秋の気まぐれ 2016 (Aki no Kimagure 2016)

The seasons are changing in Kyoto and we are finally getting some respite from the oppressive summer heat and humidity. This year's Aki no Kimagure features an amber color and subtle maltiness but the soft and citrusy hop character is more reminiscent of our summer beers.

While not everyone may realize it, our Kimagure series truly is designed "on a whim" based upon what ingredients we have in inventory. We just finished a long string of limited release beers that featured many new hops and malts that arrived at the brewery this spring. Three of them that we were particularly taken by were chosen to feature in Aki:

・Equinox (used in 'Komugibatake de Tsukamaete' - "Catcher in the Wheat")

・Chinook from Gorst Valley Hops in Wisconsin, USA (used in 'Ohtsu-Mugi-Batake de Tsukamaete' - "Catcher in the Oats")

・Special B, a highly roasted crystal malt from Belgium (used in 'Berugii kara no Chouhoujin' - "A Spy from Belgium").

To bring these all together, we decided to try a new strain of yeast for the first time, Northwest Ale. It is said that this yeast originated in the UK but transformed in the breweries of the Northwestern United States. It is now popular with breweries in the Northeast when brewing the juicy IPAs with fruity and citrusy hop character they are now known for. We thought this yeast was a great choice to tie together the soft citrus and fruity notes of the hops with the slight sweetness from specialty crystal malts.

This balance paired with the low alcohol percentage make this year's version is the perfect choice for those days of lingering summer heat or the cool and crisp evenings just around the corner.

Style: Hoppy Amber Ale

Malt Bill:

Pilsner, Maris Otter, Light Crystal, Belgian Special B

Hops:

Bittering - Millenium

Flavour/Aroma - Equinox, Chinook

Yeast: Northwest Ale

ABV: 5.2%

IBU: 27

Gas Volumes: 2.3