Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Brew

In house news, I got the office painted. It was previously a light pink color. I absolutely detest pink. I texted my other half on Monday after finishing my chores, asking what was left to be done and hoping she’d say to relax. Instead, she suggested painting the office. Being the workaholic that I am, I got out my brushes and went to work. The office is now a soothing green tea color that I got to choose. The other half took a look and agreed that it looked great. I only have the guest room left to paint and it’s going to be a tan color. We still need to pick that color out, but hopefully I get to it in the next week or two. Now that you’ve heard the house update, let’s get to the beer.

ABV: 7%

Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “This Ginger Ale is brewed using fresh, fragrant, raw ginger.”

Random: This brewery has some of the cutest beer caps I’ve seen.

This beer poured with a three finger, slightly off white head. It dissipated quickly and left no lacing but a white crown. THe body was a clear, dark orange with light carbonation visible. The nose had sweet caramel malt. Honey was present as well, but the ginger notes were very light. The taste was marginally better. It was also sweet with malt and then honey. Nutmeg was present with light ginger. This beer was definitely lacking in the flavor department. The body was on the thinner side with light carbonation. The finish was sweet with honey and very little ginger. This beer was $11.99 for the bomber, which broke down to $.55. That was expensive for a beer that I think sat on the shelves too long. I wouldn’t have this again.

Untappd Rating: 2.5/5.0

Hitachino Nest Commemorative Ale

Happy Sunday! This is the first time in awhile that the other half and I have spent three days straight together. Our plan for the day? Sit around and do a whole lot of nothing. We had a wedding last night and went out for the 4th, so we definitely could use a day of relaxing. This was another beer that I picked up from my local beer store. I’ve seen it sitting on the shelves for awhile and given the ABV, I think it should still be okay.

ABV: 8%

Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Full bodied beer with sweet wheat flavor and beautiful dense foam. Pleasant bitterness and unique spicy aroma with Orange Peel, Coriander, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, and Vanilla Beans. Available both in Japan and U.S.A.”

Random: “Property Brothers” is quickly becoming one of my favorite home shows.

This brew poured with a one finger, slightly off white head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was a cloudy reddish-orange color with high carbonation visible. The nose was really light with some lemongrass and ginger and caramel sweetness. There was some nutmeg present as well. The taste was definitely interesting. There were some pine needle flavors along with nutmeg and orange peel. There was a medicinal note as well and made this beer really hard to get a handle on. It had a thick body with moderate carbonation. The finish was long with spice. I wasn’t a huge fan of this beer and wouldn’t rush back to have it again.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale

So, this is review number 1,400. I’m really excited that I’ve been trying so many different beers and that I’ve stuck with this blog. It forces me to get out of my comfort zone and to write consistently. Anyways, this is a brew that I’ve read a lot about and it seems to be in every single beer book that reviews beers. I will say that I think the bottle is absolutely adorable. Let’s see if it’s as good as I’ve read.

ABV: 7%

Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Complex sake like flavors with malt sweet notes. Hints of strawberries in the nose and palate. An intriguing mix of sake, malt, and bitter notes in the finish.”

Random: I’m watching the TED Talk from Sam Calagione. It’s really, really good. I highly recommend watching it.

This brew poured with a three finger, white head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, light amber color with moderate carbonation visible. When you look closer, there is visible red detritus. The nose was interesting. I got rice, pink grapefruit and bubble gum. The taste was really…different. It had a weird sweetness to it with tropical fruit along with cherry cough syrup and rice. The alcohol was slightly present. The body was on the thicker side with moderate carbonation. The finish was long and sweet with the cough syrup taste that I got initially. As much as I wanted to like this beer, it was really weird. I wouldn’t have it again.

Untappd Rating: 3.0/5.0

Hitachino Nest White Ale

It’s finally Friday, which means that I only have one more day of work to get through. Today was a long day. I didn’t get home until after 9 and the other half is still stuck at work, which is never good. Our schedules have been really off, so I haven’t seen her as much as I’d like. At least we can spend all of Sunday together. Anyways, this is a brew that I’ve almost bought countless times. I love the bottle and I’m hoping the stuff inside is just as good.

