A Fourth Hitachino Nest

Back at Westover Market, we come across a variety we hadn’t tried from this Japanese brewery: Weizen. It’s crafted in the style of a German Hefeweizen, so we go in expecting yeastiness (hefe), malt (weiss/weizen or wheat in this case) and fruit. We aren’t disappointed: Worty aroma, more citrusy on the nose than the tongue; mild carbonation; fuller-bodied out of the bottle than the glass. Not much complexity here, the overall effect is kind of flattish. Would go well served with spicy grilled kabob or big-flavored kielbasa.

This beer is not in the same league as the excellent Hitachino Nest Classic Ale we reviewed earlier (see links below), but we’re glad we found it before the end of summer. Now we’re looking forward to stout season. And we’ll keep reviewing varieties from Hitachino whenever we’re lucky enough to come across one we haven’t tried.

More:
♦ Our mainstream Japanese beer taste test
♦ Our follow-up post on three more Hitachino Nest varieties
♦ Beer Advocate’s take on the Weizen