Hitachino Nest Extra High (XH) - Kiuchi Brewery

mcallister

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

An hazy amber pour. Almost looks like apple cider. A hard pour resulted no head yet some white particles whirlwind in the liquid.

Very nice aromas. Full of fruit ranging from apple and pear to some spicey orange peel notions. Big caramel and toffee backbone with a hint of vinegar. Big complex nose.

Man what a different beer. At first my thoughts were "what the hell is this" and now they are "this is some good shit". Thick buttered toffee mid palate with multiple fruit rushes from all angles. Tannin from the barrel is present in the early finish and dies out quickly. Dates and more buttery aspects but not diacetyl. Rotten pear and some old red apple flavor almost even cideresque. Mouth is slightly thin and silky but fits the beer nicely. So odd yet I could drink a couple on a cool fall evening.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2007 21:27:45 | More by mcallister

stewart124

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a hazy orange/amber color with a slight white lacy head.
Strong plum and raisin notes are present in the smell.

The taste is very sweet and the fruits are even stronger on the taste buds. Alcohol isn't too overpowering but is still noticeable. There is a warming feeling as this goes down. Hop presence is not very strong. Spicy notes of cinnamon hit the palate at the beginning and then leave a slight aftertaste that mesh well with the sweetness of raisins.

I'm not exactly sure what aging this beer in sake casks gave to the overall flavors but it is a nice strong ale. I think the initial taste and the aftertaste are quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2007 21:12:52 | More by stewart124

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to egajdzis for grabbing this...
Appears a semi-transparent, slightly hazed brown/orange with a small white head that slowly fades out. Spotty lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is rummy, hot, spicy, yeasty, full of ripe bananas, nectarines, brown sugar, and rum soaked raisins.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with highlights of ripe fruit, and caramel.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a sweet, plum-wine finish.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2007 16:23:24 | More by weeare138

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a squat fattie ($3.50 at Whole Foods) into a tumbler. The beer was dark copper colored and murky, with tons of yeastie floaters. The smell is robust with alcohol and a little sourness, not really the sake flavor I half expected (and I've tried a crapload of sake in my several short visits to Japan). The taste is very rich, malty and bitter and a little unique in the beer world. Almost Belgian-esque, a little sour with hints of cherries or plums. The mouthfeel is full even though there isn't a great deal of carbonation. A little too strongly bitter aftertaste for me to rate drinkability too high.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2007 18:37:57 | More by TurdFurgison

merlin48

Kentucky

3.48/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a dirty auburn brown body with a small beige head that quickly falls to a cap. Some rings of lace aound the snifter. Aroma of wood, sake, and fried rice. Mouthfeel is nice, medium body and crisp carbonation. Taste is better than the aroma with prominent oak wood tones and a faint note of berries. As it warms, the sake becomes dominant imparting some harsh alcohol which lasts into the finish. Not my favorite Hitachino Nest but one of the most interesting.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2007 12:58:43 | More by merlin48

msubulldog25

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Consumed on two occasions, 14 & 15 July, 2007. Poured each time from a 33cl bottle to a small, tall-sided cup. Aged in Shochu sake casks and labeled with a bold, golden 'XH' on a black background. Served at PIB 2007.

A: Slightly hazed amber/garnet with hints of ruby (wow - all 'jewel'-themed...). 1/2-finger of creamy, ivory-colored heady, a little soapy then tightening rapidly to a slim ring.

S: Big pungent woody aroma, acerbic. A hint of yeast with tart cherries.
Strong orange/citrus hops but mellowed with somewhat dominated by the vinous woodiness, vanilla and cherry imparted by the wood aging.

T: Tart like apples and cherries, smoke and wood tannins, vinous grapes, herbs including mint. Some sugars and caramel bring sweetness and turn over the flavors toward maltiness midway. A bourbon or scotch-like layered texture, with flavors rippling over the tongue, then clinging and warming. Finishes mostly dry. Really a nice, nice beer...

M: Quite smooth, velvety even. Some alcohol warming in that creaminess and some astringency from that sour/tannic wood. Medium body, low carbonation.

D: A sipping beer and one you would not have more than one of at a sitting. Warm and mellow in the mouth, evolving flavors, an intriguing and enticing aroma - this is one to sit with and savor. 'Strong Ale' or barrel-aged 'Barleywine' not sure exactly how this one was categorized...all I know is it's very good and I'd love to have it again.

