Tiels Brewing Releases Kumquat & Ougonkan Saison, ABV 5.5%
Tiels Brewing of Mishima, Shizuoka announced on March 11, 2026, the release of "Kumquat & Ougonkan Saison." It is a seasonal new beer that pairs pesticide-free kumquats from Toda in Numazu with Ougonkan grown in Numazu, using a low-IBU design to highlight the citrus character.
Hop BroBreaking news: Tiels Brewing in Mishima, Shizuoka, released "Kumquat & Ougonkan Saison" on March 11. With ABV 5.5% and IBU 5, it's a light, spring-perfect design!
MugiWhoa! A double citrus beer with kumquat and Ougonkan!? And it's a saison too? That's stylish!
Hop BroAnd the design is really smart. The star is pesticide-free kumquat, while Ougonkan is the supporting player. It captures the aroma and acidity, plus the kumquat's subtle bitterness and astringency.
MugiAstringency too!? Is that even a compliment? And what's IBU 5?
Hop BroIBU is a measure of bitterness, and 5 is very low. The idea is to keep hop bitterness down and let the fruit character come forward. If you use the astringency as a kind of peel-like depth, the flavor gains more dimension.
MugiI see! So it's not just a sweet fruit beer, but more like an adult citrus beer!
Hop BroAnd the brewing process is serious business. They added kumquats at the whirlpool stage, then steeped nearly the same amount in the fermentation tank. It's like a two-stage citrus attack to draw out the aroma step by step!
MugiWhat is that! It's like a cooking battle manga, except it's beer!
Hop BroTiels is a small brewery with 250-liter batches, and their creed is to make use of ingredients from around Izu. In mid-February, they even processed the citrus together with visiting customers, so it really feels like brewing that involves the whole community.
MugiThat's amazing! If the first release is this good, I want to keep an eye on the next yuzu hazy IPA and lemon gose too! For now, let's just toast tonight with Kumquat & Ougonkan Saison!
Tiels Brewing introduced its new "Kumquat & Ougonkan Saison" in a post published the same day. The style is saison, with specs of ABV 5.5% / IBU 5. The goal seems to be to keep the drinking experience light while expressing citrus-derived aroma and acidity, along with the subtle bitterness and astringency unique to kumquats.
The kumquats used were pesticide-free fruit harvested from Mr. Nagakura's farm in Toda, Numazu. The Ougonkan came from Numazu and was designed to play a supporting role, backing up the kumquat's strong character. In the brewing process, kumquats were added at the whirlpool stage, and nearly the same amount was also steeped in the fermentation tank to bring out more aroma.
The brewery is a small operation in Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture, with each batch sized at 250 liters. It promotes beer making that makes use of fruits and agricultural products from the Izu area, and this new release can be seen as a symbol of that policy. In fact, in mid-February, they processed citrus and brewed together with visiting customers, resulting in a beer that brings together local ingredients and a community-participation brewing experience.
The company positions this beer as the first in its citrus series, and has also previewed future releases including a yuzu hazy IPA, a lemon gose, and a summer orange beer. For drinkers who want to follow citrus season by season, this year's Tiels is not to be missed.
Sources
- Instagram post
- Kumquat & Ougonkan Saison Released (Official)
- Tiels Brewing Official Site
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroBreaking news: Tiels Brewing in Mishima, Shizuoka, released "Kumquat & Ougonkan Saison" on March 11. With ABV 5.5% and IBU 5, it's a light, spring-perfect design!
MugiWhoa! A double citrus beer with kumquat and Ougonkan!? And it's a saison too? That's stylish!
Hop BroAnd the design is really smart. The star is pesticide-free kumquat, while Ougonkan is the supporting player. It captures the aroma and acidity, plus the kumquat's subtle bitterness and astringency.
MugiAstringency too!? Is that even a compliment? And what's IBU 5?
Hop BroIBU is a measure of bitterness, and 5 is very low. The idea is to keep hop bitterness down and let the fruit character come forward. If you use the astringency as a kind of peel-like depth, the flavor gains more dimension.
MugiI see! So it's not just a sweet fruit beer, but more like an adult citrus beer!
Hop BroAnd the brewing process is serious business. They added kumquats at the whirlpool stage, then steeped nearly the same amount in the fermentation tank. It's like a two-stage citrus attack to draw out the aroma step by step!
MugiWhat is that! It's like a cooking battle manga, except it's beer!
Hop BroTiels is a small brewery with 250-liter batches, and their creed is to make use of ingredients from around Izu. In mid-February, they even processed the citrus together with visiting customers, so it really feels like brewing that involves the whole community.
MugiThat's amazing! If the first release is this good, I want to keep an eye on the next yuzu hazy IPA and lemon gose too! For now, let's just toast tonight with Kumquat & Ougonkan Saison!
