すっぴん (Suppin)

While we love hoppy beers and complex beers and sour beers just as much as every other craft beer enthusiast, we sometimes find that the complexity can get in the way of enjoyment. Some scenes just seem to demand something that doesn’t get in the way of what is going on around it.

To carry this theme through to the final product, we used our normal Pilsner base malt and added a dash of Vienna malt for a touch of extra flavour. Only one hop was used for flavour and a tiny amount of the same variety for a bit of fresh aroma. The yeast was asked simply to ferment the sugars from the malt without adding any additional character by keeping the fermentation as low as possible. The result can be thought of as the KBC version of what your dad had in the cooler on fishing trips or what your buddy treats you to after a well deserved baseball victory: a beer that goes with any moment!

Naming: “Suppin” is a Japanese word that literally means “without makeup” and seems to fit this beer quite well. While it is great to drink a beer with multiple layers, dressed up in a complex array of hops, sometimes the occasion calls for something simple. This beer, stripped of all makeup, is for those fun moments with friends, discussing matters of little significance. At such a time, all that's needed is a few pints of a well made brew that asks for as little analysis as the trivial conversation offers.

Style: American Blonde Ale

Malt Bill:

Pilsner, Vienna

Hops:

Bittering: Merkur

Flavour/Aroma: Willamette

Yeast: American Ale

ABV: 5.0%

IBU: 11

Gas Volumes: 2.5