#002 Gungendo Rice and Sansho Pepper saison

This is my Saison which uses the rice grown at my company and sansho peppers from the local mountains.

This beer is a standard saison, which is similar in flavor to Asahi beer being relatively dry and inoffensive. Much to our surprise though, the plum flower yeast found the rice we put in a very compatible ingredient and the flavor of the rice made it out to the front.

Unlike the IPA, the fragrance is a lot less “hops” forward, and has more of a wheaty scent to it. When you take a sip, you realize it has quite a light body but the flavor of rice is very prevalent. The rice gives the beer a bit of a sweetness and roundness that is a good compliment to the usually dry beer. The sansho isn’t in your face, but is at the back end of the sip adding an herbal green finish.

I find this to be an approachable beer which utilizes traditionally Japanese ingredients in an interesting combination. Pairing recommendations would be tempura or sashimi, basically any type of Japanese food will go well with this.