〈Brewer's Note 〉Request Timeout

The season for rubbing our hands together for warmth has arrived once again. Cold weather means mead season. Hot sake is nice, but we are a group of men passionate about giving mead its time in the spotlight, and we are proud to release this bottle.

This release is a chocolate mead. While it is standard in the spirits world to use cacao to create a chocolate flavor, we went a step further this time and used actual chocolate. The chocolate used is Ghanaian cacao chocolate from Shioya Chocolate in Shioya, Kobe.

Its robust richness paired with a subtle acidity is a perfect match for mead. We crafted this to complement our mead aged in bourbon barrels. While the alcohol content is on the higher side, I’m secretly excited at the thought of it serving as a perfect "intro to adult beverages" for those who aren't big drinkers. Quantities are limited, so get yours soon👌

〈Yasu→Shioya〉

I went to Shioya in Kobe around last summer. I wanted to make a mead using chocolate, so I looked up bean-to-bar chocolate shops. I found a store with a very cute logo in Kobe, a city famous for being stylish. That was Shioya Chocolate. Inside, I found Mr. Fukuoka running the shop all by himself; he has a very intimidating look, but as always, people who look tough are actually very kind when you talk to them. That has been my experience every single time.

The chocolate Mr. Fukuoka makes has a very gentle character, with a sharp, effective acidity. It’s approachable yet has a subtle quality that makes you realize it’s something special. We used a very rich amount of that chocolate in this batch.

We spent a year aging a mead, which is just as rich as the chocolate, in bourbon barrels, and today we can finally celebrate its release.

〈Tasting Note〉

Drinking sweet mead during the cold season is pure bliss. To make it even better, I decided to work with Mr. Shioya to create this liquid happiness. It might seem a bit strong for those who aren't fond of alcohol, but once you try it, the aroma and sweetness of the chocolate are incredibly soothing. It’s a wonderful bottle that feels like taking a step into adulthood.

Style: Speciality Mead / Chocolate Mead

Alcohol: 14%

Residual Sugar: 120g/L

Content: 500ml

You can warm it up in your hands, or even mix it with hot milk. How about enjoying some warm chocolate mead while watching Netflix this winter?

〈Mead making〉

Dissolving chocolate into mead to make it smooth.

We performed countless experiments to master this technique. We brought in not only Mr. Fukuoka but also Mr. Shimizu from Un Son Doux pâtisserie—a former pâtissier in France who now bakes in Kyoto—to come to our brewery and give us a lecture on emulsion and teach us the craft.

Through trial and error, we eventually grasped the right amount of chocolate and the ideal temperature for the mead, and finally, the chocolate mead was complete. We've ensured that it shouldn't settle too much even when cold, but it’s a good idea to give it a little shake before drinking.

We’ve added 8% chocolate by volume. Maybe we’ll increase that a bit next year, we'll see. I’ll keep an eye on how everyone likes it. If you spend too much time overthinking, you’ll end up with an "Error Code: 408 Request Timeout." Once you get an idea, you have to decide right away.

It's also great served hot!