Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Brew - Kiuchi Brewery

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

1.83/5  rDev -49.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

330ml bottle poured into a mug.

A - Poured a cloudy copper with a 1cm creamy head that quickly reduced to a thin bubbly cap.

S - Sweet malts, ginger and savoury herbs. It's interesting and different. Not what I was expecting but it wasn't offensive.

T - Sweet, spicy, gingery, a bit salty and an unpleasant bitter finish. Similar to the aroma but it didn't taste too good.

M - Flat, bland & rustic. It could use more carbonation.

D - I love ginger. I love cooking with it. I love eating it. I love drinking it. Just really not loving drinking this one. Halfway through the drink down the drain it went.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2010 23:14:17 | More by decimator

Hoagie1973

New York

1.95/5  rDev -46.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 1.5

Very cloudy apple-cider brown with plenty of sediment floaters. Nicely fluffy buttery head. Decent retention with good stick.

Smells sweet and gingery. Almost like a Canada Dry. If I was blindfolded and someone held this under my nose, I'm not sure I would be able to tell that it's beer.

Flavor isn't quite so dominated. A good rounded malt presence is there, and even a little hops that show up in the finish with a mild bitterness, but mostly sweet sugary ginger and fruit (maybe apricot). Not sure I'm digging this, but it is interesting.

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. Medium body.

I want to give this beer a better grade for the effort, but the fact of the matter is that I had trouble finishing it. It's just too damn sweet. I'm glad for having tried it, but wouldn't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2009 23:30:52 | More by Hoagie1973

Brad007

Vermont

2.15/5  rDev -41.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Pours a nice dark red color with a one-finger head into my fluted glass. Not sure what to expect for color but it's good looking.

Aroma is sweet with a hint of mild spice, possibly ginger in the nose. Too hard to tell by aroma. Need to taste it.

Taste is both sweet and and a bit spicy to a point where it's nearly overwhelming, possibly cloying. Has a feel reminiscent of soy sauce.

Mouthfeel is full of a mix of ginger and soy sauce. Still quite cloying. Undesirable taste. Dry and tangy at the back of the throat.

Avoid. It tries but certainly fails.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2009 06:11:37 | More by Brad007

Finkel

Pennsylvania

2.3/5  rDev -37%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

The beer poured very nice and looked great. The brownish orange opaque color was thick and was perfectly complemented with a chunky looking head. It was pretty and it looked delicious.

However, I was extremely grossed out by the smell. The earthy aromas and unknown spices tingled my nose. Additionally, although I can't specify by name, I could smell scents that I could find only in an Asian supermarket. Forget about the ginger smell, I couldn't bare trying to look for it.

It tasted slightly dirty with a mix of ginger and apricots. With all the other weird earthy tones, my guess is that this is what a bird's nest tasted like. On a positive note, the mouth feel was creamy and thick, just as it looked.

I had to chug the rest of this down just for the sake of finishing it, but found that to be a regrettable move; just...disgusting.

I really tried to be open-minded with this one. Oh well, at least now I know this is not my kind of beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2008 05:03:32 | More by Finkel

homohabilis

Washington

2.3/5  rDev -37%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

wowee.
so, i've rather enjoyed every other hitachino product i've sampled in the past. every single one. this, unfortunately, is the exception.
i've been on a bit of a ginger kick recently, thanks to a lingering cold from a month or so back. so when i saw this at QFC, i figured i'd give it a shot.
poured into a troubadour chalice with a blossoming orangey head. i had to slurp it down because the foam rose up like a mushroom cloud.
the smell was unidentifiably spicy and earthy. i suppose i could smell ginger.
first sip was very gingery. then all i could taste was sweet vermouth. that flavor got stronger the more the beer warmed. all i could think was that i was drinking a huge glass of sweet vermouth. herbs and spices and faint sweetness with a puckering bitterness in the finish. not my thing, exactly. i guess if you like sweet vermouth - i mean REALLY like sweet vermouth - , you'll dig this.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2008 12:26:18 | More by homohabilis

Ego

New Jersey

2.35/5  rDev -35.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

eyes...
head retreats quickly, forms an o-ring with an island in the middle, lacing is very spotty, murky brown/orange hue. nothing special.

nose...
ginger and spice, sweetness (almost too much). while interesting this isn't that appetizing to me, some caramel tones can be found as well

taste etc...
the ginger is so overpowering I almost lurched on the first sip, jarring, it tastes like flat soda, the sickly sweet/ginger flavor is pretty hard to take. It is semi-light in the mouth in terms of pallet presence. This is WAY too sweet for me....

verdict?
I couldn't finish this one... it really goes against me.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2007 03:36:28 | More by Ego

SFLpunk

Vermont

2.35/5  rDev -35.6%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

11.2oz brown glass pry-top bottle. G.09.12 printed on the label.

