Japanese Sansho Ale from Iwate Kura Beer

Last Updated: 1/15/2021

Iwate Kura’s flagship beer is a bronze-hued specialty ale made with only malted barley, hops, and sansho peppercorns.

It sounds a bit weird, but it tastes delicious. In this post, we’ll give you all of the details on this interesting beer, plus offer tasting notes, serving suggestions, and pairing recommendations.

label close up of Iwate Kura Sansho Ale — Japanese Herb Ale

Sansho peppercorns for this beer come from Iwate, with much of it being from local Ichinoseki. Some of the hops are replaced with these peppercorns. While they provide some spice, citrus, and herbal qualities that blend well with the hop-character– the sansho doesn’t provide the bite of hop bitterness.

Iwate Kura Sansho Ale Tasting Notes

This Iwate Kura beer is herbal, fruity, lean, modestly bitter, and smooth. It’s highlighted by peppery, lemon zest, and grassy notes.

This is a complex, but mellow brew.

Other notes include mint, green tea, honeyed and toasted malt, orange peel, Meyer lemon, black pepper, and green banana… That’s a lot going on!

Pairing and Service

Iwate Kura Sansho Ale is herbal, toasty, soft, and medium-light. It’s a profile that lends itself well towards a broad swath of Japanese cuisine.

Oily or fatty fish like sawara, saba, salmon, and halibut come to mind immediately. Fish and chips too. Simmered dishes like nitsuke would also benefit from the cutting power and herbal, umami-nature of this beer.

Serve cold to slightly chilled. This beer is pretty mellow so ice-cold is overkill.

Beer is always best in a glass. This sansho ale is no exception.

Technical Info

Ingredients: malted barley, hops, Ichinoseki (Iwate) sansho peppercorns

ABV: 5% IBU: unknown

Unpasteurized and unfiltered

Water: soft subterranean water + bio energized water combo

Iwate Kura Beer and Sekinoichi Shuzo

Brewery: Sekinoichi Shuzo 世嬉の一酒造 Brand: Iwate Kura Bakushu

Location: Ichinoseki, Iwate EST: 1995 Official: 日本語 / English-ish

Iwate Kura is a co-op craft beer brand produced by Sekinoichi Brewery of Iwate. Generally, their beers are complex and mild-natured. Their exported beer brands are not easily categorized but are delicious nonetheless.