Better life with upcycle has released "Ume Maibock." As befits the brewery, which is known for brewing with bread crusts, this is once again a beer centered on the idea of "upcycling."

This beer is a long-aged brew that makes use of brandy-soaked plums that were used to make umeshu at Kanai Shuzoten in Hadano. The base style is Maibock, which symbolizes spring in Germany; "Mai" means May. It is presented as a beer brewed in winter and enjoyed in May, and is designed to evoke the malt's rich body.

According to the post, the sweet aroma of the plums steeped in the tank is balanced by the clean, herbal fragrance of Hallertau Blanc used for dry hopping, and when you take a sip, the sweetness of the generously used malt and the plum flavor spread fully across the palate. The style is Maibock w/ Ume, ABV is 8.0%, SRM is 5, and IBU is 19.

Better life with upcycle is a brewery based in Ebina City, Kanagawa Prefecture, that has been proposing life's "small celebrations" from an upcycling perspective. While it offers a flagship beer made with bread crusts, this time it turned its attention to ingredients derived from plum wine and linked them to a beer with a seasonal feel. Because it has a rich, full-bodied mouthfeel, the post also suggests enjoying it with ice cubes floating in it in the height of summer.

This is a beer you'll want to savor slowly, letting the sweet aroma of plums and the depth of malt unfold.