Sakamichi Brewing highlights two new WCB beers: Starwatcher Tsuyu and FHA r1-2026
Sakamichi Brewing in Tachikawa highlighted two new West Coast Brewing releases on Instagram: the seasonal Starwatcher Tsuyu and the Hazy Double IPA Full Hop Alchemist r1-2026. Both beers are detailed on WCB's official beer pages.
Hop BroToday's Sakamichi Brewing drop is a strong one. On Instagram they highlighted two West Coast Brewing releases, WCB's Starwatcher Tsuyu and Full Hop Alchemist r1 -2026-.
MugiWait, two new WCB beers at once? If one is named after rainy season, it better taste brighter than the weather!
Hop BroThat's the charm. Starwatcher Tsuyu is a West Coast IPA at 7.0% ABV, with orange, passion fruit, melon, and grape notes plus a grassy, woody edge.
MugiOkay, but Citra Hyper Boost sounds like a special move. Am I ordering a beer or unlocking a power-up?
Hop BroHonestly, both. It's basically an aroma booster, added onto the core Starwatcher profile to push the citrus expression way forward.
MugiSo it's the rainy-day eraser of the beer world? That is a very aggressive service to public morale.
Hop BroThe other one, Full Hop Alchemist r1 -2026-, is a Hazy Double IPA at 8.5% ABV. El Dorado CGX, Nelson Sauvin, Southern Cross, Riwaka, and Tropical Fusion bring sweet tropical notes, berries, stone fruit, and a thick mouthfeel.
MugiProfessor, that was a lot. And El Dorado CGX is another spell name. Stone fruit means peach-and-apricot vibes, right?
Hop BroExactly. CGX is kind of a concentrated hop format, so it's easier to build dense aroma. And this one reworks a 2025 recipe with 2026-harvest hops, which gives the series its own storyline.
MugiNow I need a side-by-side tasting. Snappy West Coast on one side, plush Hazy on the other, like two completely different moods.
Hop BroThat's why the lineup lands. The comparison is so clear that you can feel what's moving at Sakamichi Brewing's Tachikawa shop, and I already want to crack the FHA r1 -2026-.
MugiThen it's settled. Pour them right now and I'll start with Starwatcher Tsuyu, you take FHA r1 -2026-, and we swap halfway because obviously we're drinking both.
Sakamichi Brewing, based in Tachikawa, Tokyo, shared a post on Instagram featuring two new arrivals from West Coast Brewing. The lineup includes the seasonal Starwatcher Tsuyu and Full Hop Alchemist r1-2026, both of which are listed on WCB's official beer pages.
- Starwatcher Tsuyu: a West Coast IPA at 7.0% ABV. It uses Citra Hyper Boost, Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe, and is described with notes of orange, passion fruit, melon, grape, plus grassy and woody accents.
- Full Hop Alchemist r1-2026: a Hazy Double IPA at 8.5% ABV. Built with El Dorado CGX, Nelson Sauvin, Southern Cross, Riwaka, and Tropical Fusion, it leans into tropical sweetness with berry, stone fruit, and a fuller mouthfeel.
WCB describes Starwatcher Tsuyu as a seasonal variation on its flagship Starwatcher IPA, with Citra Hyper Boost added to amplify aroma and flavor. Full Hop Alchemist r1-2026 is a redux that recreates the 2025 recipe using 2026-harvest hops, giving the series a refreshed but familiar profile.
For Sakamichi Brewing, a post like this also serves as a snapshot of what is moving through the taproom in Tachikawa. Pairing a seasonal variant with a series beer gives drinkers a clear comparison point, especially for those who want to taste how different hop combinations shape the IPA spectrum.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroToday's Sakamichi Brewing drop is a strong one. On Instagram they highlighted two West Coast Brewing releases, WCB's Starwatcher Tsuyu and Full Hop Alchemist r1 -2026-.
MugiWait, two new WCB beers at once? If one is named after rainy season, it better taste brighter than the weather!
Hop BroThat's the charm. Starwatcher Tsuyu is a West Coast IPA at 7.0% ABV, with orange, passion fruit, melon, and grape notes plus a grassy, woody edge.
MugiOkay, but Citra Hyper Boost sounds like a special move. Am I ordering a beer or unlocking a power-up?
Hop BroHonestly, both. It's basically an aroma booster, added onto the core Starwatcher profile to push the citrus expression way forward.
MugiSo it's the rainy-day eraser of the beer world? That is a very aggressive service to public morale.
Hop BroThe other one, Full Hop Alchemist r1 -2026-, is a Hazy Double IPA at 8.5% ABV. El Dorado CGX, Nelson Sauvin, Southern Cross, Riwaka, and Tropical Fusion bring sweet tropical notes, berries, stone fruit, and a thick mouthfeel.
MugiProfessor, that was a lot. And El Dorado CGX is another spell name. Stone fruit means peach-and-apricot vibes, right?
Hop BroExactly. CGX is kind of a concentrated hop format, so it's easier to build dense aroma. And this one reworks a 2025 recipe with 2026-harvest hops, which gives the series its own storyline.
MugiNow I need a side-by-side tasting. Snappy West Coast on one side, plush Hazy on the other, like two completely different moods.
Hop BroThat's why the lineup lands. The comparison is so clear that you can feel what's moving at Sakamichi Brewing's Tachikawa shop, and I already want to crack the FHA r1 -2026-.
MugiThen it's settled. Pour them right now and I'll start with Starwatcher Tsuyu, you take FHA r1 -2026-, and we swap halfway because obviously we're drinking both.
