Hitachino Nest Japanese Classic Ale

Brewed by Kiuchi Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Ibaraki, Japan

Poured a hazy orange with an off white head that quicky disipated. Funky aroma. Peppery and ginger ale? I can’t quite put my finer on it. Flavor was also peppery and woody with an earthy aftertaste. Not bad, but different. Worth a try.

I was encouraged to try this and was not disappointed. It is aged in cedar casks and you can really smell and taste the wood, leading to a nice bitterness, It has an amber-gold color, average carbonation, and spicy finish.

The aroma was fruity and lightly floral with an underlying caramel/candy sweetness. The aroma contained some tropical fruits and a nice peppery spice aromatic. The beer poured into the glass a hazy peach color with a white very low head which did lace at the glass. The flavor was lightly sweet with more candy/caramel at first and then some peppery light spice flavors emerged. The flavor was refreshing and had a bit of a spicy/woody nature from the cedar with a bit of light tannins. The finish was dry with lasting spice into the aftertaste. The body was medium with a fairly low level of carbonation but still a spritzy nature on the palate. A nice Belgian Pale Ale, but a bit of an odd IPA. 11.2 ounce bottle.

Bottle: Pours a cloudy copper color with a small white head. Aroma, herbal and floral hoppy notes, with a bready, caramel malt background. Flavor, some apples, caramel, bready notes, some other light fruity notes, a bit woody, with a slight lingering earthy bitterness. A good deal of carbonation, nice woodsy, earthy aftertaste. Not bad at all.

Aroma is almost a sake smell. Flavor is slightly bitter, but fades on a woody note. You can taste the rice malts in this, but this is definitely an IPA. Very good, and different. UPDATE: I had this in a 24 oz bottle and the flavor changes a little, giving in some Belgian-style flavors. Still, on the sweeter side of the Belgian spectrum. Still deserves this rating.

Pours dark hazy amber with thin, quickly disappearing off-white head leaving some lacing. Extremely mild aroma, grassy and herbal hop flavors as well as pear like fruity hop scents. Big maltiness in the flavor, hearty rice and other cereal flavors. Woodiness. Also some hints of apple and pear. Mouthfeel is full for an ale, slightly creamy and a little buttery. Lingering flavors of vegetable-like bitterness and alcohol. Very simple, and good, ale.

A little bit like some of the oak-aged stuff that I have tried but the cedar is definitely discernable. Pours a golden brown with medium offwhite head. slight aroma of hops. Nice balance of dry hops and caramel malt. A touch of vanilla. Body is pretty full. Lasting bitter finish. Very good.

Single bottle: complex flavor, I really liked it. Decent head, amber color, smells good.