Hitachino Nest Extra High (XH)
Beer poured into a goblet. Has no freshness date on it. Beer is reddish brown and hazy. Forms a thick white head that falls away after a few minutes to a thin head that covers the top of the beer leaving behind a lot of lacing on the walls of the goblet. Aroma is a mixture between a nice lager and a Belgian ale. Clean and bright aroma, mixed in are some alcohol and a distinct spiciness. Beer is low bodied, much lower than I expected. Finishes cleanly. There is a definite flavor of alcohol and there is an odd bitterness and spice character. This could be from the barrels I suppose. I'm not a sake fan and this beer tastes nothing like sake. I'm not sure how well it picked up the flavors of the barrel. I am currently unsure which of their beers to compare it to. Oh well. Mouthfeel is a little odd, not much connectivity and the beer is really thin. Drinkability is OK. The beer gets better and the spice and bitterness makes more sense when the beer approaches room temperature. Wasn't my favorite.