Yellow Monkey Brewing refreshes its standard IPA as "Sake Yeast IPA"
Yokohama-based Yellow Monkey Brewing has reworked its long-running TORIAEZU IPA and relaunched it as Sake Yeast IPA. The beer brings together sake yeast, koji, and savory Japanese ingredients to build a new standard around ginjo-like aroma and umami.
Hop BroToday’s topic is how Yokohama’s Yellow Monkey Brewing revamped its core beer TORIAEZU into Sake Yeast IPA.
MugiWhat! TORIAEZU sounds so casual, and now it’s going full sake-inspired mode?
Hop BroExactly. Starting with batch 74, they dropped the Freestyle IPA label and rebuilt it with sake yeasts 701 and 901 plus koji, a real redefinition of house IPA.
MugiHold on, sake yeast 701 sounds like a robot model number! What does it even do?
Hop BroIn simple terms, it adds a fragrant, sake-like note, a kind of ginjo-like aroma layered over the IPA’s hop character.
MugiOhhh! So it’s not just citrus hops, it also has a delicate sake glow floating on top?
Hop BroRight, and with New Zealand Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin, grapefruit-peel aroma, 5.5% ABV, and 59.8 IBU, it still keeps a firm bitter backbone.
MugiWait, what’s IBU? Is that like a bitterness test score? Because 59.8 sounds serious!
Hop BroPretty much. Then rice koji, rice bran, kombu, bonito flakes, and shiitake build layers of umami that keep lingering after each sip.
MugiBonito flakes too?! That sounds like an overloaded flavor traffic jam waiting to happen!
Hop BroThat’s the YMB part of it. Instead of going flashy, they aim for elegance and drinkability, turning it into an evolving flagship.
MugiI’m sold. Citrus first, umami after, that kind of little trip in a glass makes me want one right now!
A Reworked Standard IPA
Yellow Monkey Brewing (YMB), based in Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama, has refreshed one of its standard beers, TORIAEZU, and changed the style name from "Freestyle IPA" to "Sake Yeast IPA." In the brewery's announcement, the new direction begins with batch No. 74 and puts Japanese fermentation culture at the center, using sake yeast, koji, and umami-driven ingredients inside an IPA framework.
Aroma, Bitterness, and Umami
According to the product page, the beer sits at 5.5% ABV with 59.8 IBU. New Zealand-grown Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin provide a bright citrus profile, including grapefruit-peel-like notes, while the bitterness gives the beer a clear IPA shape. On top of that, sake yeast strains 701 and 901 add a fragrant ginjo-like aroma, and rice koji, rice bran, kombu, katsuobushi, and shiitake are used to create a lingering savory finish.
YMB's Idea of a Changing Classic
On its official site, YMB says its mission is to connect people and spread smiles through beer and sports, under the guiding idea of "Be pirates. Be playful." This relaunch reflects that philosophy well: a standard beer is not treated as something frozen in place, but as something that must keep evolving in order to stay relevant. Rather than chasing flashiness, the beer aims for balance, drinkability, and a distinctly Japanese style of depth.
References: Original article / Product page / YMB official site
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroToday’s topic is how Yokohama’s Yellow Monkey Brewing revamped its core beer TORIAEZU into Sake Yeast IPA.
MugiWhat! TORIAEZU sounds so casual, and now it’s going full sake-inspired mode?
Hop BroExactly. Starting with batch 74, they dropped the Freestyle IPA label and rebuilt it with sake yeasts 701 and 901 plus koji, a real redefinition of house IPA.
MugiHold on, sake yeast 701 sounds like a robot model number! What does it even do?
Hop BroIn simple terms, it adds a fragrant, sake-like note, a kind of ginjo-like aroma layered over the IPA’s hop character.
MugiOhhh! So it’s not just citrus hops, it also has a delicate sake glow floating on top?
Hop BroRight, and with New Zealand Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin, grapefruit-peel aroma, 5.5% ABV, and 59.8 IBU, it still keeps a firm bitter backbone.
MugiWait, what’s IBU? Is that like a bitterness test score? Because 59.8 sounds serious!
Hop BroPretty much. Then rice koji, rice bran, kombu, bonito flakes, and shiitake build layers of umami that keep lingering after each sip.
MugiBonito flakes too?! That sounds like an overloaded flavor traffic jam waiting to happen!
Hop BroThat’s the YMB part of it. Instead of going flashy, they aim for elegance and drinkability, turning it into an evolving flagship.
MugiI’m sold. Citrus first, umami after, that kind of little trip in a glass makes me want one right now!
