Hitachino Nest Amber Ale

Bottle from KyotoLefty. A very nice toasty amber. Sweet malts, but the toasty character is the best. Why isn’t this imported.

Bottle at the RB Rochester Gathering, Aug. 30/ 09. Thanks, KyotoLefty! Amber in color and slightly reddish. Nice sweet and malty aroma and flavor. Enjoyable

Bottle at the RB Rochester Gathering, Sept. 09. Thanks, KyotoLefty! Unfiltered light brown with reddish highlights. Sweet, caramel, dryness in the finish, nice sweet sticky mouthfeel, especially as it warms.

A solid amber. One of those beers that would be good to introduce your macro loving friend to the world of good beer. Pours a beautiful amber and has a decent nose of thick malts. THe mouthfeel is light to medium and it has a a solid if slightly boring taste. As it warms the caramel becomes apparent (diacetyl?). Smooth and easy to drink, just not that complex

I have had this beer a couple times on tap and to tell the truth it was always disappointing. It’s better from the bottle, and this rating is of one that was cellared for 7 months, and was much better than usual. Darkish amber. Strong hops and fruit aroma. Good malt in the as well. Only slightly sweet, some cookies and maybe chocolate and great caramel, cherries and other dark fruits. Good hops that linger on in the finish with the malt. Excellently balanced with head on barley and hops. Truly exceptional. The aged version was extra mellow and smooth.

Bottled. Clear mahogany colour, brief head. Orangey and toasty. Light bodied with clean, rounded crisp mouthfeel. Grainy with salty licorice. Fresh orangey hoppiness, medium bodied. Balaned bitterness. Well made all the way through.

Bottled, shared by the OMH gang. Pours out in a brownish amber colour with a small creamy disappearing white foam. Crisp and fresh aroma of black cherries, grass, nuts and blood-oranges. Medium-bodied with a crisp and rather hoppy flavour of cedar-wood, grass and orange-peels with sweet undertones of red berries. Black cherries, toasted malts, nuts and orange-peels in the long aftertaste. Very nice, a hoppy and elegant amber ale, that’s quite rare.

Sampled @ GJBF Yokohama: Copper color, nice thin head, light lacing. Nose of light caramel malt, some light hop and full bodied creamy malty body. Nice and full, rounded and rich.