Kyoto Brewing Berugii kara no Chouhouin is a 5% amber ale from Kyoto Brewing Company, based in Kyoto, Japan. It’s part of their limited edition range, and is brewed using Pilsner, Biscuit Malt, Cara 50, and Special B malts imported from Belgium with Mistral, Triskel, and Barb Rouge hops imported from France.Kyoto Brewing Berugii kara no Chouhouin roughly translates to “the spy from Belgium”, though it’s a peculiar one as to how it was named. Unless the brewers were doing some spying on the comrades.
An interesting sweetly funky amber ale.
Kyoto Brewing Berugii kara no Chouhouin Aroma and Taste
Kyoto Brewing Berugii kara no Chouhouin poured out a light amber colour that almost appeared to be a copper colour in the dark light of the bar. With the focus being on an amber, the brewers at Kyoto Brewing Company have done a good job in getting the caramel flavours to shine through the typical fruity, yeast flavours from the Ardennes yeast. The hops were nigh on undetectable, though there was a subtle lemon like zing when Kyoto Brewing Berugii kara no Chouhouin had warmed up.
Ambers are a tough beer to find in Japan – either they are too cloying from too much caramel malt being used, or too bland. With Kyoto Brewing Berugii kara no Chouhouin, the balance is well done initially though it did begin to get slightly cloying once it had warmed up. There was a subtle spiciness beneath the caramel flavours and raisin-like fruitiness to it, but didn’t detract from the star of this beer, the malts. It ended up with the caramel flavours residing on the palate with a meagre bitterness just coming through.
Kyoto Brewing Berugii kara no Chouhouin The Bottom Line
Kyoto Brewing Berugii kara no Chouhouin is a good take on a style of beer I wish were more popular.
