Hitachino Nest Beer Red Rice Ale

Hitachino Nest Beer Red Rice Ale

Style: Red Rice Ale

Alcohol Content: 7%

From: Naka, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan

Purchased From: Purchased from: Real Ale Shop, Richmond-Upon-Thames
http://hitachinonest.com/

Kiuchi Brewery (木内酒造) is a brewery in Naka, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 1823 and produces beer, sake, and shochu. Its products combine European beer-making technology with traditional Japanese brewing techniques; for example, its XH Hitachino Nest Beer is matured in shochu casks.

The Kiuchi Brewery was established in 1823 by Kiuchi Gihei, the headman of Kounosu village. His family were in charge of collecting rice from farmers as land taxes for the Mito Tokugawa family. He began his brewing with the idea of using the remaining rice stores in the warehouse. At this time the family brewed exclusively Sake. Mikio Kiuchi inherited the brewery in the 1950's. By the autumn of 1996, the Kiuchi Brewery started to brew beer under the brand "Hitachino Nest Beer" with their own unique owl character logo.  

So this is the first beer that i have reviewed from Japan and am very excited about it. I have always wanted to travel to Japan since taking a sociology module at university on Japanese history and culture. The only thing that has stopped me going has always been the cost. maybe one day i can convince Emma to take me. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. 

Colour: On the pour you will be presented with a beautiful pale copper ale, that if you hold up to the light, you will able to see a slight red hue. There is a bubbly white head with will dissipate to a light covering after five minutes.

Aroma: Notes of strawberries and raspberries present themselves instantly. Due to the high level of carbonation in the glass, you can also smell some of the carbon dioxide.

Body: I have now been reviewing beers for almost a year and during this time, I can not remember a beer more heavily carbonated as this Hitachino Nest. It is almost like a fizzy Fosters lager. Luckily, this does not translate into the body. The body is rather reminiscent of a bitter, nice and creamy which makes it extremely easy to drink. This type of body must be created from the red rice that is used in the brewing process.

Taste: The first thing you will taste will be the rich strawberries which are then cut through by a zesty lime. The aftertaste is an amazing mix of creamy rich pudding mixed with slightly sweet burnt caramel. Very tasty! This drink is not very bitter but you can certainly taste the alcohol, so if you buy some, drink it slowly.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/magic-hat-brewing-number-9-not-quite.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/williams-bros-fraoch-heather-ale.html

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