Yonezawa Jacks Brewery Announces New Tohoku Soul IPL and Reissue of Nibachi Soba Ale
Yonezawa Jacks Brewery in Yonezawa, Yamagata, announced two releases on December 23, 2025: a new beer, "Tohoku Soul Love Pale Lager," and a limited reissue, "Nibachi Soba Ale TWINS." A collaborative brew from a Tohoku-wide project and a strongly local beer made with soba from local farmers are arriving at the same time.
Hop BroToday’s topic is this! Yonezawa Jacks Brewery in Yonezawa, Yamagata announced two releases at once on December 23, 2025: the new "Tohoku Soul Love Pale Lager" and the limited reissue of "Nibachi Soba Ale TWINS"!
MugiWait, a new release and a reissue at the same time!? That’s a nice year-end surprise!
Hop BroFirst, the new beer is a participating brew in the Tohoku Soul Beer Project 2025. Fifteen breweries gathered at Yonezawa Jacks' brewery to make it as an IPL. The hops are Columbus, Motueka, Centennial, and Citra, with 6% ABV and a 330 ml bottle!
MugiWhat is that! IPL doesn’t stand for Indian movie, right!?
Hop BroClose! It stands for India Pale Lager. It’s a style that brings out hop aroma like an IPA, while finishing crisp and clean with lager yeast. In other words, "fragrant and lively on the nose, sharp on the palate"!
MugiOhhh! And the name Tohoku Soul sounds intense. Is there a backstory?
Hop BroThere is. It’s a collaborative project formed in November 2012, based on the feelings that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake, where breweries have pooled their technical skills and knowledge to improve quality.
MugiThat’s such a good story... So what about the other beer, Nibachi Soba Ale TWINS? The name alone makes me hungry!
Hop BroThis one is all about local flavor. It uses soba from Yamagata Chibakichi, a soba farm in the Minamihara area of Yonezawa City, and is built on a "nibachi" ratio of 20% soba and 80% malt. The hops are Centennial and Hallertau Blanc, ABV is 5%, volume is 330 ml, and it’s classified as happoshu.
MugiI thought "nibachi" was just a soba-shop signboard word, but it’s actually a beer design concept too! Suddenly it feels so scientific and cool!
Hop BroThat’s one of Yonezawa Jacks' strengths. They’re putting out Tohoku Soul, born from collaborative brewing, and a soba ale made with local ingredients, so their direction is incredibly clear. And both are limited quantities, so checking early is a must!
MugiDecided! I’m starting with the hoppy, crisp IPL and finishing with Nibachi Soba Ale TWINS! I’m totally in drink mode now!
Two announcements made at once
Yonezawa Jacks Brewery simultaneously announced a new product release and a reissue of a limited product on its official website (dated December 23, 2025).
New release: Tohoku Soul Love Pale Lager
"Tohoku Soul Love Pale Lager" is a participating beer in the Tohoku Soul Beer Project 2025. According to the announcement, all 15 participating breweries gathered at Yonezawa Jacks Brewery's facility and brewed it as an IPL (India Pale Lager), a crisp lager style with plenty of hop character.
- Hops: Columbus, Motueka, Centennial, Citra
- ABV: 6%
- Volume: 330 ml
The Tohoku Soul Beer Project was formed in November 2012, driven by sentiments following the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. It is an initiative in which breweries pool their technical expertise and knowledge to improve quality.
Limited reissue: Nibachi Soba Ale TWINS
The reissued "Nibachi Soba Ale TWINS" uses soba from Yamagata Chibakichi, a soba farmer in the Minamihara area of Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture. Its defining feature is the "nibachi" formulation of 20% soba and 80% malt, making it a beer that strongly reflects Yonezawa Jacks Brewery's local identity.
- Hops: Centennial, Hallertau Blanc
- Malt content: 50% or more
- ABV: 5%
- Volume: 330 ml
- Classification: Happoshu
Based in Yonezawa, Yamagata, the brewery has consistently highlighted its individuality through both collaborative brewing and the use of local ingredients. These two releases clearly show that direction. Both are said to be available only in limited quantities, so it would be wise to check and buy early.
Source:
- Yonezawa Jacks Brewery official announcement (article)
- Yonezawa Jacks Brewery official site
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroToday’s topic is this! Yonezawa Jacks Brewery in Yonezawa, Yamagata announced two releases at once on December 23, 2025: the new "Tohoku Soul Love Pale Lager" and the limited reissue of "Nibachi Soba Ale TWINS"!
MugiWait, a new release and a reissue at the same time!? That’s a nice year-end surprise!
Hop BroFirst, the new beer is a participating brew in the Tohoku Soul Beer Project 2025. Fifteen breweries gathered at Yonezawa Jacks' brewery to make it as an IPL. The hops are Columbus, Motueka, Centennial, and Citra, with 6% ABV and a 330 ml bottle!
MugiWhat is that! IPL doesn’t stand for Indian movie, right!?
Hop BroClose! It stands for India Pale Lager. It’s a style that brings out hop aroma like an IPA, while finishing crisp and clean with lager yeast. In other words, "fragrant and lively on the nose, sharp on the palate"!
MugiOhhh! And the name Tohoku Soul sounds intense. Is there a backstory?
Hop BroThere is. It’s a collaborative project formed in November 2012, based on the feelings that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake, where breweries have pooled their technical skills and knowledge to improve quality.
MugiThat’s such a good story... So what about the other beer, Nibachi Soba Ale TWINS? The name alone makes me hungry!
Hop BroThis one is all about local flavor. It uses soba from Yamagata Chibakichi, a soba farm in the Minamihara area of Yonezawa City, and is built on a "nibachi" ratio of 20% soba and 80% malt. The hops are Centennial and Hallertau Blanc, ABV is 5%, volume is 330 ml, and it’s classified as happoshu.
MugiI thought "nibachi" was just a soba-shop signboard word, but it’s actually a beer design concept too! Suddenly it feels so scientific and cool!
Hop BroThat’s one of Yonezawa Jacks' strengths. They’re putting out Tohoku Soul, born from collaborative brewing, and a soba ale made with local ingredients, so their direction is incredibly clear. And both are limited quantities, so checking early is a must!
MugiDecided! I’m starting with the hoppy, crisp IPL and finishing with Nibachi Soba Ale TWINS! I’m totally in drink mode now!
