[Part 1] Introduction: The reason for making beer, the background, and the passion for making beer
[Part 2] Brewing: The beer brewing process at the brewery - What it was like on the day
[Part 3] Finished and toasting: Before ~ Cheers! ~ After
November 6th.
The day has finally come for Monosus' 16th anniversary party, when we will unveil our delicious beer to everyone.
What is a beer that tastes like Monosus? What does the beer that Kojima-san, Saito-san, and I, worked so hard to make in Okubo on a hot summer's day, taste like...?
Is it something that suits everyone's taste?
The label was created by designer Onogi-san, and conveys the taste, characteristics, our feelings, and our passion for beer.
If you look closely at the label, you will see illustrations of Yoyogi, where the company's headquarters are located, Kamiyama and Suo-Oshima, where the satellite offices are located, and Bangkok, where Monosus is located, filling the entire company.
The color is also refreshing, representing the two types of beer.
Ono's feelings are also packed into the label!
I wonder if the taste will live up to those expectations...I'm worried.
Two and a half months have passed since the beer was brewed.
It was hot that day, but we drank beer from the morning, and kept moving for four hours straight while brewing beer. It was just like a club activity, but we were laughing the whole time. It was so much fun!!!
Whenever I met Kojima-san and Saito-san, we would talk about beer all the time, and I wonder how many times we've talked about beer up until now. After just one conversation, we were completely hooked on the craft beer brewing world. I'm confident that I can become a salesman for craft beer brewing!
This beer, carrying all of our passionate feelings, has finally been brewed and will be served to everyone at Monosus! I wonder what it will taste like?
I'm so excited!
cheers!
Every year, members of the satellite office gather in Yoyogi to hold the anniversary party, but this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, about half of the people took part remotely.
We also sent Monosasu beer to the homes of those participating remotely, so everyone, both at the venue and remotely, could enjoy a beer of Monosasu beer together...cheers!
Whether it was someone we'd seen in person for the first time in a while or someone whose smile we'd seen through the screen, everyone looked happy and had a beer in their hand. Maybe we just assumed everyone was happy because we were happy, but for us it was a happy time.
We didn't do anything special, but time passed by quickly with a beer and a meal in hand.
Everyone's reviews and opinions of Monosasu Beer
After the fun anniversary party, we asked everyone at Monosus what they thought of the beer.
Monosasu BEER White Ale [Left] Monosasu BEER IPA [Right]
■Monosasu BEER IPA
ABV: 7%
IBU (bitterness): 50.9
Ingredients: Malt, hops
--------
Rating: Average 4.4 stars (maximum 5 stars)
--------
- It could have been a little more unique. It was elegant.
- I had never tried IPA before, but now I'm a fan! The richness of the flavor was great.
- The bitterness is just right.
- It was delicious. I thought it might be a bit more bitter than an IPA, but it was easy to drink. Personally, I thought it could be a bit more bitter, but that would be a hard choice because people would either love it or hate it.
- Both beers were filled with the three of them's thoughts, and I could feel that from the presentation before the toast. The label was also cute. I personally like IPA, but it might have been better if it was a little more bitter.
- It's delicious. I like the feeling of drinking it.
- More like a session IPA than an IPA? I think it could do with a little more hops. It was easy to drink and delicious.
- I think you'll enjoy the punch of an IPA even more if you drink it in the summer!
■Monosasu BEER White Ale
ABV (alcohol by volume): 5%
IBU (bitterness): 19.9
Ingredients: Malt, hops, coriander
--------
Rating: Average 4.3 stars (maximum 5 stars)
--------
- The White Ale was also delicious. Personally, I prefer it with a sweeter fruity aftertaste.
- It went down smoothly.
- It was delicious. I never really liked white ale, but now my image of it has changed. I thought it was refreshing and had a particularly good aroma.
- It was very easy to drink, and the label color was perfect for a white ale.
- It was a light-tasting, easy-to-drink beer, but I felt it was a little lacking.
- It's too easy to drink, and I feel like it needs a bit more character. If I'm going to keep drinking it, this might be better.
- Is the taste flat? It would be better if it had a little more depth.
- I don't usually drink much alcohol, and I can't finish a can of chuhai, but Ale is easy to drink, and before I knew it, the glass I was given was gone. The label was also very cute, and I felt a strong attachment to it. I would like to actively drink beer made by my own company.
- I'm not good with alcohol, but this was easy to drink. Thank you for making it.
Our reflections and everyone's expectations for the future
What surprised me was when I talked to Kojima about my impressions after drinking it.
The White Ale should have been a bit more refreshing and the IPA should have been a bit more punchy. I totally agree.
Kojima-san and I have similar tastes, and I like strong, unique flavors.
That's why the White Ale wasn't too light, and its strong flavor left me wanting more.
I wanted to make the IPA more punchy, but I thought it would be no good if not everyone could drink it, so we ended up with a rounded, mellow taste that lacked character.
We received honest feedback and kind words from everyone, and now all we can think about is brewing our next beer.
I will definitely use the many things I have learned from my mistakes to improve next time!
＜Voices of expectation from everyone for Monosasu Beer Vol.2＞
- A more distinctive, heartfelt beer
- I want them to go all out with an IPA. I want a Monosus IPA with a solid red label and white lettering.
- Whatever the beer lovers who go to make it think is good.
- I would like to try a fruitier beer, or a non-alcoholic one.
- I think it was a beer made by someone who drinks everything beer. I thought that homemade or small-batch local beers tend to be mediocre, so to be honest I didn't have high expectations for the taste (m(__)m), but I was pleasantly surprised. If the tastes are this different, I'm looking forward to a tasting set of five varieties! (Just kidding. I was told it would be really hard, so I'm just being selfish lol)
- I like the brown ale called Newcastle, so I'd like to try something similar. Also, I think the white ale could do with a stronger aroma.
- I think it would be fun to drink a rare beer that makes people say, "There's a beer like this!?" I'd like to participate in the next one!
- It feels like fruit.
- I'm very curious to know what Okubo and Kojima's ideal beer tastes like, so I hope they will continue to pursue it.
- I'd also like to try a refreshing Japanese beer!
To everyone who rated it, shared their thoughts, and expressed their expectations,
thank you very much!!!
One thing that made me a little happy was, how can I buy Monosasu beer later on?
This is a message from Mr. Kanno, who said he wanted to send it to his parents back home.
I want to sell a beer that stands out someday!
Our journey of craft beer brewing continues...
I'd love to travel with you for the rest of our lives, chatting about this and that.
■ Article from "Let's Make Monosasuki Beer"
[Part 1] Introduction: The reason for making beer, the background, and the passion for making beer
[Part 2] Brewing: The beer brewing process at the brewery - What it was like on the day
[Part 3] Finished and toasting: Before ~ Cheers! ~ After
モノサスアーカイブ