Kyoto Brewing Company

Commercial Brewery in Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan 🇯🇵
Associated Venue: Kyoto Brewing Company

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南区西九条高畠町25-1, Kyoto, Japan
Description
A wise friend once told us to “brew the beers you want to drink.” We took that advice to heart. While there are many great beers brewed in Japan, we still felt that there was something missing--no one brewery that fully satisfied all of our beer desires. We started KBC to fill that desire, believing that there were many others out there who felt the same way and would rally behind our products.
For our inspiration, we looked to the two brewing traditions that excited us the most: American and Belgium.

American craft beer has done more to change the face of the brewing world in the last 30 years than anything else out there. New hops, new styles, new hybrid beers, new extremes of high (and low) ABVs and IBUs. This is what we aspire for; never being afraid to try something new just because it hasn’t been done before or someone tells you that it can’t be.

Belgium is much more steeped in history and tradition, but is just as willing to continue doing what works for them, not what others tell them they should do. Effects from different yeast, both selected and wild; different taste sensations from the sweet, to the dry, the light, the heavy, the bitter and the sour, Belgian beer has been hugely varied and complex in both its methods of production and results.

While beers from both of these traditions are interesting on their own, we feel that combining our favourite aspects from both produce a more unique and rewarding product.
Our house yeast is a Belgian strain. The majority of the hops we use are American. Combining both in interesting and unique ways makes for inspired beers, flavourful products, and a really fun brewing experience. This is our starting point. Where our journey will take us and what beers we will make in the future, we do not yet know.

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7.5/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 7.5 Flavor 7.5 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Can from Isetan. Pours a slightly hazy pale gold with a tall head. Nose is brilliant tropical fruit and citrus, definitely lime, rather acidic, with clean malt. Nice tropical fruit in the flavor, sour, lots of lime, some kind of fruity gum balls as well. Not sweet, light bread or crackers. Very crisp and clean. Like this. Medium bitterness in the finish.
Tried on 04 Aug 2026 at 12:45

7.3/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7
Can from Isetan. Love the label, and the notion of putting up songs lists from the 80s to go with these beers. Pale golden color with a high head. Clear. Brilliant hop nose, citrus, lots of topical fruit, stone fruit, even a touch of berries. Very unobtrusive malt. Fruity flavor, esters, hops, bready malt and corn. Unlike a pilsner in malt and body, more like a cream ale! I get the corn. Very fruity, nicely bitter finish. Fun hops. Great summer drinker.
Tried on 03 Aug 2026 at 07:37

7.3/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
Can. Flowery, bready, slightly doughy nose. Hazy, bright golden color with a low head. Flowery and herbal flavor, citrus. Strong bitterness in the finish. Pretty funky stuff. Interesting.
Tried on 29 Jul 2026 at 03:18

6.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 7
Can, slightly past its drink-by but kept cool. Dark brown with a pretty tan head. Huge coffee nose, light chocolate, caramel and bread. Flavor of coffee, chocolate, cola, coconut, nutty. Slightly oxidized. Decent, but mostly just coffee.
Tried on 29 Jul 2026 at 03:08

7.4/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Can from Liquor Mt. Super hazy pastel yellow color with lace. Bright noble hop nose, citrus catpee, spicy, fun hopping. Malty, bready flavor with big, spicy and fruity hops. Definitely a cut above the regular.
Tried on 29 Jul 2026 at 03:06

7.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7.5 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
KBC Thrilling Gaze IPA

Very summer labels from KBC lately. This IPA is surprisingly in your face. Big pungent hop bouquet with a medium to full body. The taste is quite bitter, pithy grapefruit rind, dank weed notes, coconut and an underlying tropical edge.
Tried from Can at Kyoto Brewing Company on 26 Jul 2026 at 07:09

7.3/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
KBC Unstoppable Impulse 4.5%
American blond ale

Unstoppable Impulse/止まらない青い衝動 is a deep gold with big soapy foam and a slightly eggy spicy aroma. Full bodied with a clean flavor up front then an earthy/herbal hop bitterness in the finish.

Pretty solid and that’s a super summery label.
Tried at Kyoto Brewing Company on 26 Jul 2026 at 07:07

7/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7
Not sure I had this before but a wave knocked over my beer and stole 50%+ of it…

KBC Yonder South
Hibiscus White IPA

Bitter hibiscus notes on an orange-gold body with soapy foam that didn’t linger. It feels quite middle of the road but that could be as I’ve had it in my fridge for ages.
Tried from Can on 19 Jul 2026 at 03:30

6.4/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 6 Flavor 6.5 Texture 6 Overall 6.5
Can. Pours a hazy salmon pink color with a medium, fine, white head. Nose is lime, raspberry, grapefruit, rice, wheat. Slightly lactic. Pomegranate comes out more in the flavor, also lime, and lots of grainy flavors as well, toasted malt and wheat, and toasted rice too. Quite bitter in the finish. Not very sour, but quite bitter. Too bitter, really. Not for me.
Tried on 04 Jul 2026 at 07:48

8.3/10 Appearance 9 Aroma 8 Flavor 8.5 Texture 8 Overall 8
This is a fun series.

KBC Irotoridori NZ IPA 6%

Great milky yellow gold color with eggshell white fizzy foam and a juicy prickly pear and sweet citrus aroma. Medium bodied and the flavor delivers orange julep and grapefruit/natsumikan notes with lightly spicy tropical fruit notes.

Yum.
Tried from Can at Kyoto Brewing Company on 30 Jun 2026 at 16:33