ABV: 5.5%

Style: Witbier

Trivia: This is the flagship beer from Hitachino.

Random: I’m on the last season of “The Wire.” I’m sad that after this, I’ll be done with the series.

This brew poured with a two finger, pure white fluffy head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was a very cloudy, dark yellow with very high carbonation. One of the other things that struck me while pouring this beer was the large amount of yeast left in the bottle. Anyways, the nose was strong with clove and allspice and orange peel. The taste was not as spice dominant as the nose implied. I got some orange and citrus peel along with clove and wheat. It had a hint of ginger as well. The body was on the thicker side of the style with generous carbonation. It had a long finish with wheat and spice. This was a really enjoyable beer that I would definitely have again. It’s definitely worth a try and it has a cute owl on the bottle.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Hitachino Nipponia

I came upon this beer by chance in the beer store on the shelf. As soon as I saw that it had Sorachi Ace hops, I knew that it had to come home with me. After I had Brooklyn’s Sorachi Ace, I’ve had an ongoing obsession with that type of hop. Given that it’s a Japanese hop and this is a beer from Japan, it’s not surprising that the beer features it.

ABV: 6.5%

Style: Belgian Pale Ale

Trivia: Here’s what I found regarding sorachi ace hops: “It was developed for Sapporo Breweries and used in their beers. The pedigree includes Brewer’s Gold and Saaz This hop has high yield potential.
Origin: Japan
Aroma/Flavor: Lemony – all sources stated it’s lemon aroma and taste.
Alpha Acid: 10.7 – 12.2%
Typical Usage: Bittering
Beer Styles: Probably any beer that would work with a lemon taste. Saison is one that comes to mind. Maybe an IPA with other hops that have citrusy tastes like grapefruit and orange.”

Random: I wish I bought more bottles of Brooklyn Sorachi Ace, which also uses sorachi ace hops. It was seriously yummy.

This brew poured with a two finger fluffy white head that left significant lacing on the glass. The body is a clear straw yellow color with minimal carbonation. Odd, I would have expected that it would have more carbonation. The head dissipated after a couple of minutes. There is definite lemongrass on the nose with some citrus notes as well. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I love sorachi ace hops. There’s also a bit of a floral aroma on the nose. On first taste, the first thing that I think is that the brew is really good. The taste also has the hints of lemongrass, citrus and flowers that were apparent on the nose. This is a really pleasant beer. The body of the beer is also perfect. It’s not too light and not too heavy. The finish lingers with a little bit of bitterness. It’s a nice fresh beer that I would definitely have again.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Hitachino Nest Weizen

Today was a long Monday. It’s also pretty humid out, which is always a good reason to have a brew, and a wheat brew at that. I had a Hitachino brew during a Philadelphia beer fest and remember enjoying it, so I’m excited to try this one. And the bottle is absolutely adorable!

ABV: 5%

Style: Hefeweizen

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “The Kiuchi Brewery was established in 1823 by Kiuchi Gihei, the headman of Kounosu village. His family was collecting rice from farmers as land taxes for the Mito Tokugawa family.”

Random: It’s been awhile since I’ve had a hefe. They have since taken a back seat as my favorite style to the saison, but I still appreciate a good hefe.

This brew presented with a one finger head that quickly dissipated (almost as soon I tried to get the camera). The color is a light straw yellow that is cloudy with “stuff” floating the bottom. The nose has a lot of lemon and citrus going on. Any spice that is on the nose is overtaken by the citrus. On the first sip, you get with a lot carbonation and tart lemon. This is really unique for a hefe, because normally a hefe doesn’t present with such tart notes. It’s not only unique, but exceptionally tasty! The spice is also muted as the sour lemon takes over. There’s also not a lot of banana notes that are usually associated with hefeweizens. I really enjoy this (as does Nicole) because it’s not just a typical hefe. She actually said that she “loves it.” The finish on this ends pretty quick, and it’s got a bit of fruit. This beer is great. Nicole says that it’s her favorite beer that we’ve tried. It’s got enough carbonation to make it refreshing and the flavor is spot on. If you haven’t tried this, you have to before summer’s over. Awesome brew!

Untappd Rating: 5.0/5.0