Hitachino Nest New Year Celebration Ale

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Pours a clear golden orange with a foamy head that fades to nothing. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, honey, and slight spice aromas. Taste is much the same with honey and spice flavors on the finish, not getting the vanilla anywhere. Overall, this is an ok beer, not much going on.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

from notes: I think the vanilla beans make this beer. What would have been a slightly better than average spiced ale becomes something odd, but tasty, and of a high level of complexity. Quite nice, though maybe still a one timer.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

pours a dark and brownish amber color with the head quickly dissipating and very little to no lacing. The aroma was of a strong vanilla smell with a variety of spices such as cinnamon and some orange. The taste was similar to the aroma with the vanilla dominating over most of the pallate while it's buoyed by the spices. The orange taste is very weak and tends be dominated by the other tastes. The mouthfeel has no carbonation and a smooth body.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Had this on tap at the Brasserie V tonight: Nice brew for sure. Brigt clear reddish amber with little froth. Soft fruit and smelly good spices. Love is abounding and can't ignore the freshness of this brew. Love it. What is the colour of the world? Harmonica cue..

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

A deep amber to brown color with a large beige head. The aroma oddly reminds me of Trois Pistoles. A yeasty presence with some coriander, nutmeg, caramel, toffee, and some spices. Freaking amazing! The flavor is very complex with some citrus, caramel, cinammon, vanilla, toffee, and other spices. The mouthfeel is carbonated. BURP! I’m against the grain here but I really do love this beer.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Poured a deep cloudy amber color ale with a nice off-white foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of nutmeg and cinnamon is well balance with the sweet caramel malt profile. Taste is a mix between some deep caramel malt with loads of spices which may includes cinnamon and nutmeg. Body is full and beer is very rich with no apparent alcohol and some good carbonation. I very much enjoy this one even though it is quite filling and wouldn’t drink more then one at a time. I ma starting to really enjoy beer from this brewery and looking forward to more discovery.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Poured a cloudy/murky orange brown color with a nice initial white head, very good retention, weak lacing. The aroma was interesting, light caramel malts, oranges, coriander, some nutmeg, increasing levels of vanilla with temperature. Man, just like the bottle says, and the flavor follows suit, vanilla coming on much stronger with warmer temperatures (at one point, ALMOST too much), oranges most prevalent in the background (no caramel), coriander, and finishing with a significant resinous hop presence. Mouthfeel was full-bodied. A nice concoction, far superior to your average "spice" beer. A nice IPA-spiced type combo by my senses.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

This is a heavily haze reddish brown with a large head that eventually fades to a foam ring and a faint weather pattern. Fairly heavy spicing in the aroma. A slightly metallic bitterness in the flavor. I'm kind of indifferent on this one.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

2006 here @ 9% abv....there IS good beer from Japan. And this had an auburn-orange color, hazy, with a creamy head. The smell offers butterscotchy malt, yeasty, and like fermented apple....Just the right amount of hops-perfect. Taste has a hint of spice, dried citrus, some yeast dryness. A nice grainy backdrop behind a bit of candy sweetness. Mouthfeel is right there with it. hmmm. nice blend....I can hitachino nest up with this!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Hitachino Nest Celebration Ale 2005 poured a nice amber colored body with a small head. The aroma was sweet and spiced. The taste was excellent with hints of coriander, orange peel, nutmeg and vanilla blended nicely. Excellent brew from Japan.