Origin Stories

Pour: Deep brown to black with a light, creamy head.
Smell: Roasty malt with subtle caramel and earthy umami notes.
Taste: Dry, smooth, with gentle roasted sweetness and koji depth.
Finish: Medium bitterness with a soft, lingering earthy-sweet fade.

Description

👹 ORIGIN STORIES | 7.0% | Imperial Koji Dark Lager

Every legend has a beginning… Origin Stories is the first beer in a special series of Imperial limited releases to celebrate our 9th Birthday. This is a style we’ve been really keen to make for a while now and looking back over 9 years of twists and turns in the Rocky charter arc, now seems like the perfect time to give it a go.

This exquisite example of a dry, smooth Dark Rice Lager is the result of knowledge gained in our own brewing, along with a lot of research and advice from some great industry mates. It’s taken a combination of all these things to have the confidence to take this beer on, and are we glad we did!

We used a combination of flaked rice and specialty malts to create a light-but-roasty backbone that lets the character of this beer shine through without distraction. The real twist in what makes this beer extra special is the addition of Koji at the tail end of fermentation. The koji brings subtle umami depth, slightly sweet, slightly earthy and also adds subtle layers that keep you coming back for more.

Medium bitterness grounds the beer, while a light, lingering finish ensures it’s never overwhelming despite its strength. It’s a beer with balance, but one that carries the weight and drama of its inspiration. Embodied by a fearsome Japanese Oni “Ogre”, both punisher and protector & beings capable of worldly change.

Keeping things human made. Artwork by London based painter and sculptor Jim McLernon. Design by Wānaka based Artist and Designer Ethan Ashton.

Ingredients: 

• Malts: RR Sustainable Pilsner Malt, Weyermann Carared, Simpson’s DRC Malt, Carafa Special 3, BLM Flaked Rice
• Hops: Rakau
• Adjuncts: Rice, Shio Koji
• Allergens: Dextrose, Clarex added for gluten reduction
• Fun Fact: In Japanese folklore, oni are hulking demons or ogres, often with red or blue skin, wild hair, and horns — and while they look terrifying, they were also seen as keepers of balance, punishing the wicked but protecting sacred spaces.

Additional information