Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

Brewed by Kiuchi Brewery
Style: Stout
Ibaraki, Japan

Bottle, $4.49. Pours a rich dark brown with a wispy brown head. Aroma of strong, black espresso and ash; downright menacing. And this is from the same country that puts out wimpy-light stuff like Asahi and Sapporo?? Flavor starts with dark chocolate bitter black coffee beans, sweetening slightly with some vanilla and brown sugar in the mid-palate, before finishing with assertive roasts and coffee. As an avid coffee drinker, this brew makes me very, very happy. Its like finally finding a restaurant willing to truly cook spicy food: this brew has unmistakable dark, bitter coffee bean presence. Reminds me of a more balanced version of my favorite “coffee stout,” Peche Mortel. I only wish there was a touch more carbonation to liven the flavors. Delicious!

Served on draft as part of the Black Moonday event at Capital Alehouse in Richmond, VA. Pours a caramel brown color with coffee, oak and cherry notes. Taste is dry roasted coffee w/ cherry and other stone fruits. Full bodied.

Pitch black coloured body, 90% opaque with a very large dense deep brown head. Aroma of funky sweet malt, candy, cherries, cherries and a bunch of vanilla. Medium-bodied; Strong assertive roasted malt up front with cherries and vanilla very noticeable. Aftertaste shows some oak, a lot of sweetness, fake sugars and a bit of a coffee finish. Overall, not much of the coffee is noticeable, more of the fake sugars and a super strong amount of cherries too. Good to try, but not my favourite sweet stout! I sampled this 33 cL bottle purchased from Whole Foods in Clarendon (Arlington), Virginia on 22-October-2008, sampled at home in Washington on 24-January-2009.

Thick, near-black pour with a moderate brown head that leaves generous lace. Rich coffee and chocolate aroma and palate. Sweet, with a fruit-nuanced mid-palate and a dry finish. Excellent.

Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a dark black color with a huge very dark brown head. The aroma was bitter and roasty with notes of anise and basil. The flavor with bitter, tangy, roasty and odd with light fruitiness, a touch of coffee and notes of anise and basil. Disappointing.

Re-rate (5/19/09): Draft at BEVERIDGE PLACE BODACIOUS BEVERAGES BREWFEST ’09. Super chocolate malts dominate flavor and aroma. Not as much coffee as I would have preferred as I but you can still pick up. Very lively on the tongue with a mild bitter finish.

This poured a pitch black color with a tan head. The aroma contains some chocolate, espresso, and licorice. The flavor is slightly bitter but also sweet as well. I taste some chocolate, espresso, and also a hint of some dark fruit giving it a slight sourness. The mouthfeel is rather thick. Overall a very nice stout.

Bottle from Windmill Farms. Pours pitch black in color. Sweet aroma with a lot of coffee and chocolate. Smooth mouth feel. Strong coffee flavors. Some sweetness as well as burnt roasted coffee and chocolate. Very tasty stout. A must for coffee lovers.