Nara Brewing announces first shipment shops for EIGHTY EIGHT green tea saison
Nara Brewing has announced the initial shipment accounts for EIGHTY EIGHT, a green tea saison made with tea grower Tea Farm Inokura in Nara City’s Tsukigase area. The beer combines first-pick tencha leaves with domestic malt and hops, and the brewery shared the current shop list on June 27.
Hop BroI want to talk about EIGHTY EIGHT's first shipment today. Nara Brewing just shared the June 27 store list for the new collab they brewed with Tea Farm Inokura.
MugiWait, beer with a tea grower? That's such a wild crossover! What does that even taste like?
Hop BroIt's a green tea saison. They steeped first-picked tencha leaves and built it with Japanese malt and hops, so it really feels like a Nara Brewing beer rooted in local ingredients.
MugiWhoa. But hang on, what exactly is first-picked tencha? I feel like I just got pop-quizzed in a tea field!
Hop BroTencha is the tea used to make matcha, and first-picked means the earliest young leaves of the season. So basically it's the best part of the tea, which helps the aroma come through cleanly.
MugiOkay, but doesn't that fight the hops? Is this tea vs. beer in a championship match?
Hop BroThat's the smart part. Shinshu Wase hops bring lemon and kabosu-like notes, and then you get saison yeast spice layered on top.
MugiSaison yeast? What is that, a wizard name? When you say spicy from yeast, you do not mean they dumped chili peppers in there, right?
Hop BroNo peppers, just fermentation character. It can feel a little peppery and snappy on the finish. And at 5.5% with IBU 12 softness, it shouldn't drink overly bitter.
MugiOh, nice, that sounds easy to get into! And if warming it up a bit makes the tea profile pop, that's like getting two beers in one.
Hop BroExactly. The first shipment is hitting places like Isetan Shinjuku and Tanakaya in Tokyo, plus shops around Nara, though arrival dates vary by store. It really makes me want to buy two and compare.
MugiSame here! I want one chilled and one slightly warmer as tonight's beer plan!
Overview
On June 27, Nara Brewing announced the first shipment accounts for EIGHTY EIGHT, a green tea saison created with Tea Farm Inokura. The beer uses first-pick tencha leaves, then layers in Shinshu-wase hops with lemon- and kabosu-like citrus notes plus saison yeast spice. It comes in at 5.5% ABV and 12 IBU. The brewery says the tea character becomes clearer if the beer is allowed to warm slightly.
Nara Brewing is based in Kitanosho-Nishimachi, Nara City, and presents itself as a brewery that aims to reflect regional character through beer. EIGHTY EIGHT fits that approach: it is built around local tea and a carefully balanced use of malt and hops, resulting in a drinkable saison with a straw-colored profile.
Initial shipment accounts
- Sendai, Miyagi: Sendai Spice Curry Koguma Shokudo
- Chiba City, Chiba: Jizake Senmon Yotumeya Saketen
- Tokyo: 12e chitofuna / Caliquors Tokyo / Isetan Shinjuku / Tanakaya / Tobu Department Store Ikebukuro Plaza / Tochigiya Saketen / Kichi Brewing / Virtus Wine Jingumae / BEER STAND Stoop / Seven-Eleven Haramachi 5-chome
- Kyoto City, Kyoto: JR Kyoto Isetan
- Osaka City, Osaka: Hanshin Umeda Main Store B1 Wine & Sake Section / TAKAMURA Wine & Coffee Roasters
- Nara City, Nara: Noto to Hakkou Zen / Nishinokyo Jizake-dokoro Kitora / Kintetsu Department Store Nara, Yamatoji
- Gose, Nara: Higashikawa Saketen
- Tenri, Nara: Noboru Saketen
- Shiki District, Nara: Sake no Abetaya
Availability and arrival dates differ by shop, so customers should check directly before visiting.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroI want to talk about EIGHTY EIGHT's first shipment today. Nara Brewing just shared the June 27 store list for the new collab they brewed with Tea Farm Inokura.
MugiWait, beer with a tea grower? That's such a wild crossover! What does that even taste like?
Hop BroIt's a green tea saison. They steeped first-picked tencha leaves and built it with Japanese malt and hops, so it really feels like a Nara Brewing beer rooted in local ingredients.
MugiWhoa. But hang on, what exactly is first-picked tencha? I feel like I just got pop-quizzed in a tea field!
Hop BroTencha is the tea used to make matcha, and first-picked means the earliest young leaves of the season. So basically it's the best part of the tea, which helps the aroma come through cleanly.
MugiOkay, but doesn't that fight the hops? Is this tea vs. beer in a championship match?
Hop BroThat's the smart part. Shinshu Wase hops bring lemon and kabosu-like notes, and then you get saison yeast spice layered on top.
MugiSaison yeast? What is that, a wizard name? When you say spicy from yeast, you do not mean they dumped chili peppers in there, right?
Hop BroNo peppers, just fermentation character. It can feel a little peppery and snappy on the finish. And at 5.5% with IBU 12 softness, it shouldn't drink overly bitter.
MugiOh, nice, that sounds easy to get into! And if warming it up a bit makes the tea profile pop, that's like getting two beers in one.
Hop BroExactly. The first shipment is hitting places like Isetan Shinjuku and Tanakaya in Tokyo, plus shops around Nara, though arrival dates vary by store. It really makes me want to buy two and compare.
MugiSame here! I want one chilled and one slightly warmer as tonight's beer plan!
