Kyoto Bakushu Alt is a 5% alt beer from Kizakura Sake Brewing Company based in Kyoto. It was the first beer from Kizakura back in 1995 and is brewed using locally sourced underground water from the Kyoto area. It is brewed to the German purity laws so only malt and hops in this beer. And besides that, there isn’t much other information about the beer to be found besides it can be bought in bottles and also on tap.
Kyoto Bakushu Alt Aroma and Taste
If you saw our Twitter / Facebook post about Natural Lawson being the convini to go to for Japanese craft beer, then you can probably guess where I got this from. If not, then I got it from stumbling into Natural Lawson in the hope of some coffee at 8am but came out with some beer instead, hey, when in Rome and all.
Kyoto Bakushu Alt poured out a light amber colour and was relatively translucent with no particulates or sediment found at any point. If this is an alt then I’m an alien because it looked more like a pilsner than any altbier that I’ve tried. The aroma was crisper than an alt beer too, with a distinct lack of sweetness, instead it had a gentle hop flavour to it.
I couldn’t help but think that someone had made a mistake with the bottling of Kyoto Bakushu Alt as it did not resemble an alt any time during drinking either. It didn’t taste anything like an altbier as it was far crisper and drier than you’re regular alt. It’s not a bad beer by any means but more than likely mislabelled.
Kyoto Bakushu Alt One Line Review
As an alt, Kyoto Bakushu Alt is a massive let down and is terrible. Though as a pilsner, it’s drinkable.
Where to Buy Kyoto Bakushu Alt
Kyoto Bakushu Alt can be bought online at the following places:
2 comments
I bought a bottle in Japan of ‘Kyoto, an original beer from Kizakura’ and the label says it is Kyoto’s first craft beer. Brewed with yamada-nishiki, a superior rice used for sake. That does not seen consistent with your claim
about German purity laws. What yeast and hops do you use, and what are the malts (type and proportion relative to rice)? It was a good beer. Best wishes, Bernard Lamb
Thanks for the comment – it is unknown what malt and hops are used in the beer as the manufacturer hasn’t told us.
The information we got from though stated their beer was made from hops and malt, and of course yeast and water.
Their Yamadanishiki beer (brown label) does contain rice though. Perhaps that’s the one you’re thinking of?