Hong Kong brewer launches pioneer ale that uses locally captured wild yeasts
Hong Kong’s Yardley Brothers has launched the Special Administrative Region’s first-ever commercially brewed koëlschip spontaneously fermented ale, at the opening party of its new 4000-litre brewhouse on 27 January, according to a press release by the company.
“It has long been a dream of mine to truly harness the flavours and tastes of the region’s own natural cultures,” said brewery founder, Luke Yardley. “But the weather in Hong Kong makes true spontaneous fermentation for beer challenging. I’m truly excited by the outcome here and can’t wait to see where else we can go with this exploration.”
The wild ale was fermented by wild yeasts and microflora collected naturally outdoors on an unusually cold night on Hong Kong’s Lamma Island on 1 January 2021. Yardley invited a group of craft beer enthusiasts to the island, where they cast out wort, the liquid made from malt and water that is the first step in the beer brewing process, in a handmade koëlschip, a shallow, flat open-topped traditional brewing vessel. The wort, made from Maris Otter barley and oats, collected yeasts and other microflora from the environment around it which was an area shaded by eucalyptus and bouganvillea trees.
The liquid was then put into a single new oak barrel, where it sat for more than three years to go through natural fermentation and ageing processes. Tastes were periodically drawn from the barrel by the brewery team throughout to determine the right time to bottle. At the end of 2023, the brewery team blended it with an American Brett saison aged in French oak which further brings out the complexities of the wild yeasts.
According to the brewers, the beer brings bright stone fruit and light acetic notes on the nose, hinting at the complexity of the profile. It pours a brilliant rich gold, with a small cream-coloured rocky head. In the mouth, apricot is prominent up front, with residual juicy sweetness, some low floral honey-like notes, hints of higher acidity, and creamy caramel and light butterscotch. The barrels bring a subtle oak character and a rich and round finish.
Koëlschip is a hyper-limited bottling, currently available through the Yardley Brothers webshop, its Central and Lamma taprooms, and select retail outlets.
