Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout
Kiuchi Brewery

Sigmund from Norway

4.29/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.5%. Pitch black colour, big brown head. Nice roasty aroma, notes of coffee and chocolate, hints of dark fruits and vanilla. The flavour has a distinct roasty character with strong notes of espresso coffee and dark bitter chocolate, some malty sweetness, bitter finish. Excellent rich mouthfeel.

May 05, 2021

backblast from Alaska

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured very dark almost black with a light tan head that dissipated quickly.

In the taste, there is plenty of coffee, dark chocolate and a char dryness with light bitterness mixed in and a very pleasant lingering aftertaste. Nice one.

Mar 26, 2021

BEERMILER12 from Maine

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a mahogany color with 2 fingers of head that fades down to a thin cap

S: Roasted malt, coffee, and caramel up front. Some dark chocolate in there as well

T: Follows the nose. Starts off with the roasted malt and coffee and then picks up some caramel and dark chocolate. Finishes with lingering coffee and roast

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A solid coffee/espresso stout that is straight forward and easy to drink

Jan 19, 2021

mntlover from Tennessee

3.78/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a black small tan head not much in the way of lace.

Aroma is espresso beans no surprise there some light chocolate even lighter earthiness hints. Not bad not overly complex not really getting the Russian Emperor reference at 7% but not bad.

Taste is roasted malts with light chocolate sweetness and good espresso notes. Fairly decent stout wouldn't really put it in Imperial category at 7% otherwise I would be lowering my scores some. Not bad little stout with some earthiness in the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium with fairly smooth carbonation.

Overall no a bad regular stout with some added espresso beans.

Jan 10, 2021

mhuber from New York

3.43/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark redish-brown with a thick head that lingers. Some lacing. Smell of caramel and dark chocolate. Taste is full-bodied, creamy, sweet with a bit of bitterness and strong burnt chocolate. The chocolate flavor lingers on the palate. Not too bad but not the best stout I've had, but a pleasant surprise for a Japanese beer.

Sep 15, 2020

Greywulfken from New York

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Solid coffee stout - rich flavors suggest both the bitterness of espresso as well as creamy, sweet coffee flavors - medium-weight but full-bodied feel, smooth, bittering coat lingers - each sip brings a wash of sweet coffee and molasses as well as drier, charred, wood-like notes - the sweet and dry and bitter play against each other through the finish...

May 01, 2020

aatazebeats from Texas

4.32/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Look: a very dark brown, almost black with a 1 inch light brown head that dissipates within a minute. Standard for the style.

Smell: A faint scent of cocoa nibs, coffee and maybe sea salt. Not a crazy amount going on here.

Taste: Very good. 80 percent dark chocolate, mild coffee notes. The dark chocolate flavor stays for a solid 20 seconds after consuming, delicious. Not sweet or bitter, just a great balance.

Feel: Smooooth and silky. Creamy. Rich. A damn near perfect texture for a stout.

Overall: A very good solid stout. Would recommend.

Mar 30, 2020

stevoj from Idaho

3.72/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle. Near black pour, cola colored, light beige head fades. Sweet, roasty aroma, coffee. Taste also features coffee, light roast, minor sweetness. Finishes dry, light stickiness.

Mar 29, 2020

flyingpig from Scotland

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

330ml bottle from Beerhawk online shop (£3.69):
Dark & opaque, bordering on black with a thumb-sized, bubbly beige head that's turns to a patchy surface lacing. It's sweet on the nose, almost like a foreign extra stout that has some vanilla to go with the coffee & darker malts. Dark fruits with an alcohol backing follow whilst the taste is mainly coffee & chocolate with the usual dark malts & sugars too. It was well-carbonated & slightly fizzy with a medium body & semi-sweet finish.

