Lucky Chicken
1 log on Brewskipotatoes
Tasting Notes
On the nose, expect a blend of pine and citrus hop aromatics sitting alongside a mild caramel sweetness from the crystal malt base — a defining tension of the Red IPA style. The palate leads with toasty, biscuity malt before hops assert themselves with resinous and lightly floral character. Body tends toward medium, with enough malt backbone to keep things grounded without dulling the hop presence. The finish is moderately bitter, with the malt and hop elements trailing off in rough balance. These notes describe the style profile, as specific tasting data on this beer is limited.
About the Brewery
Kizakura is a Kyoto-based brewery with roots in sake production — the company has long been associated with traditional Japanese rice wine before expanding into craft beer. They operate a beer hall and brewery in Fushimi, Kyoto's historic brewing district, and have built a lineup that bridges Japanese brewing sensibility with Western beer styles. Their craft beer range leans toward approachable, well-structured offerings suited to food pairing.
Food Pairings
The caramel malt backbone and moderate bitterness of a Red IPA make it a solid match for teriyaki chicken, where the malt mirrors the glaze's sweetness while hops cut through the richness. Grilled salmon works well for similar reasons, the fat in the fish softening the beer's resinous edges. A sharp aged cheddar plays nicely against the toasty malt character, and the style holds its own alongside spicy yakitori skewers, where bitterness provides a counterpoint to heat rather than amplifying it.
Style Guide
Red IPA sits at the intersection of American IPA and amber ale, pairing the aggressive hopping of a West Coast IPA with a more substantial crystal and caramel malt bill that gives the style its color and added sweetness. It originated as part of the American craft brewing movement's experimentation with hybrid styles in the late 2000s, sometimes called "Cascadian Dark Ale" when pushed toward darker malts. Compared to a standard American IPA, the malt presence is more pronounced; compared to an amber ale, the hop intensity and bitterness are considerably higher. ABV typically runs from 5.5% to 7.5%.