Nagano Brewery unveils 'Hisho' ver. 2, a saison made with Kijimadaira rice and sake koji
Nagano Brewery in Ojoji, Nagano City, introduced 'Hisho' ver. 2 on Instagram. This saison uses rice from Kijimadaira Village and sake koji from Shinano Town, drawing attention as a glass that blends local ingredients with the background of conservation efforts.
Hop BroNagano Brewery in Ojoji, Nagano City, has put out 'Hisho' ver. 2 on Instagram. This is definitely the kind of beer that makes you drink in the whole story of the land with it.
MugiWhoa! 'Hisho' already sounds cool, and now there’s even a ver. 2!? It’s like some kind of powerful gear upgrade!
Hop BroAnd the contents are just as serious. It’s a saison style beer made with non-glutinous rice, 'Niji no Kirameki,' from Kijimadaira Village, and sake koji from the 'Matsuo' brand of sake in Shinano Town.
MugiWait, sake koji goes into beer? My head is getting all fuzzy now... is this beer or sake?!
Hop BroThat’s what makes it interesting. Sake koji is a fermentation ingredient, and it helps expand the layers of sweetness and aroma. It adds a little Japanese depth to the lightness of a saison.
MugiOhhh! And the hops are Hallertau Blanc and Cryo Citra too? Just the names make it sound delicious! I can practically feel a citrus breeze blowing through!
Hop BroExactly. Hallertau Blanc brings a white-grape-like character, and Cryo Citra adds a citrus note that sharpens the softness of the rice and koji.
MugiWhat is this, it sounds like my brain would turn into a flower field after one sip! And the parent company, Rapoza, has been doing sashiba conservation for 15 years? That’s seriously deep...!
Hop BroIt really is. The sashiba conservation work, along with the connection to local farmers and the natural environment, becomes the very background of the beer. It’s a glass that tells you not just how it tastes, but why it was made.
MugiAnd Nagano Brewery is a circular BREWERY, right? Using hops and fruit from its own farm, and even turning spent malt into fertilizer after brewing? That’s eco on a whole different level!
Hop BroExactly. 'Hisho' ver. 2 is the kind of beer that makes you want to say you can taste the whole land itself. Seeing something like this makes me want to grab a glass and fly straight to Nagano.
MugiI can’t take it anymore, I want to drink it! Today I’m in the mood to raise a glass in Nagano, Hop bro!
A saison layered with local ingredients
NAGANO BREWERY (Nagano Brewery), which brews in Ojoji, Nagano City, has unveiled 'Hisho' ver. 2 on Instagram. 'Hisho' is a saison-style beer made with the non-glutinous rice 'Niji no Kirameki' from ORYZORA in Kijimadaira Village, Nagano Prefecture, and sake koji from the well-loved 'Matsuo' sake brand in Shinano Town, Nagano Prefecture. It has an alcohol content of 5.0%, and its hops are Hallertau Blanc and Cryo Citra.
Behind this beer is an initiative that the brewery's parent company, Rapoza, has pursued for many years. It is said to have continued conservation efforts for the rare bird of prey sashiba, which is found in large numbers in Kijimadaira Village, Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture, for the past 15 years, and the local natural environment and relationships with farmers connect directly to the context of beer making.
Nagano Brewery is a craft beer brewery based in Ojoji, Nagano City, and on its official website it promotes itself as a circular BREWERY that operates its own farm and brewery as one integrated system. Its defining feature is an approach that reconsiders everything from soil building onward, using hops and fruit grown on its own farm as ingredients and reusing spent malt after brewing as fertilizer.
'Hisho' ver. 2 can be read as more than just a new release; it is a proposal that brings together local ingredients, conservation activities, and circular manufacturing in one bottle. It feels like a direct reflection of the direction Nagano's craft beer is aiming for, captured inside a bottle or a glass.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroNagano Brewery in Ojoji, Nagano City, has put out 'Hisho' ver. 2 on Instagram. This is definitely the kind of beer that makes you drink in the whole story of the land with it.
MugiWhoa! 'Hisho' already sounds cool, and now there’s even a ver. 2!? It’s like some kind of powerful gear upgrade!
Hop BroAnd the contents are just as serious. It’s a saison style beer made with non-glutinous rice, 'Niji no Kirameki,' from Kijimadaira Village, and sake koji from the 'Matsuo' brand of sake in Shinano Town.
MugiWait, sake koji goes into beer? My head is getting all fuzzy now... is this beer or sake?!
Hop BroThat’s what makes it interesting. Sake koji is a fermentation ingredient, and it helps expand the layers of sweetness and aroma. It adds a little Japanese depth to the lightness of a saison.
MugiOhhh! And the hops are Hallertau Blanc and Cryo Citra too? Just the names make it sound delicious! I can practically feel a citrus breeze blowing through!
Hop BroExactly. Hallertau Blanc brings a white-grape-like character, and Cryo Citra adds a citrus note that sharpens the softness of the rice and koji.
MugiWhat is this, it sounds like my brain would turn into a flower field after one sip! And the parent company, Rapoza, has been doing sashiba conservation for 15 years? That’s seriously deep...!
Hop BroIt really is. The sashiba conservation work, along with the connection to local farmers and the natural environment, becomes the very background of the beer. It’s a glass that tells you not just how it tastes, but why it was made.
MugiAnd Nagano Brewery is a circular BREWERY, right? Using hops and fruit from its own farm, and even turning spent malt into fertilizer after brewing? That’s eco on a whole different level!
Hop BroExactly. 'Hisho' ver. 2 is the kind of beer that makes you want to say you can taste the whole land itself. Seeing something like this makes me want to grab a glass and fly straight to Nagano.
MugiI can’t take it anymore, I want to drink it! Today I’m in the mood to raise a glass in Nagano, Hop bro!
