ひばのきっぱづ (HIBA NO KIPPAZU)

Having not done much with wood character, aside from barrels, we thought it would be fun to take the character of fresh wood from one-another’s region, and try to impart that into the beer. We sent up “Sugi” (Japanese cedar) that were offcuts from a local Kyo-machiya renovation, and they sent us Hiba, a special variety of cypress, that Be Easy sourced for us in Aomori.We decided after sampling the wood in different ways to use a blend of some toasted and untested wood in order to give a soft vanilla character with some herbal spice from the wood. We paired it with the Vienna Lager as a base style, the idea being that the maltiness would hold up to the wood character, and bring a little sweetness. We used Pilsner, Vienna, and Munich malts, with just a tiny amount of black malt for further colouring. We went classic with Tettnang hops for herbal and flowery notes, while bringing some Pacific Jade in for a touch of modern stone fruit nuance. After fermentation on a bohemian lager strain, we conditioned the beer on wood chips for about 10 days, allowing the wood to soak and impart its unique character. The wood added some spice and softness while not overwhelming the beer, and the result is an incredibly drinkable beer for something as out there conceptually. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!