Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale

Brewed by Kiuchi Brewery
Style: Traditional Ale
Ibaraki, Japan

reddish/orange color out of the bottle. The chill haze disappears quickly. Flowery, fruity, and hoppy to the nose. The carbination stands out as a plus when paring with suchi, a good palate cleanser. The Flavors of cinnamon, alspice, and pine resin play with the hops for a pleasant beer with food. This is a good diversion from the typical beers from Japan you will find, it is not a strictly styled beer, but a nice beer regardless. A bit too spendy, but it is an import.

bottle. Copper with small head. Sourish, tart, yeasty, floral hops. I tried to like it, but ultimatley could not. Interesting, but not enjoyable.

Cloudy pink-tinged amber, frothy white head. Perfumey aroma of soft conifer tips (not heavily piney or resinous) and berry fruit. The palate comes across as wheaty, zesty, and tart. Very interesting and refreshing.

12 oz bottle from Wine Warehouse, Jacksonville. Hazy red-copper colored beer with a small white head. Light aroma of strawberry or raspberry. Flavor was delicate, complex and interesting. Somewhat of a strawberry sake flavor; a little sweet and floral with a citrus note. Quite a bit different from any other beer I have had. Unique and very enjoyable. Not a beer that I would choose as an every day drinker, but a very nice change of pace that I would like to have again.

Smells of rice and vinegar. Pours a dirty copper color, with little head that fades quickly. Highly carbonated, causing a bite in the back of the throat while swallowing. Tastes strongly of alcohol with thin flavor. Reminds me of sake, that finishes with a slight hoppiness. Interesting to try, probably would be good with sushi.

Smells very strongly of yeasty rice. Pours a hazy reddish copper color with a small white fizzy head. Taste is kind of like hoppy sake. Strong rice alcohol flavor with some bitter hops. Very different, but not in a bad way.

from a 330 mi bottel poured a hazy red with no head. Very unusual nose. Seems like spicy red rice and hops. Flavor is strong. Interesting and very different.

330 ml bottle from Bevmo. Pours a cloudy orange color with a meager head that quickly fades to nothing and leaves no lacing. The aroma is very interesting, I had to continue inhaling this for about fifteen minutes just to get a grasp on the flavors. This smells like no other beer I have ever had, I presume the dominate aroma is red rice; also present is spicy vinegar, citrus and cedar. The flavor follows the aroma pretty closely. The mouthfeel is a bit of a downer as it is thin and the carbonation, ample at first, quickly disappears and leaves the glass a tad flat. Finishes long, sweet and clean. Overall: this is one of the most unique tasting and smelling beers that I have ever tried. Recommended