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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7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 6.5
A new KBC release so I had to rush down to the brewery so I wouldn’t miss it while I’m abroad. Made with Mosaic (2/3) Cascade (1/3) and Centennial or Columbus for bittering (sorry am drawing a blank to which it is, but I’m leaning towards Centennial).

Tokumei Kibou 6.5% 56 IBU

A clear deep gold with a nice head of foam and an enticing mosaic hop bouquet featuring prickly pear and tropical fruits.

Medium bodied with w dry bitter finish mixing pine sap and fruits. A bit more bitter than I like with a pithy rind character in the after taste. It’s a very nice thirst quenching beer that delivers all you want out of a dry mosaic IPA.

Tried on 31 Jul 2016 at 05:04

7.1/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 7.5
Poured from the tap at Len’s. Light yellow with a slight orange hue and near white head. Grassy hops with light yeast, mildly dry finish, light creamy texture, flavour dissipates a bit at the end though.
Tried from Draft on 19 Jul 2016 at 05:58

7.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Pours nice hazy, just a bit golden. Aroma has some fruits, bit of farmhouse and apple juice taste that feels also funky, bit brett and smooth malt thing going on. Not sure if i am imagining that brett here but I feel it. Nice drinkable brew I’d like to session.
Tried on 14 Jul 2016 at 00:21

7.3/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 8
Tap at Gremlin. Hazy pale straw with almost no head. Light citrus nose with herb, grass and muscat notes. Average body with average carbonation. Slightly minerally on the palate with bit pithy white grapefruit finish. Nice stuff. --- Beer merged from original tick of Natsu no Kimagure (夏の気まぐれ) (2016) on 08 Jul 2016 at 20:19 - Score: 7. Original review text: Belgian yeast, peach, white grapefruit notes! Tasty beer!
Tried from Draft on 08 Jul 2016 at 09:09

7.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 6.5
On tap at the brewery. Natsu no Kimagure 2016 A cloudy gold with a wispy filmy white with an orange and woodsy pine flavor. The taste is bracingly bitter with a good dose of hops but clean flavor. A nice go to beer though I feel last year’s was nicer but that could just be my rose-tinted glasses looking on the past.
Tried from Draft on 03 Jul 2016 at 06:31

7.4/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 7.5
Cloudy pale golden white color. Lovely tropical fruit and muscat nose. Restrained bitterness, light body, dry finish. Nice stuff.
Tried on 02 Jul 2016 at 07:52

7.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Tap in Kyoto. Very dark brown with a wisp of beige head. Aroma of light roast, dark bread, cola nut, coffee some licorice. And so it tastes, but with some intrigue as it warms a little: dark bread, hints of berries, chocolate and spices. Little bitterness but dry and intense at the end after subtleties in the middle. Very good.
Tried from Draft on 30 Jun 2016 at 10:00

6/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6
Hazy, has some bubblegum phenol but light, fruity, low bitterness. Seems not that interesting.
Tried on 27 Jun 2016 at 13:12

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Hazy pale. Bubbly head. Aroma has a bright orangey hop. Moderate bitterness, fresh, bright honeyish citrus. Very refreshing and pintable.
Tried on 27 Jun 2016 at 13:12

7.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 8
Tap at the brewery. Great hoppy nose, grapefruit, light tropical fruit, herbal, leafy, with a wheaty, lightly biscuity malt underneath. Flavors of wheat biscuits, grapefruit, herbs. Light tartness, solid malts. A great summer drinker.
Tried from Draft on 26 Jun 2016 at 21:04