Hitachino Nest Japanese Classic Ale

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

Bottle. Quite a fun and unique tasting IPA. Cedar flavours are obvious, with some nice hop bitterness and a slight peppery quality. Even though the cedar flavours do stick out, i still think this is quite a subtle and very approachable ale, especially for 7%. Nice woody dryness in the finish.

Pours very hazy amber with a one-finger whte head. Very woody aroma--cedar, of course--with some more hop-like pine aromas and a touch of lightly toasted bread. Gets better the more you smell it. Flavor begins lightly malty and largely bland, but soon enough the cedar and hops make their presence felt, and the beer turns delicious. Light hop bitterness, but the wood flavors have a bitterness all their own that makes up for any lack of hopping. Very unique, very good.

RBSG grand tasting. pours a foggy golden orange color. the cedar scent is quite pronounced. has a sandalwood flavor. bitter, but not like hop bitterness. a very rich beer. the aroma is the best part.

11.2 oz bottle: Light coppery brown w/a lasting cream colored head. Woody cedar aroma w/ some spicy yeast up front. Caramel malt, and very little hops, but very toasty malt aroma. Low fruitiness. Well balanced, bitterness is on the low side for an IPA, but I have no idea how old the bottle is so that could have something to do with it. Either way, I don’t mind it being more well balanced. Caramel and toasty malt are pretty evident w/ toasty being predominant. Not a lot of woodiness in the flavor. Hints of some light bitterness at the finish, but still medium sweet w/ a toasty and woody flavored aftertaste. Medium body, smooth m/f, medium carbonation, and well hidden alcohol. I like the cedar character that the aging adds to this beer. I also like the fact that it is not overly bitter.

big bottle.... Aroma:Citrus,pepper and spicy... Appearance:Hazy gold, a lot of chunk of yeast,small head... Flavor:citrus full of spicy....Not realy a ipa for me...

Another great beer from Jacob. Very cloudy orange with a 1.5 inch white head. Lots of floaties...almost chunky. Smells of bread, a little pine and tons of cedar. Not a citrusy IPA; more of the piney hoppy character. Nicely malted and full of the cedar notes. Interesting beer courtsey of your mom.

RBSG 2006 – Grand Tasting. Attractive gem-like, burnt-orange coloration with a collapsing, cottony off-white head. Aroma has pleasing herbal and cedar branch elements. Smells like a newly constructed wood cabin in a pine forest. Medium bitter and semi-dry; the flavor deadens a bit on the tongue, but leaves pleasant, lingering cedar wood, spice, and mellow, earthy hop qualities. A very distinct, creative, and enjoyable beer from Hitachino. More please.

This beer had been recommended by a couple beer geek friends.

Pours a hazy bronze body, lots of sediment, and a billowing light tan head. As noted in ratings below, this beer was also a gusher. The aroma smells of a spontaneous fermentation, with large sour notes of brett and lactic suggestion… also very spicy and peppery! I seriously doubt that this beer was intended this way, but it reminds me of many of Ron Jeffery’s Jolly Pumpkin beers with all this wild yeast and extreme spiciness. Lots of fruitiness, the ceder wood does standout nicely, and the hops add an nice bitterness, slightly acidic at times, to the finish. The palate has good texture… Well done, especially for a moderately infected beer!