Appearance: Pours a hazy amber with some golden hues around the rim. Almost no head.

Nose: Just ginger. Ginger and more ginger. Period.

Palate: Crisp with lots of spicy ginger surprising enough. Somewhat floral and earthy. Simple.

Notes: Meh. Ginger beer. Wish it was carbonated...

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2010 02:19:33 | More by SFLpunk

jocosa

Georgia

2.35/5  rDev -35.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Was expecting much much more from this one. The aroma was of sugars and syrup. Just a bit too sweet for me as far as a beer goes. Great color and nice head, which settled down so a nice thin ring around the surface. I can't think of anything to pair with it, so it'll probably be a drain pour. Will think about trying this one again if I know it's a fresher batch (which may not be for a while), the shop I purchased this from often has outdated brews on the shelves.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 22:54:33 | More by jocosa

BostonHops

Massachusetts

2.38/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

11.2oz bottle served in an oversized wineglass.

pours a hazy amber tone; about a finger of white head with mediocre retention, lacing.

who woulda thunk it: ginger leads the way in the nose... notes of caramel malts and a bit of spice, yeast round out the aroma. an intruiging (in a good way) smelling brew.

taste takes a step back. two steps, maybe three. the ginger pulls through, of course, along with some caramel malt, but i find the beer to be overly sweet, almost cloyingly so, with an accompanying tartness that IMO just doesn't jibe with the flavor profile. a bitter, pucker-inducing finish. not a drainpour, but a disappointment. somewhat creamy, medium-bodied mouthfeel.

while i'd be open to sampling other offerings from the brewery, this particular beer just isn't for me. i may have to retract my earlier drainpour comment.

original review on: 09-21-2010

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 06:56:17 | More by BostonHops

devils3cups

Pennsylvania

2.48/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

OMG what a funky tasting beer!
Seriously when they say Nest beer they mean it.
I tasted what only can be described as NEST flavor not ginger.
Imagine straw mixed with owl spit and shit and you have the idea.
They say ginger, but this wasn't ginger, it was OWL. LOL

The smell honestly smelled like an Asian market. So overwhelming. Each time I dove in for a sip I had to smell it over and over again.

That beer haunts my tongue an my nose.

But, here's the deal, I could tell that it was a well crafted beer. Behind all the OWL there was a good beer in there. This beer is very pretty. Nice head that sticks for the entire beer and the color is inspiring. Not to mention the mouth feel. It just felt right; nice and viscous. Imagine the mouth feel on a 90 minute and you have the idea. Malty backbone too.

I've had another beer from them and I don't doubt that they are a decent brewery, but WOW that was toooo much!

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2008 17:49:46 | More by devils3cups

perrymarcus

Massachusetts

2.48/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

11.2oz bottle served in an oversized wineglass.

pours a hazy amber tone; about a finger of white head with mediocre retention, lacing.

who woulda thunk it: ginger leads the way in the nose... notes of caramel malts and a bit of spice, yeast round out the aroma. an intruiging (in a good way) smelling brew.

taste takes a step back. two steps. maybe three. the ginger pulls through, of course, but i find the beer to be overly sweet, almost cloyingly so, with an accompanying tartness that IMO just doesn't jibe with the flavor profile. a bitter, pucker-inducing finish. not a drain pour, but a bit of a disappointment.

somewhat creamy, medium-bodied mouthfeel. obviously i'm not going to find this one very drinkable. i'd be open to sampling other offerings from the brewery, but this particular beer just isn't for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2010 01:59:05 | More by perrymarcus

skrib09

Missouri

2.53/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

well aged bottle.

looks striking amber with haze and an off white head forming. really strong carbonation even off of the age.

