Songbird Motueka Pale Ale is a 5.2% English pale ale from Brewery Songbird, based in Chiba, Japan. It is part of its spring seasonal line up of beers. It started out as a seasonal beer in 2015 but I thought it had been promoted with the fancy label design and not one of the simple paper tags hung around the neck. Alas, no. Moreover, if the name wasn’t a big enough of a giveaway, it is hopped solely with Moteuka hops that were developed by the New Zealand’s Plant & Food Research and were released to brewers in 1997. At the time of writing, Songbird Motueka Pale Ale can be found in both bottles and on tap too.
Songbird Motueka Pale Ale Aroma and Taste
Songbird Motueka Pale Ale was originally drunk on the way up to Niigata Craft Beer Festival and I had kinda forgotten about it until I read through notes about the weekend. It poured out a light straw colour with a large fluffy white head on top that lingered though I suspect that was more due to the ridges on the side of the cup. Its aroma was quite fruity with hints of peaches and oranges coming off of it with an underlying base of caramel just peeking through the fruits.
With it being an English pale ale, I was looking for more of a malt forward beer than the hoppy direction it took. While chilled, Songbird Motueka Pale Ale was a refreshingly drinkable beer that became sweeter as the beer warmed up. It had a rather soft carbonation to it, and as such, would have been nice on a hot summer day, rather than the cool environment of the shinkansen. The fruity flavours lingered on into the aftertaste with some citrus flavours remaining on the palate.
Songbird Motueka Pale Ale The Bottom Line
Songbird Motueka Pale Ale is a nice pale ale though more American style than English style. It won’t set your world on fire but if you see it, try it.
Where to Buy Songbird Motueka Pale Ale
Songbird Motueka Pale Ale can be bought online at the following places:
- Brewery Songbird Online Store
