Hitachino Nest XH

Brewed by Kiuchi Brewery
Style: Belgian Ale
Ibaraki, Japan

Bottle (330ml). Near-murky brick red with a MASSIVE tan foamy-frothy lasting head. Aroma of dry/sour/funky yeast, floral hops and gin (or I guess sake). Taste - wow, dry and incredibly sour/tart, but mostly in a good way, a bit on the wild yeast side, white pepper and pungently floral, alcohol and sake riding along too. Average body, solid carbonation, quite acidic in the finish ---- sort of generic tart Belgian meets a different barrel along the way - worth trying for sure.

pours an apricot color, slight bubbles on the top. this beer has aroma smells (i have no real idea what but i think i caught some wood). it is also taste flavored, with hints of musky spice, and a perfumey finish. i found this one alien to me, complex, but not unappealing overall.

Draft at spuyten duyvil... A very nice cask aged beer.... Floral aroma, oak and sake Flavor was citrus, lavender, hops with a slightly sour finish...a very unique flavor profile...

12 oz bottle

This has been sitting on deck for about a month now. It was worth every penny of the $3.99 I spent even though I probably won’t pick up another bottle due to limited cellar space. It makes me want to explore other Asian non pale lagers at some point to see what is going on in that region of the world. The hard part is going to be finding them in this part of the country.

Aroma / Appearance - A two finger off white head danced to the top of the glass suffocating the caramelly red body underneath. Rice, wood and malts blended with caramel and cherry wood shavings. The entire experience was sweet and pleasing to the nose.

Flavor / Palate - The mouthfeel was dense without being cloying. Rice, cherries and malt were the most obvious as they were in the nose. The moist fruity aftertaste was a nice touch as well. The hops then took over to provide a floral endnote not unlike rose petals. It was mellow and easy to drink which makes it worth trying. If you are hesitant split one with a friend first.

Bottle. brown color. Vinous aroma with a touch of oak and sake. Grapes in the flavor, with oak and sake. malty with just a touch of rice-like sweetness. Citric. Unusual but quite nice beer. Warming alcohol.

Mahogany pour with a pretty substantial white head. The nose is spicy and full of oakiness. Flavors were again, substantial oak, touches of herbal spiciness and a rich sweet syrupy maltiness. The alcohol was subdued. Bigger oak profile than I anticipated, but I did not pick up any of the expected sake flavors or aromas. Pretty interesting experimental brew.

Wow, I am really impressed with this one. Aromas of smokey grapes in oak barrels mingle well with a touch of alcohol. Flavor comes off very similarly with the flavors combining smoothly toward a very unique and wondserful flavor. Finishes somewhat sdmokey with some definite drying of the tongue leading to that woody taste and feeling. I think this is world class stuff. Definately confused about the belgian ale distinction????

Bottle from Sam’s Blue Light in Durham, NC. I think I paid $4 and some change. Been wanting to try this one for a while and kept forgetting to pick one up. Have tried several Hitachino beers but none in the last couple years. Anyway--the beer. Poured into my newly purchased Rodenbach GC tulip, the color is a deep (and almost opaque) red amber with a thick off-white head that shows no sign of fading. Aroma is sweet and tart, with a hints of cherry, oak, a bit of funk, and spices. Flavor is heavily woody upfront, with a bit of cherry/oak/sake in the finish. The sake casks are not overpowering at all in this beer and I like it a lot. Simple, yet very refreshing on this beautiful April day in Carrboro, NC.