Hitachino Nest Weizen
Kiuchi Brewery

milkshakebeersucks from Maryland

3.65/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bright gold appearance with a tiny, off white head and no noticeable lacing. Spicy, yeasty, wheaty aroma. Tart fruit flavor; slightly herbaceous. Medium-to-light bodied, well carbonated mouthfeel. Cleanses the palate well. Fairly short lived, dry finish. Not as smooth and well rounded as the more typical hefe’s, but still interesting.

Dec 27, 2020

150lRoast from Missouri

4.37/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Taste has hints of citrus and honey with a soft wheat backing. Color is opaque yellow with an orange tint.

This seems to be one of the more accessible Hitachino beers and for good reason. I very much recommend this beer, especially if you have not tried any Hitachino Nest Beers.

Dec 22, 2020

tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.62/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a brown 11.2 oz. bottle. Has a slightly hazy golden color with a 1 inch head. Smell is mild, some bananas. Taste is of bananas wheat, a touch of cloves. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is an enjoyable and highly refreshing beer.

Aug 02, 2020

DefenCorps from Oregon

3.6/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from Market of Choice.

A mildly hazy light orange with a dense white head with good retention and lacing,this looks solid. The nose is interesting. This isn't a straightforward weizen. It's got cooked clove, mashed bananas and very interestingly, an almost yuzu like citrus note. Noticeably grainy and wheaty with a definite wort character present. The palate opens mildly sweet with wheat, honey, wort and the little citrus I mentioned. Spiced cake with clove and a little nutmeg like character. Unconventional in flavor, this beer is moderately carbonated and finishes dry with a grainy note that lingers. Solid stuff, though it doesn't come close to touching the OGs from Germany.

Apr 07, 2019

weaselface89 from Georgia

3.74/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very hazy yellowish color with a thin white head. No lacing and teachers soon disappears. Smells like yeasty and spices. Tastes like it smells and has a nice light smooth mouth feel. Quite refreshing, but nothing award winning

Jun 29, 2016

Jugs_McGhee from Louisiana

2.92/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

BOTTLE: 11.2 fl oz. Brown glass. Branded black pry-off crown cap. Owl on the label in classic Hitachino Nest fashion.

5.50% ABV. Best before: 2016.10. Hefeweizen.

HEAD: 5cm wide. White colour. Frothy. Soft-looking. Leaves no lacing as it recedes, which takes about 2 minutes.

BODY: Turbid hazy orange. Sadly, it`s rather dull. More vibrance would make it more appealing. No yeasty sediment is visible within.

AROMA: Lemony twang, wheat, doughy yeast, coriander, barley. Suggests a spritzy light-bodied ale.

I detect no banana or orange peel.

Aromatic intensity is average.

TASTE & TEXTURE: Fruity, nodding towards faint lychee and some kind of vague tropical citrus (but not the usual orange peel one would expect in a hefeweizen).

Spritzy and light with a toned-down wheat backbone. Not terribly fresh in taste, but not stale either.

Yeast character isn`t as doughy or as subtle as the aroma suggested. It`s a light beer, yes, but it`s also somewhat thin, bordering on watery, and stops short of feeling refreshing. Smooth and wet. Well-carbonated.

OVERALL: The subtle yeast esters and impeccable balance boasted by the best hefeweizen style beers is absent here, replaced by an atraditional fruity character. I like that the brewery is approaching the hefeweizen style in a different way, but the result is not a cut above your average German hefeweizen in terms of quality. It`s not a bad brew by any means, but I`d sooner reach for a Franziskaner, Ayinger, Weihenstephaner, or even Erdinger. This isn`t in the same league by any stretch.

C (AVERAGE)

Jun 03, 2016

farrago from New Jersey

3.62/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The loose airiness of the head results in a swift evaporation from the just under one finger level, pure white and spotless, the lacing starts off broadly but lacks meaningful stickiness. Transparent liquid with a fine gauziness, faded yellow gold hue, the bubbles are widely dispersed and show good vigor in flowing upwards. The nose has a confectionery element to it, flower petals, bubblegum, yeast and raw pie dough, honey, banana and clove, the wheat does not enunciate all that clearly, ends with a burst of pepperiness. Medium to full-bodied, more the former but it tends to drag itself slothfully across the palate which adds volume. The carbonation does a good job of starting off prickly and then ending on a creamier note. Here too you get a mix of sweets and bitters, same bubblegum, honey, yeast, whipped cream to banana split flavors and then same cracked wheat, pepper, clove and herbaceous grasses. The fruit seems to alternate, at some moments peach or apricot, others cherry to berry. Has more of a funky aftertaste than clean freshness. Interesting for its slightly off-kilter character but nothing you’d pound all night.

Apr 21, 2016

hoptheology from South Dakota

3.37/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Hazzzhy blonde with a 3 finger head of foam. Sparse lace as is always with a Hefeweizen.

Hahaha, this is Japan all over. Smell is of jasmine rice, cilantro, bamboo, rain water, celery, and of course white wheat and yeast.

Flavor of winter wheat, spicy cilantro, already-been-chewed bubble gum, black pepper, sea salt, and leafy greens. Not really reminiscent of Hefeweizen whatsoever, but it has its own thing going on.

Feel is very carbonated, with a semi dry parch throughout. A little starchy on the finish.

Hey, I got this for $1.99. I won't lie it's not bad at that price. But for the original price of 5 times that? Ah, I'd be super disappointed. Gotta take that into consideration.

Feb 11, 2016

_drummer_ from China

4.57/5  rDev +21.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

I had this on Koh Samui in Thailand. Very great beer, in my opinion. Golden, cloudy color with a quickly disappearing head. Great full taste - normal wheat beer flavors coupled with citrus. Very good on a hot day - very refreshing. I will get this one again.

Feb 01, 2016

stevoj from Idaho

2.85/5  rDev -24%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

This bottle seemed overly sweet, lots of the banana and bubblegum, but lacking in the bready flavors and a little weak in the body. Bottle may be a little old.

Dec 22, 2015

Andrewharemza from Australia

3.52/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy cloudy golden color with a medium sized white head. The aroma and flavor have banana, cloves, wheat, yeast, some citrus notes. very drinkable.

Aug 14, 2015

UCLABrewN84 from California

3.27/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Bottled 1/2014.

Pours a hazy honey orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Tiny particles of sediment are seen suspended in the beer after the pour. Smell is of wheat, earth, chalk, and yeast aromas. Taste is much the same with wheat, grain, fruit, earth, and slight spice and yeast flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an average beer that is fairly decent, but nothing like a traditional hefeweizen in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle.

May 21, 2015

The_Mad_Capper from Japan

4.44/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

There's some light bubblegum in the aroma along with some clove, vanilla, and a faint twang of lemon and yeasty sourness. The dull yellow body is very cloudy; the eggshell-white head is foamy with good retention; lots of lacing sticks around. There is some rather pronounced bitterness in the initial taste. Also present is some banana, vanilla, and grainy malt. The clove spiciness is restrained but well balanced with the sweeter qualities. Surprisingly not much yeasty sourness. A grainy texture lingers upon swallowing. The body is medium-light with crisp, spritzy carbonation.

This is a very delicious, refreshing, and well-structured weizen. The bitterness was a little surprising at first, but it helps to balance out the sweeter flavors in place of the thankfully absent yeasty sourness. The carbonation is a bit intense but not bad.

Oct 07, 2014

ordybill from Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

Poured from a 11.2 OZ bottle into a pint glass.
Aroma- I can detect wheat and rice, not bad
Appearance- A great murky golden yellow color, with a small head
Taste- A nice wheat flavor with a bitter aftertaste
Palate- Dry medium bodied
Overall- not a bad beer, not their best style of beer from Kiuchi but a pretty good beer to try.

Sep 21, 2014

superspak from Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

24.3 oz bottle into weizen glass, bottled in 12/2013. Pours hazy bright gold color with a 2 finger dense white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with some moderate streaming carbonation. Aromas of banana, lemon, pear, apple, clove, wheat, bread, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity/earthy yeast, malt, and light hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of banana, lemon, pear, apple, clove, wheat, bread, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light wheat tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of banana, lemon, pear, apple, clove, wheat, bread, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity and balance of fruity/earthy yeast, malt, and light hop flavors; with solid robustness and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, crisp, and slightly creamy/bready mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with zero warming present after the finish. Overall this is a nice hefeweizen. Good balance and complexity of fruity/earthy yeast, malt, and light hop flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink. The yeast flavors were not as bold as I expected for the style, but it did not feel watery. A nicely enjoyable offering.

