Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Ale

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

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

Cloudy dark amber colour. Spicy, gingery aroma with a malt background that blends caramel and molasses in seamlessly like a liquid gingerbread cookie. Massive ginger taste, quite a bit of spice and accompanying astringency. Did I ever mention that spiced beers are a bitch to brew well? Overly gingery, also a bit yeasty, which muddies things up too much. It’s like - ok, there’s a strong ginger stamp on this beer but why? What is this going to do for me? Ardunno.

(33cl bottle) Enormous off-white head atop lightly hazed deep amber body. Aroma is medium sweet, ginger, caramel, light herbal. Taste is medium sweet, ginger, herbal, caramel/cookie, some orange. Light-medium body, some effervescence, no sign of the significant alcohol.

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.

Draft... Hazy, orange ale with a mid-sized, creamy, white head. Good retention. Fruity, malty nose. I picked up no trace of ginger in the nose nor the malty-sweet flavor. The nose is a touch tart with notes of underripe apple. Full-bodied and syrupy with lively carbonation. Finishes sweet, spicy and tangy. I pretty much dig this brew!

Hokey smokes! When they say ginger, they mean ginger! The aroma is that of ginger pop, which is about the only soda that I actually like. Sweet caramel/toffee malts are at the base of the flavor, but the ginger, along with a tart orange twist, dominates the taste. Oddly refreshing. I may just try mixing ginger pop with some of the bland amber and brown ales that I’ve had recently.

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Copper color with a taller light caramel colored head. Aromas of caramel, pumpkin, pineapple, flan and only a very mild spice component. Very smooth and slightly oily on the palate. Light dark caramel mixes with with a mild ginger flavor that bites slightly when one gets to the finish. Actually fairly simple, but a well developed ginger brew. Too many are overpowering and don’t have the malt to back up all the ginger. This one has just a mild flavor and bit. Quite full and refreshing.

Bottle: Orangeish amber color with a nice creamy head and lacing. The nose is fairly bright with the ginger, part mouthwash, and part fresh root. I work with the pickled ginger (gari) everyday, and I see no resemblence to that (thankfully). A fresher, rootier ginger. A sweet caramel malt and playful citrusy hop note too. The flavor dives more into the malt notes of it. I like the spicy/sweet hint the flavor gives, almost like the bitterness of the hops would in another case. Any more hop bitterness and this delicate balance would be way thrown off. A bit thin and metallic in the finish, but a creamy full body and an overall tasty, albeit refreshing spicy beverage. Very nice Hitachino!