Hitachino Nest New Year Celebration Ale

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

Serve in Lager glass, Tumbler

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60% light, tan head, 40% copper body. Strong, spicy aroma really shows off the coriander, cinnamon and vanilla. There is also a nice malt presence before the light hop finish on the nose. The body is fairly full and hefty. The spice is extremely strong in the flavor. Very citric, almost to the point of a full-on assault. The nutmeg and cinnamon are quite subtle, as is the alcohol. More spicy, bitter hops in the finish add to the immense strength of flavor. This really is an interesting beer with a fair bit going on. Maybe after sitting for a while, the spices would mellow out and allow for a more easily drinkable beer and a more satisfying experience.

Huge head, I could barely fit the bottle into my barleywine/lager glass. There must be wheat in here somewhere. The aroma reminds me of an old ale hops are present in the aroma along with some muted spices. Sweet flavour with a bubbly mouthfeel thanks to the high carbonation. A lot of yeast at the bottom of the bottle tried some with yeast and sans yeast to get different profiles. I actually liked the yeast solution better than the decanted. The alcohol is present in the finish and could benefit from some aging. Nice and cozy for a cold winters night by the fire...

UPDATED: DEC 2, 2004 2005 bottle. Head is initially small, frothy, off-white, mostly diminishing. Body is hazy dark amber, bottle conditioned. Aroma is lightly malty (toasted grain/bread), moderately hoppy (apricot/grapefruit), with notes of coriander, allspice/nutmeg, orange peel, hint of ashes. Flavor is moderately sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic, heavily bitter. Medium to full body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic. Too spice-bitter in the finish to be really good, but the aroma is pleasant (can’t say that I smell vanilla, though the other added spices are quite obvious). Pretty much the same score as the 2004.

2004 bottle. Head is initially huge, frothy, off-white, fully lasting. Body is hazy dark amber, bottle conditioned. Aroma is lightly malty (toasted grain/bread), lightly hoppy (apricot/grapefruit), with notes of allspice/nutmeg, orange peel, pumpkin. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium to full body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic. Gets pretty citric/sour in the finish, which I don’t like, and the aroma is a bit docile (but pleasant). Great appearance and mouthfeel, though. Overall, nice, especially compared to the mainstream Japanese stuff, but still not really worth seeking out. After reviewing, I see from the spice list that I only noticed two of five, and found a false positive...which shows how far I still have to go as a reviewer. Sigh.

Cloudy, deep orange pour with a thick off-white head. Nice aroma. Some spice, malt, and some hops maybe? I'm not sure. Thick taste. Spicky, like cinnamon. Apples as well. A hint of nutmeg as well. Overall pretty decent, but really thick for my liking.

UPDATED: DEC 29, 2003 Color is a deep, thick dark russet brown with a dark rosey tone, a tall, dark ivory, fluffy foamed head grew with speed to a towering pillow, torpidly fades to a heavy skim remaining present on top and oodles of thick sticking lace in sheets. Aroma is a bit subdued but intricately woven in its softness with hidden levels of spices that has lightly dotted notes of corriander on top of even smaller amounts of yeast, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. A very nice fresh orange delicately wraps up the spices. Its not a punch in the face, but its softness is intriguing and you'll keep heading back in for a wiff after a wiff. Facinating & appealing nose. Taste has even more subtleties and softer complexities, how is this so? Ahh but it is. Amazingly fine and easily milding spices with a nice feel of fullness thats never overbearing. No one spice makes a dominance here, its a medley of crispness and cooking sherry spices. A good malty sweetness lays the groundwork up front where then the spices begin to mingle with a nice mild sharp tone and crispness. Just over the middle is where the spices trail off into the finish and a complex array of things begin to happen. All the spices hinted to in the smell make appearances, touching nuances across the palate and a lofty soft lingering of fruits, caramel, toffee, and vanilla play underneath. Overall feel is pretty full with a playful soft carbonation and texture that not only gets better as it warms but shines. Lovely softness of tone and cozy, comfy, snug, with character. This stuff is very nice, highly recommended sitting down with this one and enjoying.

Large tan head, plenty of thick, stringy lacing. Hazy amber color. Big spicey nose, coriander being the main component with some hints of melon and cinnamon. Medium body, too spritzy. Coriander, peppery flavors, nutmeg also. The nutmeg seems to hurt the flavor of this brew, kind of overpowering the other spices and not blending very well with them. Finish is medium dry. Alot going on here, maybe a bit too much. Wonder how it would age? Naaahhhhhh.

Pours a vibrant amber color with a huge light tan head. Aroma is reminiscient of a freshly opened bag of prunes. Sweet and slightly bitter. The orange peel is quite evident. The flavor is complex like the commercial description notes. It's hard to even describe the different flavors my taste buds are try to comprehend. Oranges, vanilla, and wonderfully bitter holiday spices. The body is full and the finish is bitter. What an interesting beer.

Dark amber color with an enormous light brown head. Aroma of malts,plum, corriander and vanilla. Smooth malty flavors up front followed by sweet and sour orange flavor. The spices blend very well throughout. The finish is slightly bitter with more of the sour orange flavor coming through. This is smooth and full flavored with a slight warming touch. Very nice.

creepingly hazed blood-orange color under at least 2 inches of creatively designed froth...sweet candied dried apricots come alive in the aroma...dancing through your nostrils...screaming in vanilla, chocolate, and musty citrus-laced hop flower tones..as it first travels along the tongue, tartness speaks..but is silenced by the orgy of spices..cinnamon & coriander are sprinkled on a thin sheet of chocolate satin..it remains silky and full and like the softness of cashmere, it soothes the throat, caresses the belly, and massages the mind ...

Poured a reddish copper color with a large, tight, creamy and foamy tan head with some lacing. Complex, though subtle aroma of citrus, coriander, vanilla, spice and some malt as well. Bitter taste of nutmeg, orange peel.