North Island Beer Ebetsu Brewery to Release Limited "Buntan WHITE" on March 27
North Island Beer Ebetsu Brewery will release its seasonal "Buntan WHITE" on March 27, 2026. This "friendly city beer" combines Ebetsu-grown wheat with Tosa buntan, a specialty of Tosa City in Kochi Prefecture, and features a light aroma and a gentle drinkability.
Hop BroHere comes a spring highlight: North Island Beer Ebetsu Brewery's limited Buntan WHITE goes on sale on March 27, 2026.
MugiWait! Even the name sounds refreshing! So what kind of beer is it? A fruit-style white beer?
Hop BroIt's a Fruit White Ale with an ABV of 5.0% and an IBU of 10, so it's a gentle, easygoing design. The bitterness is low, and it's light on the palate.
MugiIBU 10 sounds like something from science class! Is that like a bitterness score?
Hop BroExactly. IBU is a measure of bitterness, and 10 is very mild. They also use Cascade (Cryo) and Warrior to make it a hop-forward aroma-focused blend.
MugiWhoa! Cryo sounds cute like frozen mandarin oranges, but what is it really? Like a supercharged hop?
Hop BroGood instinct. Cryo hops are a type that concentrates the aromatic components for easier use, and this time they add Tosa buntan after hand-separating it into peel and flesh, so the citrus aroma from the peel really comes through.
MugiWow! And Ebetsu wheat plus Tosa buntan from Kochi Prefecture? That north-south collaboration is amazing! There's a story behind this sister-city beer.
Hop BroIt's great that they've turned a connection dating back to 1978 into one glass. Sales start shipping on Friday, March 27, online orders open at 10:00, and shipping begins sequentially from March 28, with brewery direct sales too.
MugiI've cleared my schedule! My first drink is definitely this Buntan WHITE, and I'm already in weekend toast prep mode!
North Island Beer Ebetsu Brewery has announced the release of its spring limited beer, "Buntan WHITE". The style is Fruit White Ale, with an ABV of 5.0% and IBU 10. It uses Cascade (Cryo) and Warrior hops, and Tosa buntan is used as a secondary ingredient.
The core theme of this beer is the connection between Ebetsu City and Tosa City in Kochi Prefecture. The two cities have maintained a sister-city partnership since 1978, and "Buntan WHITE" was designed as a beer that combines Ebetsu wheat with Tosa buntan. The official announcement explains that the buntan was manually separated into peel and flesh to bring out its fruitiness, subtle acidity, and the aroma derived from the peel. By making it a white ale based on wheat malt, the beer is rounded out as a light, easy-drinking brew with restrained bitterness.
The sales schedule is as follows: kegs and bottles both begin shipping on Friday, March 27. Consumer bottle sales will begin via the official online store at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, March 27, with shipping starting sequentially from Saturday, March 28. In addition, direct sales and growler fills at the Ebetsu brewery will also be available on Saturday, March 28.
North Island Beer is a brewery that continues to create limited releases that make use of Hokkaido ingredients and local character. On its official website, it also emphasizes its approach of packing Hokkaido's climate into every glass, rooted in its "encounter in Canada in 2001." This season's Buntan WHITE also seems like a fitting seasonal offering from the brewery, connecting ingredients from north and south.
References: Instagram post, Official news, Brewery official site
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroHere comes a spring highlight: North Island Beer Ebetsu Brewery's limited Buntan WHITE goes on sale on March 27, 2026.
MugiWait! Even the name sounds refreshing! So what kind of beer is it? A fruit-style white beer?
Hop BroIt's a Fruit White Ale with an ABV of 5.0% and an IBU of 10, so it's a gentle, easygoing design. The bitterness is low, and it's light on the palate.
MugiIBU 10 sounds like something from science class! Is that like a bitterness score?
Hop BroExactly. IBU is a measure of bitterness, and 10 is very mild. They also use Cascade (Cryo) and Warrior to make it a hop-forward aroma-focused blend.
MugiWhoa! Cryo sounds cute like frozen mandarin oranges, but what is it really? Like a supercharged hop?
Hop BroGood instinct. Cryo hops are a type that concentrates the aromatic components for easier use, and this time they add Tosa buntan after hand-separating it into peel and flesh, so the citrus aroma from the peel really comes through.
MugiWow! And Ebetsu wheat plus Tosa buntan from Kochi Prefecture? That north-south collaboration is amazing! There's a story behind this sister-city beer.
Hop BroIt's great that they've turned a connection dating back to 1978 into one glass. Sales start shipping on Friday, March 27, online orders open at 10:00, and shipping begins sequentially from March 28, with brewery direct sales too.
MugiI've cleared my schedule! My first drink is definitely this Buntan WHITE, and I'm already in weekend toast prep mode!
