Hitachino Nest Extra High (XH)
A- Pours a cloudy copper with a very generous beige head. Nice-looking beer. S- Sour and metallic at first with a vinegary aroma. As it warms a sweet, sugary character emerges. Interesting mix or sweet and sour. T- Starts out tart with vinegar and green apple. Some sweetness emerges along with a woody character. Finishes fairly dry with an earthy bitterness. M- Smooth medium body and a little fizzy. D- This is quite the complex beer and certainly not a quaffer, but certainly a very enjoyable sipper. An interesting beer that is strongly reminiscent of an Oud Bruin in my opinion. In fact, had I tasted this blind, I'm almost certain that's the style I'd have assigned it. I'm not very familiar with sake, so I don't know how much the flavor was influenced by the sake cask aging. It's well worth the try, especially for fans of slightly sour beers. Recommended.