Kizakura Brewery - Matcha IPA

I came across today's beer at Irving Wine & Spirits, and it's not something I've ever seen before - a "Japanese-style" IPA with matcha (finely ground green tea leaves.) It's made by Kizakura Brewery, a beer / sake brewery in Kyoto City, located on Japan's big island of Honshu. Kyoto is the capital of Kyoto Prefecture and served for 1100 years as the capital of Japan. Now, it's a major metropolitan center and considered the most important cultural city in Japan. 

In terms of Japanese beer, most people are familiar with the big guys: Sapporo, Kirin Ichiban, and Asahi. Smaller breweries do exist, such as Kiuchi Brewery (see my 2015 review of their "Hitachino Nest" beer), but don't account for the lion's share of beer production in Japan. Kizakura isn't new, and has been making sake for a long time, but it became Kyoto's first craft brewer in 1995. And I should also note that today's beer is 8.50% ABV, a marked divergence from the typical, commercially-available attenuated lagers of Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.

So, let's give this a go. The 11.15oz bottle opens via a pull-tab, which is fun, and I poured it into my Craft Brewer's Conference commemorative glass (such good memories of that conference). Whoa!!! Check out that color!!

Sadly, the color is artificial. But it is very cool and striking, and one of the more unique elements of this beer. But how does it taste? I really have had little experience with matcha, and never in a beer, so this is somewhat new territory. Let's dive in: the nose is super herbal, very potent aroma. Looks like swamp water.

Oof, OK, this is weird. This is so strange. It's probably the most bitter beer I've ever had - not just bitter from hops, as there's definitely some of that in there, but the matcha is just so overwhelming. It's chock full of heavy herbal flavors that really uppercut the taste buds. Some IPA characteristics come through, mostly initially (first half second), but then the matcha takes over and really serves as the main tasting note and deliver a sharp, heavy bitterness throughout. The finish is very dry - not creamy like a matcha latte, which serves to balance out bitterness and makes the beverage somewhat palatable. This beer has none of that, and really is somewhat tough to get through. The dryness and herbaceous quality likens to to a cup of overly-strong green tea, and the bitterness of the tea leaves compared with the relative high-proof of the beer make it a potent concoction. 

I think for the most part this is in the territory of unapproachable to most people, frankly. Cool concept, but what's under the hood makes it unique. Although this beer isn't something I'd seek out again based on my personal tastes, I'd recommend it to anyone seeking an out-of-the-box beer experience. Hopheads will love the bitterness, which exceeds most hop-forward beers on the market today. I wonder what the IBUs are?

Oddly, it's quite expensive online - one retailer in Oregon sells it for $47 for four bottles! I don't know about that, but it was certainly cool to try.