Kyoto Brewing Mariko is a 6% Belgian IPA from Kyoto Brewing Company, based in Kyoto, in Kyoto prefecture, Japan. It’s part of their seasonal lineup and can be found in both bottles and on tap. Despite the name being a popular female Japanese name, Kyoto Brewing Mariko is not named after a specific person, rather “Mari” also coming from the word “Marihana”, often referring to the hop flowers or “cones”, and “ko” being a popular last kanji in Japanese female names.” Kyoto Brewing Mariko is brewed using Merkur for bittering hops, and Mosaic, Citra, and Equinox for flavour and aroma.
Kyoto Brewing Mariko Aroma and Taste
Kyoto Brewing Mariko poured out a light hazy golden straw colour with a plump white head on top that clung to the side of the beer throughout drinking. Kyoto Brewing Mariko had an interesting mix of aromas going on, with a light dusting of yeasty phenols coming off along with some bright citrus notes of lemon and grapefruit too. Combine this with some tropical pineapple going on, and it’s a peculiar, if not interesting, mix of aromas going on for a brewery that is more associated with Belgian flavours and aromas. Kyoto Brewing Mariko had a light pilsner nose to it once it had warmed up but the phenols and fruit were the main ones.
The body had a soft bitterness to it, that was not aggressive or bold in any way, though it did fade fast. The phenols were the first flavour to come through, with some peach-like flavour coming though alongside some of the bright citrus flavours of lemon and grapefruit. Once Kyoto Brewing Mariko had warmed up, there was also a pilsner sweetness that wasn’t cloying and helped support the other flavours. The beer had a slight lingering fruitiness to it, that was also a tad dry to boot.
Kyoto Brewing Mariko The Bottom Line
It’s good to see KBC stretching the wings a bit with this Mariko.
Where to Buy Kyoto Brewing Mariko
Kyoto Brewing Mariko can be bought online at the following places:
1 comment
It is a beer which is partly Belgian because of the fruits I think, but the IPA flavour is not very strong. As a whole, this is a nice beer to drink. However, I paid 770 yen for a 0.33 l bottle, which I think is overpriced.