DISCLAIMER: It's not often that I'll review a beer tasted at a Festival, but I'll make a handful of exceptions from the past weekend's Portland International Beerfest. This came from a 33cl bottle, chilled on ice and poured to a clear (plastic) 4 oz. tasting glass. As this was my wife's first pour on Saturday (which I wound up drinking most of...) and my first on Sunday (from 1 of 2 bottles set aside by the event organizers and sampled well after the rest of the limited stock had run out - thank you very much, Chris!), I started with a clean glass and palate both times, so I have no problem writing a 'proper' review.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2007 17:59:59 | More by msubulldog25

mnapier

Washington

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Service Temp, 40 degrees. Service Glass 12 ounce German Balloon Glass

Raising the glass the dark orange fluid let's little light shine through and through. As I swirl the glass around preparing to approach my nose I observe a mild white head with light lace across the inside of the glass.

Aroma, is apparent in regards to the oak and plum.

Taking several sips, I hit some slight dryness, some subtle citrus, but a continuation of the oak theme is still there only mildly. The ales overall presence on my tongue is a constant reminder I need to come back again and again with its resiny medium body.

Overall, a wonderfully tastey barrel aged (sake) & definitely different.

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2007 02:03:02 | More by mnapier

soulgrowl

United Kingdom (England)

4.15/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Deep, burnt cranberry ruby with a cherry juice-stained beige-tan head of fair size and poor retention.

Smell: A lovely cocktail of old world and new world hops, with lots of spicy resin notes, the sharp zest of grapefruit, all tied together with a nutty caramel malt base a bit of spicy yeast. Autumnal overall, with a warming vibe and an earthy, sweet-and-spicy tone. Alcohol hits the back of the nose with a deep whiff, but it is very clean and not overpowering at all.

Taste: Sweet and slick, not exactly imbalanced but the malts are definitely center stage. This might actually be better qualified as an English Barleywine than an American Strong Ale, because the malts carry a lot of caramel, honey, brown sugar, rum, and dark fruit notes with a finish of bitter cocoa, while the hops are comparatively subdued. Reminiscent of Crystal Pepsi with its mix of caramel, citrus, yeasty spice, and vanilla. But while this is sweet coming in, going out it is bitter and lush with hops, floral and herbal and lightly spicy with a lingering dry tang.

Mouthfeel: A tad thin but creamy and smooth. Carbonation develops along with the flavor, making the beer seem fuller and frothier as you chew.

Drinkability: Easy to drink and pleasant to savor despite its sweetness and ABV. Another winsome ale from Kiuchi.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2007 15:01:21 | More by soulgrowl

nouseforotacon

Connecticut

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one poured out with a strong aroma, noticeable throughout the pour, with a cola-like bottom containing a touch of red when held up to the light. The head was puffy, thick and tan, and slow to fall.

Sweet, extremely malty smell, with traces of alcohol. Floral/citrus profile present, decent balance.

Nice hop profile in the taste, very bitter, with a strong, powdery bittersweet chocolate character. Warm and dark, with a pleasantly creamy mouthfeel, and the citrus resurfacing as mild grapefruit.

ABV can creep up on you in this one, easy to drink with its medium body and well masked alcohol. Overall drinkability good, though the strong bitterness might throw some off. Definitely recommended for a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2006 22:27:14 | More by nouseforotacon

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330 mL brown glass bottle, capped. Date stamped on label was 03.06.14. This bottle was purchased in Hitachino's home prefecture (Ibaraki) on June 18, 2003. A Japanese friend translated the label for me: bottled on June 14, 2003, and for best freshness drink within 2 months, but it will still be good to drink for 9 months.

This ale poured a hazy golden amber color with white foam that settled and left a coat. The smell was a strong, "chewy", citrusy floral hops aroma - very nice. The taste was dominated by floral hops but with a good bit of malt sweetness to balance, and with some grapefruit (hops), caramel, and molasses in the mix. There was a pleasant hop bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel was dominated by the hops, with a little sharpness and dryness on the tongue. The body was medium full and the carbonation moderate. This was quite a suprisingly good ale bursting with hops.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2003 08:16:11 | More by UncleJimbo

Naerhu

Japan

2.65/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 1.5

Ingredients: Malts, Hops.
Aged from 6 months to 1 year (according to brewer's web site)

Initial tasting: 29 Dec 02
Amazing sweet aroma which I just cant put my finger on, not maple, like currant or cranberry. Deep ruddy brown color. Strong burnt fruit palate. Tame but always present bitterness. Good acidity.

Second tasting: 07 Feb 03
Same as above, but the alcohol is just overpowering. Can bearly drink it.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2002 04:06:01 | More by Naerhu