ForestBrewing to open online pre-sales for Hazy IPL ‘KAWASEMI’ on June 8
ForestBrewing, based in Kawasaki, Miyagi, shared a tasting note for its Hazy IPL ‘KAWASEMI’ on Instagram. The brewery describes it as a beer with soft malt sweetness and a pronounced hop bitterness, and says online pre-sales will begin on June 8.
Hop BroToday's topic is Hazy IPL KAWASEMI. It's a seasonal release from Forest Brewing in Kawasaki, Miyagi, with online presales starting on June 8.
MugiWait, hazy and lager together!? Cloudy but crisp sounds like the beer menu just glitched!
Hop BroThat's exactly why it's interesting. A hazy IPL keeps the hop-forward feel of an IPA while staying easy-drinking like a lager, and this one is designed for rich, greasy food.
MugiSo it can handle fried chicken, dumplings, the whole greasy-food squad? That is wildly useful information!
Hop BroIn the Instagram tasting, the first reaction was basically that it was bitter, but not in a sharp way. It sounds more like 50 IBU bitterness with a rounder edge.
MugiWhat even is IBU? Is that like a bitterness report card for beer? Why am I suddenly being graded?
Hop BroPretty much. It's a rough bitterness scale, and even at the same number, KAWASEMI may feel softer than an IPA because it's built to be easy to keep drinking.
MugiOhhh! Then what's the trick behind bitter but smooth? Also, decoction mashing sounds like a boss battle.
Hop BroIt's a method where part of the mash is boiled and returned, which helps build body and depth. In simple terms, it helps give lager more depth so the bitterness has something to land on.
MugiThat's seriously crafty. Forest Brewing is the one doing firewood-brewed craft beer, right? Even the backstory tastes cool!
Hop BroExactly, and that brewery identity is part of the charm. When the June 8 presale starts, I already want KAWASEMI with karaage just to test the pairing.
MugiThen it's settled! I'm on June 8 standby with fried food and a glass ready, because now I absolutely want to drink this.
ForestBrewing, based in Kawasaki, Miyagi, is a brewery known for its “craft beer made with firewood,” and it also works in firewood production. The beer featured in the Instagram post is KAWASEMI, a seasonal, limited-production Hazy India Pale Lager.
What the tasting showed
In the post, the brewery gave a straightforward impression: it is bitter, and it should pair well with rich, oily food. That lines up with the official description on ForestBrewing’s site, which says KAWASEMI is built around soft malt sweetness with a somewhat stronger hop bitterness. It is also brewed with decoction mashing, giving the lager body and depth within a hazy style.
Online pre-sales on June 8
The tasting note also mentioned an IBU of 50, while suggesting that, even at the same IBU level, it may feel smoother than an IPA. In other words, the beer seems designed to keep its bitterness clear without becoming too heavy to drink. With online pre-sales scheduled for June 8, KAWASEMI looks like a release aimed at pairing well with food while still showing ForestBrewing’s distinctive brewing character.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroToday's topic is Hazy IPL KAWASEMI. It's a seasonal release from Forest Brewing in Kawasaki, Miyagi, with online presales starting on June 8.
MugiWait, hazy and lager together!? Cloudy but crisp sounds like the beer menu just glitched!
Hop BroThat's exactly why it's interesting. A hazy IPL keeps the hop-forward feel of an IPA while staying easy-drinking like a lager, and this one is designed for rich, greasy food.
MugiSo it can handle fried chicken, dumplings, the whole greasy-food squad? That is wildly useful information!
Hop BroIn the Instagram tasting, the first reaction was basically that it was bitter, but not in a sharp way. It sounds more like 50 IBU bitterness with a rounder edge.
MugiWhat even is IBU? Is that like a bitterness report card for beer? Why am I suddenly being graded?
Hop BroPretty much. It's a rough bitterness scale, and even at the same number, KAWASEMI may feel softer than an IPA because it's built to be easy to keep drinking.
MugiOhhh! Then what's the trick behind bitter but smooth? Also, decoction mashing sounds like a boss battle.
Hop BroIt's a method where part of the mash is boiled and returned, which helps build body and depth. In simple terms, it helps give lager more depth so the bitterness has something to land on.
MugiThat's seriously crafty. Forest Brewing is the one doing firewood-brewed craft beer, right? Even the backstory tastes cool!
Hop BroExactly, and that brewery identity is part of the charm. When the June 8 presale starts, I already want KAWASEMI with karaage just to test the pairing.
MugiThen it's settled! I'm on June 8 standby with fried food and a glass ready, because now I absolutely want to drink this.
