Hitachino Nest Japanese Classic Ale

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

Poured a dark amber with a large sized (4 finger), frothy, off white head. Aromas of spices (mainly pepper), light oranges and has a woodiness to it. Strong pepper tastes with cedar. Lively body. Has a light sweet start to a medium bitter finish. Very different tasting IPA. A little on the expensive side (cost me $4.55).

pours a dark golden color, with a thick white head that holds loosely on the top. strong smell of pepper and slight hops. flavor is distingly IPA at the front, but followed up with huge amounts of pepper and wood flavors. the cedar stays on your palate for quite a long time after you drink it. a very interesting change up, unlike anything i have ever had before, but will definitely drink again.

Wow what a different type of beer. Not too bad had a great head and a good flavor. The hoppiness was quite surprising. And it had a refreshing bite at the end. I am sure this was a great bottle and others might not be as lucky for the long trip.

Crazy big head, out of control carbonation. Aroma was faintly caramel, faintly bitter, and a bit of very faint, somewhat disturbings sourness. Flavor was remarkably bland, a bit of spiciness, and again, a lurking sourness in the background. Based on this and the carbonation issue, methinks there may have been an infection at work here. In the end, I just didn’t enjoy this beer at all.

This was a bottle bomb, but after grabbing some glasses quickly, it poured up nicely. It tasted a bit pithy but had some nice peppery flavors with some cedar flavor as expected. Interesting beer.

Not fond of this brewery’s offerings. This was another. Surprising it’s an IPA. Bottle opened to a gush of white foam that continued to ooze for awhile. Nice to spare the drinker the trouble of sampling the entire bottle. Murky amber color with that frothy white head. The aroma was somewhat sweet, spicy. Not the usual hoppy IPA nose. Lively carbonation and sparkly mouthfeel. Flavor was ordinary. Sweet and spicy but not rewarding.

750 ml bottle shared with tiggmtl, Rastacouere and Olivier_MTL in a hotel room in Ann Arbor, MI. Dull, unfiltered and dirty amber with a massive, lasting foamy white head....peppery, woody (cedar, yes I get that), grapefruity nose, amazingly huge and transcendent, a luscious blend of disparate elements with even a hint of barnyard funkiness, wow....sweet, citric body, very full, lightly yet defiantly bitter, with woody and woodsy, herbal undertones throughout...luscious, creamy but lightly biting mouthfeel. A rainy day view of Mount Fuji. A masterpiece.

I’ve never had a beer that tasted like you were sucking on cedar chips. I know it’s from the casks, but I just wasn’t expecting this unusual flavor.