Hikone Beer re-releases a fruit ale made with pesticide-free hassaku
Hikone Beer's Kojinyama Brewery in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture, has re-released "Sassoku Hassaku Fruit Ale," brewed with hassaku. It uses pesticide-free hassaku grown at the brewery director's family home and is finished at 5.5% ABV and 30 IBU.
Hop BroToday, Hikone Beer's re-release is the hot topic. From Kojinyama Brewery in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture, that "Sassoku Hassaku Fruit Ale" is back.
MugiWow! Just the name Sassoku Hassaku sounds lively. It already feels like citrus chaos before it even reaches your mouth!
Hop BroExactly, and it uses hassaku grown at the brewer's family home. The fact that it's pesticide-free hassaku grown at the brewery director's own family home makes it a very face-to-face kind of brew.
MugiHuh, that sounds reassuring when you hear it's pesticide-free, but how much does the fruit character actually come forward? Is it the kind of thing you can gulp like juice?
Hop BroThat's the interesting part. This isn't designed to flow by lightly; it's built to show the nuance of the peel too. It's not just the aroma of hassaku, but also a little of that pleasant bitterness.
MugiThe nuance of the peel? What is that exactly! Is it like that sticky feeling you get on your hands when you peel a mandarin? Is that what you mean by citrus peel aroma?
Hop BroPretty close. The idea is that you sense not just the juice of the citrus, but also the aromatic compounds in the peel. And the numbers are 5.5% ABV and 30 IBU, with restrained sweetness, solid bitterness, and balanced acidity.
MugiWait, 30 IBU is actually pretty bitter, isn't it!? I thought fruit ales were usually sweeter, like dessert beers!
Hop BroOf course there are beers like that, but this one is different. Hikone Beer promotes itself as a circulating brewery, and it's good at folding local ingredients and seasonal character into its beer. So it doesn't end as just another fruit beer.
MugiI see, so it feels like it has the atmosphere of the place in it too! Then today I'm in the mood to slowly enjoy citrus aroma.
Hop BroExactly, this one drinks with a sweet-bitter balance. I think it's a bottle that will really hit home not only for hassaku fans, but also for anyone who wants to properly taste citrus in their beer.
MugiAll right, I want to drink it too! This is the moment after the re-release, so I don't want to miss it, and if I have a glass with the aroma of hassaku, it'll absolutely lift my mood!
Re-released hassaku fruit ale
Hikone Beer (Hikone Beer) Kojinyama Brewery has re-released the fruit ale "Sassoku Hassaku Fruit Ale." In its post, the brewery introduced it as a beer made with pesticide-free hassaku grown at the brewery director's family home.
Rather than aiming for a light, juice-like drink, this beer is designed to have a defined flavor that lets you sense even the nuances of the hassaku peel. On the numbers side, it is listed at 5.5% ABV and 30 IBU, with firm bitterness, restrained sweetness, and a well-balanced acidity. Of course, hassaku takes center stage in the aroma.
Hikone Beer is a brewery that brews at the foot of Kojinyama in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture. On its website, it presents itself as a "circulating brewery," emphasizing craftsmanship that connects with the local landscape and community. Its approach of incorporating local ingredients and reflecting the seasonality of the region in its beer is clearly on display in this re-release as well.
Sassoku Hassaku Fruit Ale is a beer that puts fruit character front and center, but does not stop at being simply easy to drink. This return feels intentional, preserving the distinctiveness of hassaku, and it seems like a bottle suited to those who want to enjoy both citrus aroma and a moderate bitterness.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroToday, Hikone Beer's re-release is the hot topic. From Kojinyama Brewery in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture, that "Sassoku Hassaku Fruit Ale" is back.
MugiWow! Just the name Sassoku Hassaku sounds lively. It already feels like citrus chaos before it even reaches your mouth!
Hop BroExactly, and it uses hassaku grown at the brewer's family home. The fact that it's pesticide-free hassaku grown at the brewery director's own family home makes it a very face-to-face kind of brew.
MugiHuh, that sounds reassuring when you hear it's pesticide-free, but how much does the fruit character actually come forward? Is it the kind of thing you can gulp like juice?
Hop BroThat's the interesting part. This isn't designed to flow by lightly; it's built to show the nuance of the peel too. It's not just the aroma of hassaku, but also a little of that pleasant bitterness.
MugiThe nuance of the peel? What is that exactly! Is it like that sticky feeling you get on your hands when you peel a mandarin? Is that what you mean by citrus peel aroma?
Hop BroPretty close. The idea is that you sense not just the juice of the citrus, but also the aromatic compounds in the peel. And the numbers are 5.5% ABV and 30 IBU, with restrained sweetness, solid bitterness, and balanced acidity.
MugiWait, 30 IBU is actually pretty bitter, isn't it!? I thought fruit ales were usually sweeter, like dessert beers!
Hop BroOf course there are beers like that, but this one is different. Hikone Beer promotes itself as a circulating brewery, and it's good at folding local ingredients and seasonal character into its beer. So it doesn't end as just another fruit beer.
MugiI see, so it feels like it has the atmosphere of the place in it too! Then today I'm in the mood to slowly enjoy citrus aroma.
Hop BroExactly, this one drinks with a sweet-bitter balance. I think it's a bottle that will really hit home not only for hassaku fans, but also for anyone who wants to properly taste citrus in their beer.
MugiAll right, I want to drink it too! This is the moment after the re-release, so I don't want to miss it, and if I have a glass with the aroma of hassaku, it'll absolutely lift my mood!
