Kisoji Niagara Pale Ale is a 5.5% fruit beer that has an American pale ale base from Kisoji Beer, based in Nagano, Japan. At the time of writing, it was supposed to be an autumn seasonal; however, it’s not spring so it’s unknown whether it has become part of their all-year line up or a late release. It’s brewed using locally sourced Shinshu Matsumoto Niagara grapes from the Nagano region.
Fluffy white head and strong grape aroma.
Kisoji Niagara Pale Ale Aroma and Taste
Seeing as I was in Jingle Yokohama, and sat at the counter, the aroma was obviously going to be masked by the people sitting next to me smoking. Kisoji Niagara Pale Ale came up with a light golden body and large frothy white head, that stuck around, clinging to the side of the glass as the beer went down. It had a smooth aroma of grapes, along with hints of grapefruits and lemon and a mild sprinkling of biscuit malts. The aromas were rather delicate and weren’t offensive nor potent – and boy did I look stupid with white flecks of foam on my nose.
Grapes and beer are not a new idea but with Kisoji Niagara Pale Ale, the amount of grape flavouring used in the body was a tad too heavy for my liking. While the lemon and grapefruit flavours were present, they were dominated by the sweet white grape flavoring. It’s a shame as if it had been a bit more balanced, the dry, bitterness from the hops would have been nice and crisp to drink. It finished off with a sweet bitter finish that ended up being a bit too strong in the end.
Kisoji Niagara Pale Ale The Bottom Line
Reign back the grapes and Kisoji Niagara Pale Ale would be a nice flavoured pale ale. At the moment, it’s a tad too sweet for my sensitive palate.
