Hitachino Nest New Year Celebration Ale

Brewed by Kiuchi Brewery
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Ibaraki, Japan

2005 bottle. A little over one year old. Pour is a matte mellon orange with a thin film of white lace. Aroma is citrus and nutmeg. Quite attractive. The flavor is full of spices and flavors. This is a sipping beer that is for enjoyment in small quantities. No hint of the 9 percent alcohol.

The 11.2 ounce bottle poured a hazy orange/amber beverage with a small thick creamy off-white head that was mostly diminishing and left good lacing on the glass. In spite of the fact that I poured carefully, there was a lot of suspended particles interfering with the clarity. The aroma was interesting - coriander, orange peel and vanilla were discernable. The body was medium-full with soft carbonation and a slightly astringent finishing texture. The flavor started out sweet. It then morphs to a light bitterness in the middle and stays that way through the medium-long finish. There is a nice alcohol warmth at the end as well.

Bottle 2007. SPLENDID! This was truly a celebration inside of my mouth! As someone stated prior about this particular year’s festivities, the alcohol is well hidden, and instead everything else is abounding to be the first flavour to your palate! This is another HIGHLY recommended Hitachino brew! DO NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY.

Fabulous beer. Extremerely interesting. Aroma is very reminiscent of Jolly Pumpkin’s Bam Biere, saisony and spicy with great oak notes, lemon, orange peel, and a good light bitterness. Flavor is similar, with more astringency and lemon, good sourness to complement winter spices. Awesome funk. A great surprise... just wish it wasn’t >$5 per bottle!

Bottle 2004 from Ledgers in Berkeley; hazy rust color with a huge straw-colored head; Nose of sweet caramel, cloves, nutmeg, and light banana and vanilla notes; smells like a Belgian Ale; flavor is heavy with caramel malts, nutmeg, cinnamon, some light hops (still showing after 3 years), and a citrus note! Sure beats the hell out of their Red Rice Ale!

Bottle, 2006. Pours out a cloudy reddish brown, almost like rust with a large fluffy off white head. Aroma is of sweet spice and some yeast. Flavor is complex with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, honey and finishes with some earthy hoppy notes. Never knew this beer was 9% while drinking it, alcohol was very well masked. Would not hesitate to have this one again.

2007, Pours an opaque tigers eye rusted velvet color w/ an unstopable semi creamy froth. It just keeps coming like a classic Belgian. It finally retreats leaving behind a clumpy spattered cream. Aromas of pungent Belgian rock candy. Full nectar w/ ample residual effers that explode upon palate impact. It has a full creamy texture that will choke you. First off we have Angostura Bitters meets thickly hopped and rusted malt. It’s perfectly bittered from the get go. Bitters, leather, rose petal, corriander bath beads, sage, evergreen, cinnamon, nutmeg, curry. Full on bakers cocoa like chocolate milk w/o the sugar. Complex and absolutely delicious. The finish never ends and is bittered perfectly. Overall: complex, well balnced yet in your face, modern technology meets the old world renaissance. It’s absolutely amazing. Highly recommended. Connoisseurs Choice! ****2006,*** Caramel honey in color with a malted candy nose. Medium nectar and very well ballanced. Bright, mellow candy flavors, like bubble gum but not sweet. Has a slight hop on the finish. Smooth yet complex. Alcohol is well hidden. Overall; an awsome brew, I could drink all. It goes great with chocolate. Highly recommended.

Bottle, 2006. Pours IPA like with a nice copper/amber color. Aroma is sweet and spicy cinnamon, nutmegm and a little banana clove dance going on. Flavor is swet clove, cinnamon, and some awesome hops. This is a spiced beer that really works well. And where did they hide that 9% alcohol???