Hitachino Nest Weizen

Brewed by Kiuchi Brewery
Style: German Hefeweizen
Ibaraki, Japan

This beer is a very authentic, and delicious, Bavarian styled hefeweizen, brewed with the classic Weinhenstaphan yeast strain that produces funky, estery flavors such as clove, and banana. I was very impressed with how authentic this beer tasted, and would have to say that this beer tastes more like it came from Germany than Japan. The malted wheat character of this beer is outstanding, you can really taste it in this beer, and it makes this beer a tart, and refreshing brew. Hitachino Nest Weizen pours to a beautiful, murky, pale golden color, with a thick and creamy white head, and a very vibrant carbonation. When pouring a wezien, always remember to swirl the last ounce or so, to pick up the ring of yeast in the bottle, to insure it makes it into the glass. Yeast is a major flavor component in this beer, and you want this beer to be cloudy, and opaque, from adding the yeast. The nose on this beer is quite impressive, lots of clove and banana estery aromas, marry with aromas of wheat malt. The palate is firm, with very good tart wheat malt flavors, and a nice underpinning of fruity esters flavors of pear. This beer finishes with more tart wheat character up front, then ends with some nice clove and banana, yeasty flavors. This is an exceptional example of Bavarian hefeweizen, one of the most impressive I have tasted in some time. This beer rivals German, and authentic American examples of this style. One caveat though, this beer is very pricey here on the American market. I paid $3.99 for one 12 oz bottle of this beer, making a very high end brew.

Very good. I was surprised as this is worlds away from their other beers I have tried. Just simply a grrat Weizen with a little less cloudyness then normal. Good bubblegum fllavor

I REALLY liked this beer! It was great on a warm day, out on the patio. It was not overly wheaty or lemony, and no, I did not put a lemon in it. It was very well balanced, it did not have one overwhelming characteristic, which is exactly what I was hoping for. It just tasted very nice, overall. It tasted like Japan, if you know what I mean. I'll buy this again.

My first non-lager from Japan! Really good. The usual hefe spiciness is kind of subdued but certainly there. There's also some slight sourness that's really appetizing, and a little bitterness. A lot of citrus character comes through in both flavor and aroma as well. In the glass it's a nice-looking one; really cloudy gold, with abundant tan head that stays for a while. And after drinking the whole 720-ml bottle (oddly enough, a standard bottle size for sake), I'm surprisingly buzzed... I think this is more of a "wheat ale" than a hefeweizen, but it's still great. Extra appearance points for the bottle.

What a nice beer! I taste a little ginger as well as the expected banana/clove spice. It is fairly dry with a wonderful nose.

Great cloudy orange appearance. The head was very big but also very thin and was gone quickly. Aromas of malt and sour citrus. Also some herbal character. Sweet, with a lingering sweet aftertaste. Crisp on the palate.

01.11.06 Very cool 720ml bottle with the new logo. The beer, hazed and speckled, is alive with streaming eff meandering coolly through it brilliant golden depths. On the surface, a mountainous white head, lasting firmly, with stiff peaks and thickly coating lace. Bright wheat and lemon aromas greet the nose beside some fresh ginger or allspice, exciting in anticipation of a refreshing quaff. Underlying the classic bavarian aromas is a slick twist of farmhouse tartness that inspires the transition from nose to palate. The first sip is wild with tingling effervescence and a pleasing acidic bite. This beer demands attention, delighting with all the lemon grass tartness and a hint of sweet chile pepper (without the heat) that might be the flourish of a tangy Thai soup. Medium full and lightly coating, the body is fulfilling while retaining enough snap to pair nicely with this lightly oiled pork stir-fry. Unexpectedly, I find only the mildest yeasty spice and the usual punch of banana is present but rather astringent like the unripe fruit. In all, this is a real treat of a beer, beautifully crafted, delicious, and unique.

Sampled from a 11.2 oz brown bottle this beer poured a hazy vibrant golden color with a large soapy white head that lingered forever and produced nice lacing. The aroma was a wonderfully enticing mix of tart, tangy citrus, sugar and jelly. The flavor was tart, lemony and sugary with a lightly yeasty undertone. The middle was tart and bitter yet subtly sweet. The finish was long tart and fruity. Complex, almost mead like. It really reminded me more of a Belgian golden ale rather than a German hefeweizen. Lovely.