Hitachino Amber Ale Nest Beer - Kiuchi Brewery (Japan - Ibaraki) 6.0%

Hitachino Amber Ale Nest Beer - Kiuchi Brewery (Japan - Ibaraki) 6.0%

A very dark amber, more like a red-tinted chestnut colour in a glass with a big head of off-white foam that leaves behind fairly nice lacing. The aroma is one of grain and malt, with some sweetness, some caramelization, some hops, a bit of honey and a hint of something faintly citrusy.

The taste is sweet and caramelized but also quite pleasantly hoppy and bitter with some resiny cedar tones and an umami finish that is ever so slightly metallic. This is a bit more easy drinking and lighter on the citrusy and floral hops than an American Amber but it still has a nice bitter hops bite. Kiuchi Brewery's Hitachino Amber Ale Nest Beer would pair well with lots of foods because of it robust flavour and palate cleansing bitterness; quite a nice beer and my favourite out of the three from Kiuchi that I have tried.

Hitachino White Ale Nest Beer - Kiuchi Brewery (Japan - Ibaraki) 5.5%

Hitachino White Ale Nest Beer - Kiuchi Brewery (Japan - Ibaraki) 5.5%

A cloudy, glowing gold colour in a glass with a white head with fairly good resilience. A slight pine hops touch to the wheat aroma of cloves and spice, with some papaya and orange touches: a positively delectable aroma.

The expected (and tasty) white ale flavours are there, seeds of paradise and coriander, and orange zest, as well as papaya, some spice and a fairly bitter taste from that same hops flavour of pine that I detected in the aroma. The bitterness depends on how much sediment ends up in your glass. I got a fair amount so I found Hitachino White Ale Nest Beer ended up tasting like an American White Ale but a pour that leaves more sediment in the bottle may present a more classic white ale, sweet and fruity. After reading the label I realized I could pick up a little of the nutmeg they have used too, it's probably the source of some of the spicy touch as well as some of the bitterness.

Hitachino Nest Beer Pale Ale - Kiuchi Brewery (Japan - Ibaraki) 5.5%

Hitachino Nest Beer Pale Ale - Kiuchi Brewery (Japan - Ibaraki) 5.5%

A light cedar hops and malt aroma. A pleasant looking burnt orange hue in a glass. This English style Pale Ale has a fairly bitter taste with a toasty and sweet malt flavour at first as well as a nutty edge. A dry hops character with some light cedar notes is late arriving, builds a little as you drink and rounds out the taste nicely. All in all a tasty beer. If you are in Japan and in the mood for a craft brewed beer this is a fine choice. I'm looking forward to trying the other two beers from Kiuchi Brewery my fiancee brought back for me when she returned from her recent foray to Japan.