punch in the nose with ginger and some sweetness.

strong ginger ale likeness over powers any ale in the beer. it tastes like boiled down vernons with carbonation.

i can't get over the "syrup" i get in the nose and on the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2009 22:06:35 | More by skrib09

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

2.6/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

This bottle was bought maybe six months ago. There was a ginger ginsing aroma whafting from the mushroom cloud head on a dark yellow body. But the taste was a skunky medicine disaster,it had an stringent finish. medium mouthfeel,and really not too drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2009 03:12:43 | More by northyorksammy

PretzelCity

California

2.68/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured a nice cloudy golden brown with a thin off white head. As for the smell, yep, it's made with ginger. It's noticeable in the taste as well. A little too noticeable for me. It's intense. Then I realize the beer is cloudy with pieces of ginger. Lots of em. I tried hard but just couldn't finish this one and had to send it seaward. This one is for the true ginger lover, not necessarily the true beer lover.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2008 22:25:04 | More by PretzelCity

Macca

Australia

2.68/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This pours a dark cloudy orange amber colour with small beige head

The ginger isn't as dominant on the nose as I was expecting. It's a fuller ginger aroma rather than something sharp. Some nice malt notes too.

Hardly any ginger coming through on the palate. Some sweet maltiness and yeasty spiciness but that is it. Too sweet for mine.

The alcohol is quite upfront.

Disappointed with this. Everything seems out of balance.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 08:20:45 | More by Macca

eat

Quebec (Canada)

2.73/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

An opaque ruddy amber body holds a sparse, frothy cream-coloured head.

Lots of caramel malt up front, with subtler-than-expected powdered ginger sneaking up underneath. Flowers, peppercorns, nutmeg, a little alcohol. The nose reminds me a little of a saison. I'm left wanting lots more presence here.

Thin on taste, a too-high alcohol presence and less ginger flavour than you would expect given a name like this. Sweet dark malt (reminds me a bit of a malt from a bock), alcohol, characterless bitterness and light powdered ginger. Not too well balanced nor is it at all interesting. Light drying bitterness and malt-liquor alcohol on the finish.

It looked watery on the pour and lo and behold...it is watery. Lightly carbonated. Not a good feel, but I guess it at least pairs well with the other elements of this strange brew.

I'm not into this one; glad I only bought the one bottle out of curiosity. Of all the Hitachino Nest offerings the LCBO could have brought in, why did they choose this one?

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 05:45:28 | More by eat

Damian

Massachusetts

2.75/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Drank from an 11.2 fl. oz. bottle purchased at Formaggio Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Hitachino does it again with their amazing bottle graphics. This time, the label features a toddler-ish looking boy with a head in the shape of a ginger root. To top it off, he is smiling and holding a beer. (Talk about pushing the envelope!)

The beer itself poured a dark, murky, rust color with a frothy, one-finger head that quickly disappeared. These was no residual film or lacing whatsoever. In fact, the beer appeared to be completely flat. Pieces of white granules were seen floating throughout (Unbeknown to me, this beer apparently is bottle conditioned.)

The aroma was pleasantly sweet and boozy. Ginger and allspice were quite apparent, along with ripe fruits and sweet caramel malts. Brown sugar also came out as the beer warmed, lending a rum-like quality to the nose. The taste however was rather sharp and harsh. Rich malts and notes of mild ginger were noticeable up front before the beer turned overly spicy and slightly acidic mid-palate. The finish was sharply alcoholic and harshly acidic as well.

The mouthfeel was absolutely terrible. When the liquid hit my tongue, it immediately turned to a bubbly, airy froth.

As with all the other Hitachino beers I have sampled, this was an utter disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2007 01:47:55 | More by Damian

BrewerB

California

2.9/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Hazy, amber liquid fills the cup. Thin off-white foam formed but dissipated very quickly. Toast malts and gingerbread cookies tingle the nose. Hops might be present but having difficulty locating them. Cup yields very mild spicy notes with heavier emphasis on the bready, sweet croissant-like flavor. Low floral hop presence. Ginger spice notes more prevalent as the beer warms. Medium-light bodied with a moderate carbonation.

