Hitachino Nest New Year Celebration Ale

Brewed by Kiuchi Brewery
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Ibaraki, Japan

Stylistically this one bounces around a lot, which is just testament to Kiuchi’s style bending creativity. The beer pours with a very hazy red color with a medium head that goes away almost completely after a minute or so. The aroma is floral with notes of vanilla, sweet malt, yeasty spiciness, and plenty of spices this aroma reminds me of a Abbey Dubbel. The flavor is cinnamon and lots of other spice with plenty of booze. The beer is sweet but well balanced with the sweetness against the spices and the alcohol along with the Belgian yeast character. Delicious.

Bottle. [thank you, madmitch76]
Pours hazy red-orange with a giant, frothy, off-white head. Really lovely aroma. There is brett, cinnamon, vanilla, holly, caramel, lots of nutmeg. Lovely. Medium to high carbonation, lovely dry bretty and spicy mouthfeel. Flavour is extremely well-balanced and still extremely spicy. Ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, coriander. Fantastic dryness. Lightly warming. There is piney hops, caramel malts, light chocolate and a slight herbal ginger finish. I, as one who like spicy ales, this is really brilliant.

Most amazing aroma I have ever smelled- like Christmas potpourri. Also the biggest, thickest, longest lasting head, color is a cloudy orange-yellow,. Flavor is very vanilla and nutty nutmeg. Delicious!!! Bottle from Knightly Spirits in Orlando.

Bottle, from John’s Grocery, shared with Traci and Matt. Copper/gold, good cap of fine white bubbles. Gentle caramel, vanilla and cinnamon nose, touch of soft oak. Raisin sweetness, piney resiny bitterness. Lingering bubblegum spice. Pleasant, but not quite as cohesive as it could be.

Pours umber with a huge tan head. Snickerdoodle cookie aroma, with a touch of ginger. Sweet and warming spicy flavor, only detraction being from a heavy handed carbonation that makes for a bad ginger ale finish. Nice brew though

A 2004 bottle courtesy of Buttters. Pours a hazy brown with off white head and some floaters. Aroma of ginger, sugar, spice, citrus, caramel. Similar taste, sugar/ginger comes out, very boozy, warming. Wow, what a complex beer.

(bottle - 330 ml) Hazy dark gold color with a thick and dense off-white head. Aroma is rich and full of flavor. Lots of spice and coriander, orange, and vanilla dominate the nose with a smooth and sweet malt base. Flavor begins with a good cinnamon and nutmeg flavor mixing with a lightly bitter and sweet malt backbone. Finishes spicy with some light vanilla sweetness. Alcohol is warming but not overpowering.