Jan 16, 2020

JonnoWillsteed from England

3.7/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Filtered, so zero sediment to be concerned about.
L- One of the darkest beers I've seen; held right by a halogen bulb all I get through the black is an occasional thin flash of ultra deep ruby red. Pours with 1Cm deep tan/caramel coloured fine-bubble head. Also notable as one of the darkest heads I've seen.
S- Clear pungent coffee notes together with a some smoke.
T- Coffee, smoke, sooty log ash from a fireplace. Sip2 and boom the coffee soars.
F- The richness is enough to stop the coffee/smoke overpowering. The Feel might be best suited to winter, as a slow-sipping beer.
O- I think you need to enjoy notably strong black coffee to have a chance with this, as it's the big and central focus here. I start the day with a couple of espressos so that flavour is ok for me. [My wife drinks tea, but also has an occasional coffee with milk and sugar and she found the espresso notes way to pungent/blunt for her. To be clear: Her view is not reflected in my ratings.] It's very different, interesting to try and as usual with Hitachino Nest shows exceptional skill in it's recipe and crafting. That said, it's that idiosyncratic I'm not sure I'd buy again due to it's pretty off-the-scale pungent flavour.
330ml bottle: BB: 12/20. Bought from Beerhawk/UK

Nov 28, 2019

mintzmeet from Washington

3.13/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Dark orange head, super strange! Dark black color. Little bitter. Head dissipates quickly. Burnt coffee flavor. Not very creamy, but it’s not bad! “A deep and profound stout brewed with well-roasted coffee beans.”

Sep 13, 2019

Cramshawbar from Canada (ON)

3.07/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bitter nose and bitter taste. That is how I don't like my coffee stout. But that is exactly what you get here. Burned coffee beans. Regular stout lovers may enjoy it more, but those who prefer Peche Mortel or Founders KBS, will probably not.
Having said that, Hitachino did a relatively good job replicating the style...even if there is no head retention and there is a bit of stickiness. Okay. I seem to be bashing more than giving kudos, so I will just quit at this point.

May 04, 2019

GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.09/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Black liquid; some light passes at the edges.

Nice khaki head; nice lacing.

Coffee beans & milk chocolate smell. Inviting.

Thick mouthfeel.

The flavor is a touch more muted than the smell; nice espresso & milk chocolate but surprisingly easy to drink.

A tasty beer with a big nose. I'll return for more.

Apr 07, 2019

HoppingMadMonk from New Jersey

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Medium light carbonation , slightly above average body with a bit of a oily feel
Aroma is a mix of espresso, fresh black coffee,and roasted malts
Taste is rich,like a shot of espresso backed up by dark and milk chocolate, and roasted malt

Dec 02, 2018

MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

3.94/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 11.2oz bottle into glass. Stamped on back label is 'ES.18.04Q'.
Black colored body, with a sliver of a dark brown edge when back lit. Aggressive pour yields a light tan head, which settles down to a thick, creamy cap. Leaves behind a few scattered spots of lacing.
Aroma of dark roasted malts and roasted sweet/sour espresso beans. Traces of chocolate and vanilla.
Front part of the taste profile is sweet malts (including sweet prune), followed by dark roasted espresso beans. Not very bitter, but the espresso lingers. Again there are traces of chocolate but the vanilla is missing.
First impression for mouth feel is rather thin, but the creamy follow through mitigates this. Good carbonation.
I enjoyed this quite a bit, which was a surprise because this is the first Japanese stout I have sampled. Pleasant balance and depth of flavors between the malts and the espresso beans. Certainly the end taste is that of drinking an espresso.

Nov 14, 2018

AWolfAtTheDoor from Washington

3.4/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

This was part of a 6 pack sampler that I got for my birthday in 2017.

Pours jet black opaque into my clean back-up snifter (primary is dirty). Huge mocha colored head after pouring rather vigorously. Nice lacing throughout session.

Nose is a mixture of chocolate, and a sherry like sweetness. Oxygen may have snuck into the bottle over time, or it might be old. No bottle date, not sure how old this is.

Taste is a mix of bitter chalky chocolate, and more of a punchy sweetness, that again reminds me of age or oxidation.

Overall this beer is a little rough around the edges. There a sharpness and sweetness war in my mouth, and it's not a pleasant experience. I'm hoping this was an old or poorly handled bottle, I would not seek this out again.

