Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

Brewed by Kiuchi Brewery
Style: Stout
Ibaraki, Japan

12 oz stubby compliments of an extra from Beerlando. Bryan, you are the man. My first Hitachino brew. Pours a near black opaque pour with moderate darker brown head that laces ok, dies to a decent layer eventually. Aromas are interesting, a touch sour with coffee and chocolate, lactose, with some lighter roasty character but a strange almost sourness comes out on the nose. Almost, cheesy? Initial is creamy, a bit of vanilla and lactose stand behind espresso, coffee grounds, and dark chocolate that bitter well. Roasty, but still smooth. A strange lactose feel comes in, a bit sour almost but moving to almost a custard creamy vanilla that tempers and balances the roasted malts. Light bitterness, roast in the finish with a lingering creamy smoothness and sweetness. Interesting, to say the least.

Sample at JaBier’s refrigerator reduction tasting on 08/15/09. The beer is an opaque black color with a medium tan head that diminishes steadily. Small patches of lace. Aroma of weak coffee and chocolate. Medium body with a strong bitter (nearly acidic) coffee flavor as well as some grainy malt and spiced hops. The finish is dry and bitter with a coffee aftertaste. Overall this was an okay Stout but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if the coffee had more of a roasted character versus bitter.

Dark brown to black in color. Not much head. Typically coffee, roast, espresso flavors. Light chocolate as well. Medium to light bodied for a high alc stout. Better than I expected, but not as good as the average score posted here. Good Stout overall. One of the best of the Hitachino beers.

Bottle at my refrigerator reduction tasting on 8/15/09. Pitch black pour with a medium tan head. Espresso bean aroma with malt, creamy chocolate and a hint of licorice. Creamy malt flavor with some chocolate and a lasting bitter coffee finish. Probably best beer of the night I hadn’t had before.

Beautiful black pour black with creamy-looking, thick mocha head. The mocha head reappears with each agitation. This is a beautiful work of art. Aroma of canned chocolate syrup, dark roast coffee, soy sauce, and a slight hint of grass. Flavor is grounded coffee beans, Hershey’s chocolate syrup, wheat, and grass. Moderately creamy mouthfeel. The finish of bitter hops is surprisingly strong. I’m not into the earthy notes in this. It seems like an odd sidekick to the dark roast flavors of a coffee stout.

Tap at Blind Tiger. Poured a deep rich black with a thin beige head. Big coffee and chocolate nose. Mouthful was slightly on the thin side for the style, but flavor was rich and complex with great chocolate and coffee notes, and a firm bitter finish.

On tap at The Ginger Man
Appearance: dark brown with creamy fine top , fine lace noted. 4-
Nose: deep roasty espresso nose , very slight sourness on sides. Bit of chocolate on top. Gentle long lsting aroma. 8-
Flavor/Palate : Bold , dry roasty character welcomes you up front. Cocoa , coffee nd dry roasted barley. Good , bold rich with espresso side ale.

Poured black with a medium tan head. Aroma was strong coffee, chocolate, molasses. Taste was coffee, dark chocolate, slight bitter, alcohol. Pretty good beer.