Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Ale

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

Nice and subtle, with just the right amount of ginger spices. The mouthfeel is simple and almost delicate. The nose is way different than the palate. Has a bit of spiciness and sweetness in the malt profile. Very earthy, but stil manages to stay crisp and clean, without being overpowering.

Appearance: Pours a clear, mahogany body with a thin, frothed, whiteish head. Smell: Perfumy aroma smelling predominately of candied ginger. Taste: Delicate, sweetish maltiness along with that candied ginger flavor. Tiny dash of pear juice. The ginger spiciness is left to do most of the balancing as there’s only a slight, earthy bitterness. A dull, gingery burn sits on the tongue beyond the finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Slight creaminess to the mouthfeel. Drinkability: Better than expected. Seriously! Plenty of ginger without being off-putting.

Name: Real Ginger Ale
Date: 05/10/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

Appearance: hazy dark amber, fine beige head, bits of drippy lace,
Aroma: big sweet ginger aroma enhanced by the sweet crystal malt to turn it into crystalized ginger candy,
Flavor: big sweet crystal and caramel malt flavor, lots of ginger character but within balance of the malt, nice peppery spicyness from or in addition to the ginger, light balancing bitterness

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Pours a deep amber red color with a tan head. Aroma is malty, ginger, sweet candy, and some earthyness. Flavor is malty, ginger, earthy, grain, alcohol, and a sweet earthy finish.

Pours a transparent copper orange with a spotty-lacing off-white head. Aroma of sweet ginger, lemon and grape candy. Body starts fairly full and caramely sugary sweet with a touch of citrus and ginger spice flavor. Finishes crisp and sweet. A pretty interesting and well made brew.

Pours a very nice brown orange reddish color with a small thin head, almost no lacing. Below average carbonation with a fairly strong smell of flowery hops followed by spice. Tastes or ginger and light malts with hops as a backbone. Light body. Flavor is medium with the ginger not over powering.

Pours deep amber into a tulip. Offwhite head recedes to hug rim. Ginger and sour cherry aromas. Full and creamy with ginger from front to back. Lasting sour hop finish. Like a good Shandy.

Tasting at Three Cellars Milwaukee. This much better than Japanese Classic Ale but still isn’t all that good. It had the aroma of a kitchen cleaner. I did like the dryness and the ginger but there is still something just off about this beer. Worth a try but I don’t think I would want to drink again.