Xyauyù Kioke
Birra Baladin
- From:
- Birra Baladin
- Italy
- Style:
- English Barleywine
- ABV:
- 14%
- Score:
- +3 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 4.34 | pDev: 5.76%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 4
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Oct 21, 2025
- Added:
- Jun 18, 2020
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
At the end of Expo 2015, Teo receives as a gift the barrel exhibited at the Japanese pavilion. It was there to represent the tradition of the craftsmen who build the barrels for the fermentation of soy sauce. So he comes up up with the idea of aging a Xyauyù in this precious barrel called Kioke. The Kioke barrel is open on top and is produced by Yasuo Yamamoto (Yamaroku Shoyu) on the island of Shodo.
The result is a beer that originates from the combination of two great craft traditions related to the art of fermentation. Xyauyù, once fermented and aged for 18 months, is open-air aged in a new Kioke barrel, i.e. which has never been used for the fermentation of soy. The barrel gives delicate resinous notes and a slightly acidic touch, for a unique aromatic profile.
The manufacturing of Kioke barrels is disappearing in Japan, replaced by stainless steel fermentation vessels. To preserve the tradition, Yasuo Yamamoto, the last generation in a family of soy sauce producers, has decided to make them in his workshop, with the intention of being an inspiration for his colleagues and other coopers. This beer is a way to share this effort and play one of the key roles of craft products: telling stories through emotions and sharing.
The result is a beer that originates from the combination of two great craft traditions related to the art of fermentation. Xyauyù, once fermented and aged for 18 months, is open-air aged in a new Kioke barrel, i.e. which has never been used for the fermentation of soy. The barrel gives delicate resinous notes and a slightly acidic touch, for a unique aromatic profile.
The manufacturing of Kioke barrels is disappearing in Japan, replaced by stainless steel fermentation vessels. To preserve the tradition, Yasuo Yamamoto, the last generation in a family of soy sauce producers, has decided to make them in his workshop, with the intention of being an inspiration for his colleagues and other coopers. This beer is a way to share this effort and play one of the key roles of craft products: telling stories through emotions and sharing.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by DIM from Pennsylvania
4.53/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.53/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
This isn't a huge departure from the Gold I had recently, but the wood certainly adds an interesting new dimension. I still get plenty of sweetness in the form of honey, brown sugar, marshmallow, and sugary dried fruits. The cedar is obvious but not overwhelming, adding a nice spicy, earthy woodiness that builds throughout, becoming fairly potent at the finish.
This is absolutely marvelous, never had anything like it. So glad I got to try this, thanks fbarber!
May 28, 2023This is absolutely marvelous, never had anything like it. So glad I got to try this, thanks fbarber!
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
4.5/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2016 vintage; drank 2/14/22 @ the Yarchives.
Mostly opaque brown/purple appearance.
A slow pour yielded no head; no lace.
Leather, plum, tobacco, cedar & booze heat notes in the nose.
Thick, flat mouthfeel.
Big time cedar & tobacco flavors up front; tobacco, mild caramel & faint plum notes on the finish.
Big, bold & pretty unforgettable. My favorite Xyauyu yet!
Feb 15, 2022Mostly opaque brown/purple appearance.
A slow pour yielded no head; no lace.
Leather, plum, tobacco, cedar & booze heat notes in the nose.
Thick, flat mouthfeel.
Big time cedar & tobacco flavors up front; tobacco, mild caramel & faint plum notes on the finish.
Big, bold & pretty unforgettable. My favorite Xyauyu yet!
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
3.92/5 rDev -9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev -9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
500 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 14%. Brown colour, no head, no carbonation. Interesting and unusual aroma of soy sauce and exotic woodwork, also vinous notes with raisins and dark dried fruits. Very sweet and rich flavour, notes of raisins and dark dried fruits again, also oxidised soy sauce and exotic woodwork. Hardly any bitterness.
Jan 08, 2021
Reviewed by Damian from Massachusetts
4.04/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Drank from a 1 pt. 0.9 fl.oz. corked and black wax dipped bottle purchased at Fort Point Market, Boston, MA
Served in a teku
Review #1925
Wow, what gorgeous packaging. Baladin always pull out all the stops with their Xyauyù series beers. As for the beer itself, it poured a completely still, clear burnt caramel color. There was no head nor any lacing.
The aroma was interesting. Sweet caramel and toffee notes were apparent. There was an interesting herbal-like woody character too. I would probably guess juniper, even though this beer was aged in cypress barrels. Boozy, but not excessively so considering the super high abv. Subtle dark fruit notes came through as well.
The flavor was similar to the nose. Caramel notes dominated up front. Possibly some maple and honey too. Quite sweet overall. Dark fruits were again noticeable. Raisins and plums perhaps. Some alcohol was apparent as the beer moved along the palate and it crescendoed on the finish. The herbal, cypress barrel notes were also detectable here but not not to the extent as in the nose. More booze after the swallow. Touch of aged hops too.
The mouthfeel was medium bodied and slightly syrupy but thinner than I anticipated. A touch creamy on the palate. The liquid contained zero carbonation.
A number of Baldadin’s Xyauyù variants stand out as some of the more interesting and unique beers I have ever tried, but Kioke felt thin in both flavor and mouthfeel and lacked complexity. Furthermore, the oxidation notes I love so much with these beers were practically nonexistent. The only really notable aspect of this was the cypress barrel character.
Jun 18, 2020Served in a teku
Review #1925
Wow, what gorgeous packaging. Baladin always pull out all the stops with their Xyauyù series beers. As for the beer itself, it poured a completely still, clear burnt caramel color. There was no head nor any lacing.
The aroma was interesting. Sweet caramel and toffee notes were apparent. There was an interesting herbal-like woody character too. I would probably guess juniper, even though this beer was aged in cypress barrels. Boozy, but not excessively so considering the super high abv. Subtle dark fruit notes came through as well.
The flavor was similar to the nose. Caramel notes dominated up front. Possibly some maple and honey too. Quite sweet overall. Dark fruits were again noticeable. Raisins and plums perhaps. Some alcohol was apparent as the beer moved along the palate and it crescendoed on the finish. The herbal, cypress barrel notes were also detectable here but not not to the extent as in the nose. More booze after the swallow. Touch of aged hops too.
The mouthfeel was medium bodied and slightly syrupy but thinner than I anticipated. A touch creamy on the palate. The liquid contained zero carbonation.
A number of Baldadin’s Xyauyù variants stand out as some of the more interesting and unique beers I have ever tried, but Kioke felt thin in both flavor and mouthfeel and lacked complexity. Furthermore, the oxidation notes I love so much with these beers were practically nonexistent. The only really notable aspect of this was the cypress barrel character.
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