Hitachino Nest XH

Brewed by Kiuchi Brewery
Style: Belgian Ale
Ibaraki, Japan

Oh wow, thanks to Guerde from stopping at the Blue Max and picked up a 12-oz bottle of this beer. Pours a semi-hazy copper amber brew with a fast dissolving off-white head that dissipates clean. Aroma of dried sweet and dark fruits, some tart berries, vanilla, figs (without the Newtons), and a slight yeast/barnyard funk. Taste is medium bodied with some carbonation, along with flavors of caramel malt, some yeast, brown sugar and a touch of vanilla. Finish is semi-dry with a slight yeast and caramel malt aftertaste.

Many thanks to Guerde for this one! Murky copper color with no head. Slight aroma of ginger and other spices. Very interesting taste. Brown sugar, rice and ginger dominate for me. The sake is definitely noticeable. It has a bit of barnyard dryness and almost funk to it like a Biere de Garde. I think this is a Japanese Farmhouse Ale.

(Bottle) Pours a cloudy amber-brown body with a creamy medium-sized off-white head. Aroma of dates, brown sugar, wood, caramel, vanilla, and white grapes. Flavor of toffee, vanilla, wood, fig, plum, light acidity, and apple with a semi-dry finish.

Bottle. Pours a dark amber color with a beige colored head. Aroma is oaky, dried fruits, maybe some clove. Flavor is again oaky, light tartness, light malt, dried fruit, citrus. Palate is medium bodied, medium carbonation, finishes lightly sour. This really surprised me in a positive way. Very good stuff.

(bottle) Poured a dark brown with an off-white head. Nice aroma that contrasts between sweet and sour notes, with some nice dark fruits, wood, and a slight dose of barnyard funk. The taste was a nice dose of sweet fruit and light spice, with a subtle sour undertone that added to the complexity. The mouthfeel of this beer was full and the finish was tart.

Courtesy of a guy (sorry can’t remember name) at a weekly tasting at the Cellars. Amber/light brown in color with a slightly off white. Spice aroma with some dark fruits and you can actually smell the sake (which is great). Some sugary fruits in taste with a bit of tartness and some nutmeg and a slight bit of alcohol on the finish.

Bottle. Large head on the pour. Nice bit of clove in the aroma, with a light funk and prevailing spiciness. Muddy fruity flavor, slightly sweet, a touch of mushroom. There’s some really nice complexity in the flavor that is especially evident as it warms, and I really dig the light sourness. Maybe only a touch of sake flavors in there.

Gorgeous burgundy color, under a healthy dollop of creamy, pudding-y froth. Nose smacks of red wine from the start, rich and fruity, turning mellow and woody. And then it resembles a Belgian lambic, ...and now I get the sake. Very interesting. Taste: all that and more, but smooth, ...very smooth, and fully flavored. Warm, rich, and inviting. Sweet, then dry, then all manner of funky stuff, and ultimately a complex and rewarding drink. Tastes like a barleywine, but with much more going on. I highly recommend this one.