Hitachino Nest

Hitachino Nest

       Don't ever say that I've never risked my life for you...ever!  This, boys and girls, is the first Asian brew that is going to be reviewed and what better place to start than Japan,  the masters of detail and tedium.   I might be saving you some time by saying this was a great, great beer, but maybe it was the radioactivity.  I feel stronger, faster, lighter, and there are growths in my wrists that are leaking a silky spider-web like substance.   Oh, never mind, the brewers, Kiuchi Brewery, are declaring that they're safe and no radioactivity has been found in any of their products.  On to the review then!

Appearance

    I loved the label.  I literally had a photo shoot with this bottle.

      Okay, so I'm not great with a camera, nor is my camera a DSLR or anything fancy.  But still, I like the label.  Nice colors, inviting, and the owl seems to say "hey, I know I'm surrounded by all these Europeans, but try me, taste good."  So I did.  Now after the pour, (which I did into my new sampling glass which I attained at a local L.A Beer Week I attended)  the brew came out a cloudy light orange color.  It reminded me of a Pineapple flavored fruit drink.  There was little to no head with hardly any consistency to hold the head together.  Aesthetically lacked, but doesn't bother me much.  Also the head didn't last a minute.  Through the white haze amidst the orange libation was a little stream of carbonation, but nothing worth going into too much detail.  Yeah, basically it looked like juice.

Smell

     The smell hits you pretty hard and is a great indicator of taste.  The smell was robust with coriander and light hints of sea salt  and other spices, pepper maybe?  Also present was the wheat smell that is present in most light ales, 'light' in terms of light and dark that is.  Based on smell alone, I would bet that this would be great with fish.  I mean, it's from Japan right?

Taste

     Yum, yum, yum, A+ on taste.  At first I was skeptical and I was a little over critical.  But midway through  I relaxed and just drank and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Part of the reason I chose this beer was because it was the last one on the shelf, and now I see why.  Again, the smell really corresponds to the taste--coriander, a light touch of other spices and herbs, a bit of salt, and a tang of sweet, maybe a fruit like orange, to finish it off.  The tastes, though, are not heavy at all and are actually 'dainty' on the tongue.  Thus making this beer a really tasty session (I forget the exact ABV but it's low, couldn't have be higher than five).    The balance is near perfect.

Mouthfeel

     The mouth feel is light and frothy.  Maybe that's why there's not much head.  Anyway the rest is similar to drinking a real fruit juice.  Strong taste in the beginning and drys a little at the end, making you want to take another sip.

Overall

     I like this beer and would suggest it to everyone.  Great taste but not the kind of taste where it punches you in the face and proclaims your tongue a province of whatever taste it is.  It comes  and goes and satisfies.  Just like the Japanese to have good balance and cute packaging.  Tell your friends about this one, it really is good and, I think, over looked.  So many beers out there dare you to taste them, but this one really just waits patiently for someone to take a chance and, no, it doesn't disappoint.