Hitachino Nest XH

Quite malty aroma. This is interesting. Some hop notes to it, but the sake gives it a weird flavor I don’t like too much.

The solution to gushing bottles is to drink the beer on tap. It passes the buck to the barkeep. Appearance was cloudy deep orange with a medium white head that stays for quite a while and leaves reasonable lacing. Smell had an unusual mixture of peach and apricot. Taste was sour, lots of malt. Slight bitter edge. Not sue what the sake barrels donated to the effort. Finish reminded me of Lemon Pledge. Surprisingly good body. An interesting idea. I haven’t tried it in a bottle, but those who did might want to give it a try on tap.

THOUGHTS: Very Belgian. Very nicely done. The flavor was very much like a sour ale from Belgium. A great beer and and an incredible Belgian ale from outside of Belgium. Even great compared to some Belgian, Belgian ales. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a slightly hazy, medium brownish, orangey amber with beautiful carbonation and a small to average, off-white head that kept a nice sheet and left good lacing. The aroma was candy sugar, moderate to heavy cheesy and moldy yeast; apple, other fruit, slight wood, sour fruit, spices, flowers and spiced apple. The initial flavor was lightly sweet, acidic and slightly sour; while the finish was rather sour, acidic and slightly bitter with a long duration. There was sour apple and other fruit, yeast, spices, spiced apple, slight funk and slight sweet candy. The light to medium body was very dry with extremely fizzy carbonation and a slightly chalky and moderately astringent finish.

sake sake sake. bit funky birdsnesty flavor. Poured uber extra foamy with an off white head and a load of lace. Color is medium dark amber. Aroma is heavy yeasty malty vineous. Flavor is a bit boozy, heavy on mustiness, yeast, funk, earthy, Maybe some of this is from the sake. Never had sake out of the cask, can only imagine. Big beer. Good body and great carbonation. Strong finish.

From the bottle, pours a hazy red-orange with a thich white foamy head. Fruity aroma, citrus, sugar, a little alcohol. Strong taste, at first sour, some orange, sugar, alcohol, caramel. Finishes lightly sour and a little bitter. Pretty complex flavors which fall off a bit as the beer warms. Drink it while it’s cold, it’s pretty good.

12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Major gusher alert on this one as the cap popped and foam immediately started streaming out of the bottle. The body is a hazy caramel brown which shows bright orange when held up to light. There’s a massive bubbly off-white head that shows excellent retention and lacing. The aroma is very sweet with tons of light fruits, apricots and pears especially, but there’s also plenty of Belgian yeast sweetness which also brings in a hint of spices. On top of that is the big oak presence and the boozy sake aromas. Big nose on this one. The taste is really interesting and I can definitely get the sake character which pervades the taste and leaves an especially strong aftertaste. The Belgian yeast and candi sugar form a solid backbone underneath the light sweet fruit and big oak presence, which leaves a dry finish. The mouthfeel is extremely smooth and creamy but with a very dry finish from the sake and oak. This is a very unique beer from Hitachino and one that I’m quite impressed with. It’s a solid Belgian style beer with the added complexity of a sake barrel character that brings something original to the table. Very pleasantly surprised.

tap at collins pub, sake aged version. lightly sour, aged aroma, dark ruby color with a somewhat funky taste. Mix of good and ew.

beer and sake... interesting combination. pours copper with a large head. Lots of carbonation. Little bit of sediment on the bottom. now lets get to taste... cinnamon, sugar, funk, and kindof apple ciderish? Nice spices and a very different take on typical belgian style. I enjoyed it.