For a beer labeled "Real Ginger" I'd expect more of a spicy presence. Hard to pick it out although it did assert itself more as the beer warmed.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 17:32:17 | More by BrewerB

CrazyDavros

Australia

2.9/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours hazy dark amber with a small head.
Nose shows ginger, biscuit-like malt along with a soft spicy note.
More ginger in the flavours, but not dominant; there's also some faint bready malt. A bit of herbal astringency shows later. The base beer doesn't seem that great.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 10:26:01 | More by CrazyDavros

CHickman

New York

2.93/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours hazy copper in color with a small creamy tan head that faded quickly; good spotty lacing that clings to the glass.

Smells of ginger, herbs, sweet malt, yeast and light caramel; pretty funky aroma that's sweet and spicy.

Taste is really strange, but decent to good; flavor is a mix of sweet malt, ginger, pepper, floral hops, flowers, herbs, caramel, coriander, lemon zest, orange peel, yeast, grass, sour apple and sour berries like blackberry; the funky yeast aftertaste was sour and metallic and sent mixed signals - didn't know if I was really loving this beer or really hating this beer as it went down. The 7% ABV was very well hidden.

Mouthfeel with smooth, light and crisp, with light carbonation and a refreshing sensation overall. Low drinkability; this was a nice experiment, but not a beer I'd seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 04:02:32 | More by CHickman

Billolick

New York

3.03/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Tried this rarity on tap at the Lazy Boy in White Plains NY. I sampled it before I went for a pint, it tasted pretty good, sort of "interesting" after a few sips I knew I had made a mistake. This is heavy very flavorful brew, usually not a bad thing, but here were talking lots of ginger, lots of mint, clove, spruce, pine etc. This stuf was just plain nasty IMHO. To much personality, here equals tough to drink. Over the top in the "herbed/spiced" department for my palate.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2006 21:59:08 | More by Billolick

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.03/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance. Poured a cloudy copper with a half-finger head that quickly fell to a film. Minimal lacing.

Smell. Herbal ginger. A little toasty malt.

Taste. A little sweet, dry spicy ginger. Hint of hops at the end?

Mouthfeel. Medium-low carbonation.

Drinkability. Not a great drinker. A little too herby.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 02:03:52 | More by Rutager

sloejams

California

3.08/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Being a big fan of most Hitachino beers, I was surprised to see this one in a club in Chicago. I couldn't really tell what it was from the bar, only saw a Hitachino that I haven't had before and that was enough for me.

Thankfully the bartender did me right by pouring it into a pint glass. The aroma was nutty with an obvious ginger kick. The taste was more sutle until the finish which was all ginger. It was interesting to drink one, but I think all that ginger wouldn't be great for more than that.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2007 00:01:46 | More by sloejams

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

(Served in an American pint glass)

A- This beer has a dark brown clear body with a reddish hue to it. There is a thin tan creamy head that sits on top for a bit and a strong carbonation.

S- This beer has a spicy dry ginger note with a light caramel malt note in the background. The ginger was the main aroma.

T- This beer has a spicy and slightly sweet ginger bite to it that controls most of the flavor. The ginger heat hangs on your breath after each sip. There are some very light notes of malt in the background when it warms but they are pretty faint.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a slight ginger heat but not alcohol heat in the finish.

D- This beer has to much ginger and not enough supporting flavors. I like ginger but I just couldn't find the beer in this glass.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2007 19:51:46 | More by rhoadsrage

jampics2

Ohio

3.1/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Sample shared @ Arp's B-Day party.

Looks nice in the glass. Amber color, no real lace or head to speak of, though.

Smells of ginger, honey, pale malt, and a touch of crackery malt.

Taste is weird. The ginger in the nose has dissapeared. Strange brew here, not really a herbed/spiced, I'd call it more of an amber. Some caramel malt and perhaps a hint of tart fruit. Strangeness abounding here.

Mouthfeel was actually creamy, medium body. Seems out of place. This is one odd-ball brew.

Despite the weird disconnect between the nose, tongue, and mouth this beer was remarkably average. Not offensive, but nothing worth wasting one's time drinking IMO. Sorry for the short review, but I'd rather not waste my time or creative energy BS'ing about this. Would not drink again unless other available brews are few and far between.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2010 17:12:07 | More by jampics2