# Matso's Broome Brewery



## THE DRUNK ARAB (20/1/06)

I was sent to Broome last week as our company has a job surveying Scott Reef.

I was surprised to find Matso's Broome Brewery just 50 metres from our accomodation (and I thought I would have to survive on VB and Emu Draft <_< ).

I managed to organise meeting the brewers (Mal and Fi) on my last day there and they showed me through their set-up. They were quite happy to explain the trials and tribulations of brewing in limited space under very hot and humid conditions.
And considering all that, the beers I tasted were very, very good. :super: 

*Beer Review*

River Rocks Lager - excellent clarity. Classic hallertauer aroma with sweet malt aroma as well. Malt driven with firm bitterness, extremely clean and my favourite.

Monsoonal Blonde - based on a Belgian Wit style. Cloudy appearance, very tight white head. Dominant aroma is Caradamom. Clean malt and spicy flavours. A beer for a hot humid Broome wet season!

Smokey Bishop - a munich dunkel as such. The sample I had from the conditioning tank was so much fresher than what I tried on tap (obviously). Good clarity, lovely deep copper colour and off white head. Great sweet malt aroma, malty and moorish.

There was a ginger beer on tap as well but I steered clear of that!

I will post some pictures of the brewery itself soon.

C&B
TDA


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (20/1/06)

River Rocks Lager


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (20/1/06)

Monsoonal Blonde


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (20/1/06)

Smokey Bishop (excuse picture quality)


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## Uncle Fester (20/1/06)

TDA,
Excellent report! Unfortunately, all I can remember of Broome is the Continental and Roebuck hotels, and the lockup h34r: 

M


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (20/1/06)

Brewery snapshots. I think these are fairly self explanatory. I just hope my picture editing has worked :blink:

Mash Tun and Mill


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (20/1/06)

Mash tun, boiler and heat exchanger.


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (20/1/06)

Fermenters, temperature controlled conditioning tank, cool room with conditioning tanks and controller box.


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (20/1/06)

Finally, someththing to do with steam and the boiler (can't remember what), lauter grant, the doors to heaven and the bar.


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (20/1/06)

I can thoroughly recommend a visit to Matso's should be a priority if you happen to be in Broome. Friendly brewers and staff plus the food is also excellent (first time I have tried soft shell crab  )

mandraker, the Roey is still there *insert shudder icon*

C&B
TDA


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## Simon W (20/1/06)

Cool photo's, thanks TDA.
My oldman was up that way early last year, said that they only had the ginger beer at that stage, good to see they're fully operational now.
My oldman grabbed a nice T-shirt for me while he was there, simple black job with the brewery logo on the breast, did you get one?

Simo


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## Vlad the Pale Aler (20/1/06)

Smokey Bishop is a fine drop, available at Clanceys in Applecross and Freo, although I've drank it a few times in Freo it seems inconsistant, as other beers have been at that outlet. I don't think the cellarmanship is up to scratch there.
Matsos also had a beautiful English ale a while back, can't recall the name but it was an excellent example of an OEB.
I think they used to be an extract brewery but are now all grain, fwiw.


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## Kai (20/1/06)

Brushing aside the brewer's porn, the only question I have is how do you successfully run a micro in Broome?


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (23/1/06)

Simon W, no, I didn't grab any T-shirts. Got a poster though.

Vlad, you are correct. It was originally and extract brewery.

Kai, the tourist season makes up for the lack of business during the wet. I did not ask how successful it is.

C&B
TDA


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## Airgead (24/1/06)

Kai said:


> Brushing aside the brewer's porn, the only question I have is how do you successfully run a micro in Broome?
> [post="103883"][/post]​



They drink a $hit load of beer up there. And the tourists help.

Cheers
Dave


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## big_alk (11/2/06)

A friend of mine set up the original brewery there, back in 97. They had a very small system (100 litre?)and only brewed using extract.
New owners took over a few years back and installed a custom-made 1200 litre system and they they brewe all grain.


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## Vlad the Pale Aler (8/12/07)

Was at Matsos last night. You know that feeling when you get all revved up for something, then when it happens you are let down, well that was it. After dragging my Ted swilling workmates along for some real beer, I had to concede that it was'nt a very good night.
The service at the bar was abysmally slow with a bit of attitude thrown in for free which was a bonus as the schooners were $7.50 a pop.
Hit the toad lager, promising malt to start that disappears as fast as the head with a very thin finish, and that all too common cheesy after taste of old hops.
Smokey Bishop, my fave was again headless and thin, Munich malt overpowering any Rauch that may have been there.
Hefewiezen, better than the other two, plenty of banana, nice body, poor head.
One tap advertised Festbier, I asked for one assuming it was an O'fest, then piked when I was told it was a Hefe, the barman was a bit miffed.
Friday is curry night, which was the business, a prison style ss food tray with several excellent curries and all the trimmings,
good value at $25. One of our group waited 45mins for his $37 steak.
I wanted to enjoy Matsos but I did'nt, and was'nt going to cough up $50 for a shirt to remind me.


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## uneekwahn (9/12/07)

vlad, sounds exactly like the service me and my wife got when we were up there july/august earlier this year.

and I agree with your opinions on the beers too !


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (10/12/07)

Vlad and uneekwahn,

that is sad to hear. It seems to have gone downhill then
since I visited in Jan 06. I know Mal certainly isn't the brewer
there anymore.

C&B
TDA


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## jimi (11/4/10)

Now that the holi's are over I thought I'd report I what I got to sample during the break.
Apparently the owner of Matso's also owns the Kunanarra Hotel and Halls Creek Hotel, which are one of the few places you can track down these beers.

The Matso beers are actually fittingly self described by their own pomotional casing (which I consider rare, but that's another thread). 
I tried the Mango beer which had a very obvious mango aroma and flavour throughout. Although it finished dry it still gave me the impression of an overly strong cordial after a while. It was a curisoity I had to try but not to my liking. 

The Ginger to the ginger beer was again quite prominant and one of the nicer examples of the style that I've tried. It didn't quite balance out the ginger heat to my liking. It was recommended on ice and as a mixer, none of which I tried but I imagine it might have worked well. 

The monsoonal blonde (belgian spiced wheat) was crafted for the heat. The cardamon dominates but there is also citrus/lime for futher interest. It has a very light body and little if any wheaty tartness, but is quite sessionable especially for the hot weather. 

Finally I had the smoky bishop (dark lager) which was very nice. Light notes of choc and coffee finishing nice and dry from roasted malts. Only had the one but could have done more, felt like an english porter thinned and set to a lager yeast to fit the aussie weather, very nice.


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