Matsumoto Pale Ale is a 5% English pale ale from Matsumoto Brewery, based in Matsumoto, in Nagano, Japan. It’s part of their regular lineup and can be found in both bottles and on tap. Matsumoto Pale Ale is brewed using imported Maris Otter from the UK though the hops are unknown at the time of writing.
Matsumoto Pale Ale Aroma and Taste
What makes a pale ale American or British? Well I was about to find out with Matsumoto Pale Ale – a pale ale that is firmly entrenched in the chasm that is the Atlantic Ocean. Matsumoto Pale Ale had a light orange straw colour with a small amount of white head on tap. There was a sweet biscuit aroma coming off, with some hints of citrus, not quite on the levels of an American pale ale, but certainly stronger than your usual English pale ale.
Perhaps the Matsumoto Awesome Pale Ale – which is an American pale ale – had a bit too much influence on this Matsumoto Pale Ale. It was more bitter than your usual English pale ale, with some stronger than usual hints of citrus going on. But then the malty biscuit flavour comes back in to remind you of the beer’s origins. The beer’s flavour swung between the two throughout drinking, only for a slight buttery edge to come through once Matsumoto Pale Ale had warmed up. It finished off with a subtle, residual lemony bitterness but that faded fast.
Matsumoto Pale Ale The Bottom Line
Go American or go English for your pale ale – try not to mix the two.
Where to Buy Matsumoto Pale Ale
Matsumoto Pale Ale can be bought online at the following:
