Ise Kadoya Maria Ale is a 6% something kind of beer from Ise Kadoya, based in Mie, Japan. It’s part of their spring seasonal lineup and can be found in both bottles and on tap across Japan when on sale. Why is it a “something” kind of beer? Well after doing some research into Ise Kadoya Maria Ale, it’s been labelled as an American Pale Ale, a German Hefeweizen, and a Belgian Blonde / Golden ale. Some things we do know for sure is that it is brewed using weizen yeast according to the Ise Kadoya page, though what that strain is, and it uses Northern Brewer and also Williamette hops too.
Jack of all trades, and a master of none.
Ise Kadoya Maria Ale Aroma and Taste
Well Ise Kadoya Maria Ale didn’t pour out like an American pale ale or a hefeweizen at all – with a deep copper colour that looked nothing like the picture on the Ise Kadoya homepage. I noticed a fair amount of sediment in the beer, and that’s because Ise Kadoya Maria Ale is unfiltered so all that yeast and protein break is left in the beer before bottling. There was a large frothy head on top that subsided quickly to a few bubbles around the outside and an oily slick on top of it. The aroma was an earthy, floral smell, punctuated by cloves with hints of biscuit malts coming through. Whatever was going on in Ise Kadoya Maria Ale is unknown but I do know it is a fresh bottle as the best before date was for six months in the future, so it couldn’t have gone off.
Drinking Ise Kadoya Maria Ale was as a peculiar experience as smelling it. It tasted like a weizen at first, with hints of banana and clove coming through, but then a slight bitter edge came through with a slight citrus twang hinting at possible hop influence. Yet the colour kept coming back to me and getting to me think that the brewmaster at Ise Kadoya was having fun with this recipe and just lumped everything in together. It finished off with a sweet banana edge that my brain could simply not process as being not a weizen.
Ise Kadoya Maria Ale The Bottom Line
Ise Kadoya Maria Ale is a peculiar hybrid beer, an American pale ale with a weizen, followed up with some Belgian blonde action going on. Most peculiar.
Where to Buy Ise Kadoya Maria Ale
Ise Kadoya Maria Ale can be bought at the following places:
