Hitachino Nest X'mas Ale
Hitachino (Kiuchi) Brewery

 

So far my best experience from Hitachino.

Bought this at the Seibu department store in Ikebukuro, Tokyo for (obviously) X'mas. Took it home and poured it into a Suntory tulip-style glass. The first facet that blew me away was the smell. Like most good winter brews, the cinnamon/clove/chive/herb/pine winter scents that came shining through were a wonderful invitation. This brew poured a nice burgundy brown hue and retained a nice white head throughout its length. The taste matched the smell spot-on -- beautiful tasty spicy notes through the throat that lead to a nice tingling sensation throughout the body. I am looking forward to more of Hitachino's seasonal brews, and I will definitely be trying more of their brews that swing toward the herbal side.

330 mL brown bottle, capped. Bottled on 04.12.07. (yy.mm.dd).

This ale poured a clear, coppery red color with creamy, light brown foam that persisted and clung to the glass. If the bottle sediment was poured, the beer became cloudy. The smell was malty and hoppy with a dry "woody" amora. The smell improved as the beer warmed. The taste was malty and nicely hoppy with strong, almost barleywine-like hoppiness. Like the smell, the flavor improved as the beer warmed. The mouthfeel was dry with medium-full body and moderate carbonation. The maltiness and hoppiness lingered in the aftertaste. This was a very nice beer with quite a potent hoppiness. Thanks to Naerhu for this one.

Appearance: Beautiful dark red body, and tight cola colored head.
Aroma: Huge malty aroma with light floral hoppiness.
Taste:Bursting with maltiness, hops balancing with long mild tasting bitterness. This is molasses.
Mouthfeel: Slick smooth and heavy.
Drinkability: This is a great brew. Considering the ABV and style, I imagine this is a tweak on the Extra High, however the alcohol is not at all apparent here.