Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Ale

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

Bottle. Earth aroma, malt and caramel with a good deal of spice - ginger and nutmeg - and light herbs. Clear red body with a light brown head. Bittersweet (first bitter, then sweet) ginger taste with light caramel malt. Some light coriander and orange rind in the midbody. Only medium carbonation but it’s enough to keep the surface moving around for some time. Aftertaste is slightly warming, flavor is pure ginger and malt. Easy drinking. Smooth and very, very full-bodied. Overall flavor is a bit one-dimensional but there’s the overwhelming feeling of blended complexity - the brewer should be proud of this successful take. At the same time, I can’t see myself ever buying this again ... though I’d gladly accept it over any earthy seasonal come punkin’ time.

Hazy amber, slight head. Faint ginger aroma, not as assertive as I feared. Flavor was caramel oriented malts, much like a typical amber, with a bit of candied ginger on the finish where the hops would typically be in the flavor profile. I frankly didn’t find it aggressive, and rather enjoyed it. Perhaps an older bottle?

I will refrain from the obvious "crap in a bottle" description because...well, it just doesn’t do this justice. This was worse than crap in a bottle. This stuff is vile and if you want to know what it tastes like, take a huge chunk of ginger, grate it up, squeeze all the juice into your mouth, now pour in Nyquil, swish it all together and there ya go. Medicinal and ginger just aren’t good combos. If you love ginger, then you will love this beer. I enjoy ginger at certain times in small amounts. This is ginger overload. If that’s what the brewers were shooting for, they nailed it right on the head.

03-Oct-06 (330 ml bottle: Obtained 27-Sep-06 in trade with Pailhead, thanks Kevin!) Real Ginger Ale. Wow, the ginger really packs a punch here. It gives a perception of significant sweetness, but it also contributes a fairly strong bitterness that crosses the line into astringency. Sweetness is also enhanced by the fruitiness, with sweet orange glaze coming to mind. It’s almost overwhelmingly sweet, actually. Despite the sweetness, there is also an obvious citrus tartness for some balance, but neither can offset the lingering, bitter spiciness of the ginger. Malts are obviously contributing significantly to the flavor and body, but because of the dominance of the ginger, I can’t really pick out any specifics. Medium in body with ample carbonation, but with the potency of the ginger, this isn’t very smooth on the palate or easy to drink. Very sweet ginger dominates the nose, and without the bitterness, the aroma is much more enjoyable than the flavor. Amber in color with moderate haziness, the beer is capped by a short-lived, light-tan head that fully dissipates. Interesting and certainly packed with flavor, but ultimately not my thing given that I’m not a fan of ginger root. I’m having a tough time finishing the bottle, so I won’t. But if you’re a fan of ginger beer, this is a quality product worth seeking out.

Bottle. Very small ivory head that mostly diminished with no lacing, transparent, minimal carbonation, and a reddish orange hue. Nose was mildly hoppy, sweet malt and yes, ginger. Ginger, dry, malty, and mildly hoppy flavor. Smooth and dry mouthfeel. Light body. Flavor was predominately ginger-way too much ginger in fact. Oh well--it is what it is.

Bottle: Brown color, not clear with no head. Ginger aroma is definitely there along with some tangy sweetness. The taste isn’t as bad as I expected, but there isn’t a whole lot to it either. Ginger, celery, cough drops. The feel is thin and leaves a sweet film on your tongue. Thanks BückDich.

Bottle pours a cloudy orange light brown. very slight head and no lacing. Aroma of sour apples and ginger. Duh. Flavor is a Halls Mentholyptus cough drop at first. Odd unusual but interesting. Soft carbonation and a fairly thin feel. The bitterness is not classic hoppines, but lingers. Unique. Thanks Jordan for this one.

Bottle: Dusty, dark orange pour with a modest off-white head. Nose of spices, ginger, orange, and Listerine. Do I drink or do I gargle? Tastes like ginger and spices. Some citrus present, mostly in the tail. Orange peel. Sharp finish with more spices. The taste is so dominated by spice, its hard to get past the ginger. Good thing it tastes better than it smells. Thanks to Jordan for sharing.