Nov 11, 2018

josanguapo from Spain

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

From Estucerveza. In Teku glass. Playing Avernum 4. 23 months after bb date. Delicious roasty notes with light coffee and a pleasant swetness. High carbonation. To repeat fresh.

Sep 25, 2018

dertyd from California

3.59/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

The beer pours out black in the glass, with 1 finger of coffee creamer colored head and lots of sediment------------ the aromas are of roasted coffee, sweet vanilla and chocolate---------- the flavors are of light coffee, roasted malts and chocolate, the beer has a thin mouthfeel with a roasted bitter finish------------- overall this beer was good - this beer had nice flavors but everything was just way to light--

Sep 01, 2018

BlackBeerPirate from Illinois

3.76/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Taste: bold, smokey, dry finish, roasted coffee beans, molasses, tobacco, slight salty notes, Nose is sweeter than taste, roasted dark brew. Black, completely opaque, tan foam head with some lace. Full but oily body.

May 07, 2018

ThisWangsChung from Maryland

3.89/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

This is an espresso stout through and through, but the dominant aromatic note is dark chocolate. Luscious, luxurious dark chocolate, I might add. There are minor twinges of stone and dark fruits, as well as a nice secondary note of the advertised espresso. The aroma in general is nuanced nicely, yet the flavor profile follows nicely. Opening up with notes of toasted bread and faint cherry, it gives way to powerful dark chocolate, caramel, and espresso. Dark cherry touches return on the back end. Not only is it solidly deep, it's also very dry on the palate (the attenuation here is downright superb). It's a bit thin, but it's nicely soft and creamy the same (and at the end of the day, There's also a lot of carbonation, though it doesn't really detract much. This is a damn solid coffee stout, even if the espresso isn't center stage here. It's deeper than the average example while remaining incredibly easygoing. I'd definitely buy this one again, and if it's on tap - even better!

3.89/5: A Japanese coffee stout that can hang with many rock-solid American examples

May 06, 2018

Frudel from Canada (QC)

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle bought at Library Cafe in Kanchanaburi, Thailand.
I was pretty amazed to find craftbeers in Thailand. I decided to grab this one and I didn’t regret it.

Dark chocolate and coffee smells.
Delightful mix of roasted malt, dark chocolate and coffee beans, small notes of dark fruits.
First beer tasted from Japan. Amazing!

Jan 11, 2018

Vader444 from Scotland

4.33/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle poured into 2/3 pint glass. BB 03/18.

Hmmm. This is a really good coffee stout. Really rich and roasty with dark chocolate, a bit of black cherry and a tonne of fresh coffee. Thickish mouthfeel and an everlasting finish. Impressive stuff from Kiuchi Brewery. Love it. Cheers!

Aug 21, 2017

EmperorBevis from England

3.93/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled
Pours ajet black body with decent enough tan head
Aroma is full on fresh coffee with a hint of scotch bonnet
Sweet dark prickly java flavour backed up with solid body

Aug 03, 2017

Lucaskowalik from Canada (AB)

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 11.2 ox bottle into a snifter
L- Deep chocolate brown with high carbonation and a mocha head. Almost has the appearance of actual coffee rather than stout. Even has visible pieces of espresso beans floating around inside.
S- Primarily espresso and dark chocolate, as well as vanilla, caramel, dark fruit, yeast, molasses, nutmeg, and cinnamon
T- Flavor is intense and basically the same as smell but with even more emphasis on the espresso.
F- The mouthfeel is nearly identical to a cup of espresso. it has a nice amount of dry bitterness to balance out its sweet notes.
O- Probably the best espresso stout I've had. It is nearly identical to real espresso in every aspect, even having similar nuances to it's flavor. This would be an excellent beer to have with breakfast so I will have to hunt down another bottle.

May 21, 2017

zander4dawin from Texas

3.99/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Beautiful dark beer, basically a zero head beer, sparse perally tan bubbles. Bitter espresso flavors and a slick easy drinking mouthfeel. Body isn't overly heavy.

Apr 16, 2017