Hitachino Nest Weizen

Brewed by Kiuchi Brewery
Style: German Hefeweizen
Ibaraki, Japan

Pours a nice bright, slightly cloudy yellow with a nice fluffy white head, which doesn’t last. Maybe I’m a weizen novice, but the smell of this beer kills it for me. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I would describe it as medicinal and round. Not particularly yeasty. I found it offensive, personally. The taste is crisp with some bitterness and clean finish. Unfortunately I can’t get past the scent.

This poured with a very active head that seemed to jump out of the bottle before I could even pour. The head was perfectly white and it maintianed its carbonation for while to keep a nice layer on top. The aroma was a little harsh and acidic. It had more dryness than would be expected for this style. There was some clove and corriander aroma with very low banana phenols. Not a great example of a weizen.

A hefe this is not, at-least.... mine wasn’t. Pours a richer golden with a big very sudsy white head. Smells like a macro... tinny but with some clove and very little banana. Sweet pear, apples and banana. Finishes bitter and the wheat and yeast are neither pleasant nor soft. Odd bitter metallic finish. Big carbonation bubbles, yuck. I really enjoyed their take on the Belgian White style... their Hefe though is a miss for me.

11.2oz from Once Upon a Vine, Richmond. Pale cloudy brew with decent fizzy carbonation and minimal head. Initial aroma and taste are of the known Hitachino rice cask conditioning, a slightly tart and woody flavor. It certainly gives this brew distinction from other weizens, but nothing about it really stands out from other beers from the brewery or in the style. Meh.

In the big bottle from Beertopia. Slightly hazy pale yellow with a medium poofy white head. Lemon essence to the aroma. Flavor has up front peppery bite followed by a citrus tartness. Long acidity on the tongue. No overt wheat detected here, which seems odd to me. Initial aroma seemed slightly skunked in this green bottle. This might be my least favorite nest beer.

Smells thick and smoky with slightly fruity undertones. The undertone was described as "juicy fruit" by Mrant. Pours with a medium head that lasted for a few moments. Appearance is very hazy yellow. The first taste is of coriander, followed by a banana sweet undertone, ending with notes of citrus.Flavor is soft and full on the tongue. Leaves a slightly dry aftertaste in the top of the throat. Smooth and tasty.

Smells strongly of smoke at first giving way to the typical wheat smell of hefes. Some banana notes. Pours a hazy yellow, almost milky looking with a small white fizzy head. Tastes of banana and wheat, quite sweet. A fairly standard hefe, quite good.

Pours a mostly translucent golden with a small bubbly white head. Aroma of green apples, clove, some banana, cereal grains, touch of wheat. Flavor of banana and clove, some ripe apple, cereal grains and some wheat.