Nara Brewing unveils 2026 EIGHTY EIGHT green tea saison
Nara Brewing has unveiled the 2026 version of EIGHTY EIGHT, its green tea saison made with first-harvest tencha from Tea Farm Inokura. This year’s release also switches both malt and hops to Japanese-grown ingredients, including Shinshu Wase hops.
Hop BroI want to talk about Nara Brewing's EIGHTY EIGHT 2026 edition today. It's their early-summer green tea saison, and this year's version has real range.
MugiWait, a green tea saison? That sounds like a beer that wandered into a tea ceremony and decided to stay!
Hop BroExactly. It uses first-picked tencha from Tea Farm Inokura, a tea grower in Tsukigase, Nara, with 275 years of history. They keep the astringency low and let the leaf aroma shine.
MugiOkay but what is tencha? That sounds either very elegant or like a secret boss in a tea video game!
Hop BroIt's basically the leaf used before matcha is ground, so think pre-matcha tea leaves. Add spicy saison yeast on top, and it becomes much more than tea-flavored beer.
MugiHold on, what's saison yeast? It sounds like yeast that owns a tiny seasonal wardrobe!
Hop BroNot far off in spirit. It's a Belgian-style yeast that can give peppery, spicy notes, which helps create a super drinkable finish. This one is also ABV 5.5% and IBU 12, so it stays gentle.
MugiThat helps! With IBU 12, I can approach without my bitterness alarm going off!
Hop BroAnd the big 2026 twist is that the malt and hops are now entirely Japanese-grown. They're using Shinshu Wase hops, which bring citrus notes like lemon and kabosu.
MugiTea, malt, and hops all from Japan? Fully domestic ingredients makes it feel less like a beer and more like a whole seasonal project!
Hop BroAlso, don't serve it ice-cold. Let it warm a little and the tea character opens up more, so it's a temperature-changing pour I'd want on draft the second summer starts.
MugiThat's it, I'm sold. I want one now, in a can or from a keg, because that sounds like the tastiest possible way to start summer!
Nara Brewing has introduced the 2026 version of its seasonal green tea saison, EIGHTY EIGHT. The beer is brewed with first-harvest tencha from Tea Farm Inokura, a tea farm in Nara City's Tsukigase area with a 275-year history, and is designed to extract tea aroma while keeping astringency low.
The beer is a saison with 5.5% ABV and 12 IBU. A key change in 2026 is that both the malt and hops are now sourced entirely from Japan. The hop variety is Shinshu Wase, a historic Japanese hop used since the Meiji era, bringing citrus notes reminiscent of lemon and kabosu along with a gentle, refined bitterness.
According to Nara Brewing, the finished beer balances the roundness of tencha, citrus character from the hops, and the spicy profile of saison yeast, resulting in a highly drinkable beer. Serving it slightly warmer is said to make the tea character more distinct.
Nara Brewing is based in Nara City and is known for beers that reflect local ingredients and seasonal rhythms. EIGHTY EIGHT has become one of the brewery’s signature warm-weather releases.
Specs
- Style: Saison w/ Green Tea
- ABV: 5.5%
- IBU: 12
- Key ingredients: First-harvest tencha, Japanese malt, Shinshu Wase hops
- Sizes: 10.4L / 15.5L / 350ml
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroI want to talk about Nara Brewing's EIGHTY EIGHT 2026 edition today. It's their early-summer green tea saison, and this year's version has real range.
MugiWait, a green tea saison? That sounds like a beer that wandered into a tea ceremony and decided to stay!
Hop BroExactly. It uses first-picked tencha from Tea Farm Inokura, a tea grower in Tsukigase, Nara, with 275 years of history. They keep the astringency low and let the leaf aroma shine.
MugiOkay but what is tencha? That sounds either very elegant or like a secret boss in a tea video game!
Hop BroIt's basically the leaf used before matcha is ground, so think pre-matcha tea leaves. Add spicy saison yeast on top, and it becomes much more than tea-flavored beer.
MugiHold on, what's saison yeast? It sounds like yeast that owns a tiny seasonal wardrobe!
Hop BroNot far off in spirit. It's a Belgian-style yeast that can give peppery, spicy notes, which helps create a super drinkable finish. This one is also ABV 5.5% and IBU 12, so it stays gentle.
MugiThat helps! With IBU 12, I can approach without my bitterness alarm going off!
Hop BroAnd the big 2026 twist is that the malt and hops are now entirely Japanese-grown. They're using Shinshu Wase hops, which bring citrus notes like lemon and kabosu.
MugiTea, malt, and hops all from Japan? Fully domestic ingredients makes it feel less like a beer and more like a whole seasonal project!
Hop BroAlso, don't serve it ice-cold. Let it warm a little and the tea character opens up more, so it's a temperature-changing pour I'd want on draft the second summer starts.
MugiThat's it, I'm sold. I want one now, in a can or from a keg, because that sounds like the tastiest possible way to start summer!