Jun 29, 2014

Richardbeerlover from Texas

3.55/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice yellow gold color with a small to medium size head. Nice clean smelling and tasting beer. Not a whole lot of body. You can smell and taste the citrus and other spices. Somewhat sweet flavor. Nice and creamy. The thing that really stands out for me was the spiciness at the finish. It's a good clean beer that is very refreshing.

Jan 13, 2014

PorterLambic from Florida

3.91/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours clear, a bit odd for a hefe. Where's the little yeasty bits? Anyway, a dark yellow in color with an explosion of white foam that nearly burst out of the glass. It settles to 1/2" relatively quickly and remains a thick film forever, leaving decent lace.
Smell is sweet, malty, wheat, citrus, spices. All balanced nicely, very nicely indeed.
Taste is a copy of the smell. Malt, a slightly syrupy sweetness, wheat, citrus, spice and some alcohol. Great balance.
Warming, medium plus body, light effervescence. Smooth, too. If the yeast had shown up in the glass, this would be one of the best wheats ever.

Oct 18, 2013

CrazyDavros from Australia

3.39/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Pours amber with a quickly fading.
Nose shows big banana notes but also sweet malt and spicy hops. Nice malt character, suggesting at honey.
Not as good flavours, very little in the way of typical wheat beer characters, mainly just honey and spicy hops.
Body feels a bit watery.

Jul 15, 2013

Amalak from New York

3.44/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A. It has a straw color, it is completely opaque, hazy. It has a small foamy white head with no head.

S. It has a very wheaty scent to it.

T/M. It has a strong grape and grassy taste. Wheaty with a hint of alcohol. It is a bit tart. A medium body.

O. It is just a bit too thick, but just a clusterfuck of flavors. It's not bad, it just feels like a well-made macro wheat.

Jul 13, 2013

rainydays2020 from New York

3.67/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Drank it from a tulip glass. I don't remember the specifics as I drank it yesterday afternoon. It had a very dry Japanese, Sapporo-esque dryness that I didn't prefer at first. After a few sips it really grew on me. An interesting Beer with a very light smell.

Mar 30, 2013

metter98 from New York

3.76/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: The beer is hazy pale yellow in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high white head that died down and left a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of wheat are present in the nose along with notes of bananas.
T: The taste very much follows the smell and has flavors of wheat and bananas. There are some hints of spices towards the finish.
M: It feels light-bodied on the palate and has a moderate to high amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is easy to drink and is a good representation of the style.

Mar 09, 2013

Hoppsbabo from England

3.94/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Cloudy straw yellow. Big white head.

S: General wheat smell and a sherbet-like yeast aroma.

T: Full flavoured with a bit of banana. Slightly bitter for a weizen which is fine by me. Tiny bit of marzipan and some coriander right at the back as it's going down the gullet.

M: Not much in the way of carbonation, which I like.

O: Better than your average weizen but not quite top notch. I bought it in Korea which is next to Japan and yet it was ludicrously expensive. Otherwise it's a very sessionable beer.

Feb 01, 2013

Serge from Canada (AB)

3.28/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

It pours a nice, hazy orange-golden body with a small off-white head. Slightly yeasty nose with some banana and lemon, sweetness and a little bit of cloves. Almost syrupy sweet in the mouth, with some fruity sourness, cloves and banana. Strange, but quite nice, even though it’s far from the regular hefeweizen. Effervescent. Lemony, acidic finish. For a hefeweizen, it’s both very sweet and very sour.

Jan 27, 2013

Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

2.76/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This beer poured out as a bright yellow color with some floating particles in there. The head is fizzy and white. No retention or lacing at all on this beer. The smell of the beer is a little spicy, the traditional clove aromas are there. The aroma doesn't give off my o the soft bready aromas that I feel it should. The taste of the beer has a big clove flavor with a minimal banana flavor like most have. The mouthfeel of the beer was a little high in carbonation and a bit watery. Overall I wasn't very impressed with this beer.

Oct 23, 2012

Oakenator from Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is golden yellow with a relatively reserved head that disappates quickly. Minimal lacing on the glass. Mouthfeel is good with finer carbonation bubbles - somewhat creamy but more present on the front end. Smells of citrus and mild grassy hopping. Taste is clean and refreshing - nice citrus and spices.

Oct 11, 2012