Mangosteen Brewing Lab Reissues Its Flagship Farmhouse Ale NEW COLONY
Mangosteen Brewing Lab in Hokuto, Yamanashi has brought back NEW COLONY, the farmhouse ale first brewed as its debut flagship. The beer is built on a simple malt bill, restrained bitterness, and yeast-driven fruit and spice.
Hop BroToday's topic is that Mangosteen Brewery in Hokuto, Yamanashi just re-released its flagship NEW COLONY.
MugiWait, Mangosteen Brewery already has my attention from the name alone, but what kind of beer is it?
Hop BroIt's a farmhouse ale, their first brew and flagship, and it comes in at an easygoing 5.5% ABV.
MugiWhat is that! Does farmhouse ale mean it tastes better if you drink it next to a barn?
Hop BroNot quite, but here's the fun part: it's basically a saison-style beer, light on its feet with fermentation character doing a lot of the work.
MugiOooh, so yeast-driven fruitiness means it smells fruity even though no fruit went in?
Hop BroExactly, and they also mention a clove-like note, which is more like a baked-spice aroma than actual cloves floating in the glass.
MugiThat sounds great! And if it has gentle bitterness, even a craft-beer beginner like me can jump in.
Hop BroPlus they brew it at MANGOSTEEN HOKUTO, a renovated former factory, using groundwater from Mt. Kayagatake behind the site.
Hop BroEven the name colony is about people gathering and connecting, so it really sounds like a food-friendly pint I'd want with dinner tonight.
MugiYep, this is officially a pour-it-right-now beer and now both of us need a glass.
Mangosteen Brewing Lab is based in Hokuto, Yamanashi, inside MANGOSTEEN HOKUTO, a former factory converted into a multi-use complex. According to the brewery’s official site, it can produce up to 8,000 liters a month, and the brewing water is drawn from underground water linked to Mt. Kai.
The beer highlighted in the Instagram post is NEW COLONY, the brewery’s first flagship release and now back on the market. It is presented as a farmhouse ale at 5.5% ABV. The post describes a simple malt structure, modest bitterness, and yeast-derived notes that bring fruit and clove-like spice.
That approach fits Mangosteen’s broader identity: a brewery shaped by its Hokuto surroundings, aiming for beers that work naturally with food while still showing fermentation character. Rather than aiming for excessive complexity, NEW COLONY keeps the recipe focused and lets the yeast do the talking.
The name also points to a larger idea of a colony as a gathering of different people and things. In that sense, the beer feels like a revisit to the brewery’s starting point, now presented again from its base in Hokuto.
Reference: Instagram post / Official site
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroToday's topic is that Mangosteen Brewery in Hokuto, Yamanashi just re-released its flagship NEW COLONY.
MugiWait, Mangosteen Brewery already has my attention from the name alone, but what kind of beer is it?
Hop BroIt's a farmhouse ale, their first brew and flagship, and it comes in at an easygoing 5.5% ABV.
MugiWhat is that! Does farmhouse ale mean it tastes better if you drink it next to a barn?
Hop BroNot quite, but here's the fun part: it's basically a saison-style beer, light on its feet with fermentation character doing a lot of the work.
MugiOooh, so yeast-driven fruitiness means it smells fruity even though no fruit went in?
Hop BroExactly, and they also mention a clove-like note, which is more like a baked-spice aroma than actual cloves floating in the glass.
MugiThat sounds great! And if it has gentle bitterness, even a craft-beer beginner like me can jump in.
Hop BroPlus they brew it at MANGOSTEEN HOKUTO, a renovated former factory, using groundwater from Mt. Kayagatake behind the site.
Hop BroEven the name colony is about people gathering and connecting, so it really sounds like a food-friendly pint I'd want with dinner tonight.
MugiYep, this is officially a pour-it-right-now beer and now both of us need a glass.
