Shiga Kogen Beer Releases HOUSE LAGER 4.01 Yamada Nishiki
Shiga Kogen Beer has released “HOUSE LAGER / 4.01 Yamada Nishiki,” the sixth installment of its project exploring lagers made with local ingredients. Brewed with estate-grown Yamada Nishiki rice, spelt wheat and hops, the limited rice lager is 5.5% ABV with 13 IBU.
Hop BroShiga Kogen Beer has released HOUSE LAGER 4.01, the sixth in its limited series. This time, it’s a rice lager brewed with Yamada Nishiki!
MugiWait, Yamada Nishiki in beer? I only associate that rice with sake. Now I’m intrigued!
Hop BroIt comes from Tamamura Honten in Yamanouchi, Nagano, using home-grown Yamada Nishiki and spelt wheat. It’s truly a lager rooted in its place.
MugiWhat even is spelt wheat? Is there a secret-character roster in the wheat world too?
Hop BroIt’s an ancient variety of wheat that can bring a gentle, toasty character. Here it supports rice sweetness and crispness nicely.
MugiOoh! But the label says IBU 13… Those letters make me feel like a science quiz just began!
Hop BroIBU measures bitterness, and 13 is very mild. European aroma hops plus home-grown Cascade create herbal, lightly fruity notes.
MugiNot too bitter, bright blond, and 5.5% ABV—plus a dry, sharp finish? That sounds dangerously easy to drink!
Hop BroThe key is that this batch uses the portion of low-polished Yamada Nishiki farther from the rice core, preserving a satisfying Yamada Nishiki body without noticeable off-flavors.
MugiAt ¥429 including tax for a 330ml bottle, I want one beside a Japanese meal. Let’s toast with a crisp rice lager tonight!
Shiga Kogen Beer, produced by Tamamura Honten in Yamanouchi, Nagano, has introduced “HOUSE LAGER / 4.01 Yamada Nishiki.” The beer is sold in 330ml bottles for ¥429 including tax.
The HOUSE LAGER project focuses on creating a lager that the brewery itself wants to drink and that reflects the character of its home region. Across previous releases, Shiga Kogen Beer has tested different sake rice varieties and recipe adjustments. This sixth release marks the first appearance of Yamada Nishiki in the series.
The beer uses estate-grown Yamada Nishiki sake rice, estate-grown spelt wheat, European aroma hops and estate-grown Cascade. It pours a bright blonde, with an alcohol content of 5.5% and bitterness of 13 IBU.
A key point of the release is how the rice was prepared. Earlier HOUSE LAGER batches used the white, starch-rich portion close to the core of the rice. For this Yamada Nishiki version, however, the rice had already been milled to a lower polishing ratio for the brewery’s NEW ENGI sake project. Shiga Kogen Beer therefore brewed with portions farther from the core, a significant change from the previous five batches.
The result is a beer that feels drier and sharper, while retaining a clear rice-derived sweetness compared with an all-malt pilsner. The brewery reports that the anticipated roughness from the outer portions of the grain does not stand out; instead, it contributes to the beer’s crisp drinking character. Yamada Nishiki also provides depth that helps compensate for the slightly lower alcohol level.
Noble hop character brings herbal notes, with a touch of fruitiness that may come from the homegrown Cascade. Its clean, dry profile and gentle rice sweetness should make it a natural match for Japanese cuisine and other meals.
As with the broader HOUSE LAGER project, this release is both a drinkable lager and an ongoing study of how rice varieties and grain composition shape beer. It will appeal to drinkers following the evolution of the series as well as those looking for a food-friendly lager with a distinctly local identity.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroShiga Kogen Beer has released HOUSE LAGER 4.01, the sixth in its limited series. This time, it’s a rice lager brewed with Yamada Nishiki!
MugiWait, Yamada Nishiki in beer? I only associate that rice with sake. Now I’m intrigued!
Hop BroIt comes from Tamamura Honten in Yamanouchi, Nagano, using home-grown Yamada Nishiki and spelt wheat. It’s truly a lager rooted in its place.
MugiWhat even is spelt wheat? Is there a secret-character roster in the wheat world too?
Hop BroIt’s an ancient variety of wheat that can bring a gentle, toasty character. Here it supports rice sweetness and crispness nicely.
MugiOoh! But the label says IBU 13… Those letters make me feel like a science quiz just began!
Hop BroIBU measures bitterness, and 13 is very mild. European aroma hops plus home-grown Cascade create herbal, lightly fruity notes.
MugiNot too bitter, bright blond, and 5.5% ABV—plus a dry, sharp finish? That sounds dangerously easy to drink!
Hop BroThe key is that this batch uses the portion of low-polished Yamada Nishiki farther from the rice core, preserving a satisfying Yamada Nishiki body without noticeable off-flavors.
MugiAt ¥429 including tax for a 330ml bottle, I want one beside a Japanese meal. Let’s toast with a crisp rice lager tonight!
