Hitachino Nest XH

Brewed by Kiuchi Brewery
Style: Belgian Ale
Ibaraki, Japan

11.2 fl oz bottle. Cloudy brown colour. Tall coarse off-white head. Spicy aroma with strong hints of cardamom and green grapes. Tannins and a dry powdery hop bitterness. Yeasty, but with lots of bitterness. Very dry, but the beer is full of flavours, thus not particularly complex. Not quite sure what the sake put into this beer, except perhaps for the tannic properties.

A nice amber cloud sweet to the palate, does have strong hints of sake. A very unique asian beer. Much better than standard asian beers. Great alone or with a fancy meal. Fruity but more leaning toward a sake rice fruit type flavor. Very nice!

Bottle. Hazy dark honey or red-orange-brown color with thick but small off-white head. Lovely looks. Wonderful complex aroma. One bottle had a Brett-like character, yeasty notes, citrus spritz, barrel, and a unique dry and grapefruity character. Another bottle had a more pronounced wood aroma with apples and nuts. Great body with very solid texture, smooth and good carbonation level. Tastes border on sour beers with wood complexity and copious amounts of citrus rind. Other bottles, lovely nutty flavors, excellent spice character, and toasted nutty goodness. The first bottle flavors petered out a bit fast after the dryness fades but the second one did not find that. A true classic, superlative.

Bottle. Some people mentioned infections or gushers awhile back, no such problem here. Then again, this beer has been resting quietly in my fridge for months without movement. Pours a very hazy brownish orange color with a lingering foamy head. Flavor is strong malts, honey, citrus fruits, a fruity estery sweetness, floral, oak, with a distinctive sweet sake and hop finish. Complex. Mild alcohol notes. Medium to full bodied. Fizzy. Damn, I’m impressed with this beer. Well done and definitely not the usual everyday beer.

Pours a slightly cloudy amber with a nice white head with moderate retention, and lots of flocculent yeasty bits. Rich, floral aroma (roses). Tastes quite interesting! Dry and floral, with a finish that lasts until the following morning. Sour cherries. Decent carbonation, thin body. Definitely not sessionable, but it is quite and unusual treat, and I would say, a success.

Poured from an 11.2oz bottle and served in a tulip. This beer poured a dark, glowing orange/amber with a solid haze and a thick head of foamy, light tan bubbles. Excellent retention and lacing. The aroma included crisp fresh citrus, sour cherries, lightly toasted oak, and a moderate amount of funkiness. Very inviting. The flavor didn’t quite pop like the aroma, but it was still very nice. Notes of subdued caramel, citrus, sour pited fruits, followed up by an unexpectedly hoppy finish. Slightly woody and quite dry. The mouthfeel was medium-bodied and had crisp, assertive carbonation. This was a pleasent surprise. Very enjoyable.

Tap at Qbrick. Great malt and spice flavor, with lots of fruit. Excellent hoppy finish for a beer in this style. Great balance and complexity.

Well, it’s been a long time since the last time I had a gusher but this beer sure was excited to see me. Once that was under control it poured a hazy amber-copper coloured body topped by a pillowy, off white, fine bubbled, and long lasting head that coated the sides of the glass as it eventually receded. Quite pretty but hinders drinkability. Citrus, cedar, lychee and tropical and citrus fruits are suggested in the aroma. Somewhat sour citrus character up front is joined by a pronounced bitterness with cedar character appearing in the aftertaste along with some vanilla and almond to blend with lingering strong fruit flavours. Quite tart overall. Medium body is quite dry with very strong carbonation that is a bit harsh on the tongue. If the carbonation were a bit smoother I think I might love this. Tulip glass. Cellar temperature. Bottle. Bottleworks. Aug-08.