Hitachino Nest XH

Brewed by Kiuchi Brewery
Style: Belgian Ale
Ibaraki, Japan

Interesting and different type of beer. The appearance is an attractive color of orange, hazy, with a strong off-white head. The aroma is very unique; I sense something akin to a sour ale, but I get unmistakable sake, and oak. The flavor is of rice, sake - a little sour. The wood comes through in this as well. The mouthfeel is a little thick and oily. The finish is a bit sour, with a mild hop bite, fairly clean finish. This is a unique and enjoyable beer. I wouldn’t make it a staple, but I enjoyed trying it.

This copper ale poured with a thin beige head and a sour aroma. There is an intense caramel malt base with an equally intense hop bitterness, and a slightly sour finish that tastes likes sake.

This one is way too poweful for my tastes. It has a very sour and tart finish that almost makes this beer undrinkable. I never has sake before, but after tasting this beer it will not be on the top of my list.

Bottle. Have to love this dark look. Amber body with an off white head. Vinous with grape skins, citrus, caramel malts. Rice, hint of licorice. Interesting beer. Just not sure how well it all came together, but something different that’s for sure.

Pour’s a nice dark amber color. Moderate head with a sweet aroma. There is a hit of the sake that is advertised. There is a smoothness on the palate with a bitw on the finish. There is also a malty quality to the beer. A great beer.

Bottle. Pours a deep red with a large off-white head. Aroma is grain, malt, and a wonderful oak characteristic. Taste is dark fruit, malt and grain up front, with oak and sake characteristics at the end. The beer finishes with a burn that I don’t know I can attribute to alcohol, but it added something to the experience. What a unique and wonderful beer.

Bottle stamped XH8,6. 11.2 fl oz bottle purchased at Lukas Liquors in Kansas City, Missouri. Pour is cloudy ruby orange with a nice full one inch tan head. Sticky lacing left behind. Aroma of oaky sake woodiness, grainy maltiness - bright and somewhat boozy nose. Taste is the oak, sake and malt in that iorder. The aftertaste features a sharpness, that isn’t alcohol, but is bright like that. Also very dry finish. Palate is medium-full, very strong beer all around. The wood and sake notes were probably a bit too much for me.

12oz bottle. Dark amber with a frothy head. Sweet candied fruit in the aroma with caramelized sugar and tons of booze. All I have to say about the flavor is…What an odd creation they have made here. Any sweetness that might have been present in the initial brew is overwhelmed by booze and TONS of wood. There are hints of what used to be something like candy/fruit notes or even sweetness but that is gone now, just a ghost. Medium body, semi-dry with an even drier finish. Interesting experiment (though I’d not have this again).