ingredient-focused IPA. For drinkers, it looks like a bottle well suited to side-by-side tasting, where Nectaron's character can be checked directly.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroToday I'm bringing you news of a new SMaSH IPA from Himeji's Free Spirits Brewing, made together with Fiesta in Tokyo.
MugiWhoa, a Tokyo-Himeji collaboration!? So what exactly is this beer called, SMaSH IPA?
Hop BroSMaSH means a single-hop, single-malt setup, and this one uses only Nectaron × Ale malt.
MugiThat's like a workout menu! But that sounds hard to pull off... The article mentioned whirlpool temperature too?
Hop BroThat's where the craftsmanship comes in: they tuned the temperature and dry-hop timing to push the beer toward full-on tropical aroma.
MugiNice! Pineapple, peach, and passion fruit - it's basically a tropical fruit festival!
Hop BroThe numbers are interesting too: ABV 6.8% and IBU 18, so it's substantial to drink without being too bitter.
MugiAt IBU 18, even I could manage it! And hazy without oats means hop-derived polyphenols did the work!?
Hop BroThat's a sharp read. You can drink it at the Himeji shop too, and being so close to the station is a plus; it's a pretty strong beer for comparative tasting.
MugiIt's decided! Tonight let's toast while checking out the Nectaron character in this Fiesta collab SMaSH IPA!
