Alright, I've got another review. This time something a little more unique. I was in SF yesterday with my sister and some friends and we stopped at a Japanese place for some Saturday happy hour. Many a drinks were had, but most were just Sapporo. However, this bottle caught my eye:
Hitachino Nest White Ale. It's brewed in Japan, but it seems to be along the same lines of classic Belgian White Ales. It's 5% ABV. I paid $7 per 21/oz bottle at the bar.
It pours the same color as a traditional white. Kind of a hazy straw and orange color. There was a little head to this beer, maybe 2 fingers worth, and there wasn't much lacing.
It's aroma was unique and very strong. Spicy with coriander and some citrus, but I think I picked up on some veggie influence, too. My guess is cucumber (editor's note: after writing this review I poked around beer advocate and I didn't find any veggie remarks. I could be off here).
It tasted very good. A variety of spices to go along with the crisp citrus flavor (mostly lemon). There's a little sourness in there, but not much. It has a very light consistency, almost creamy, and a good amount of carbonation. Goes down smooth and isn't very filling.
Overall, I think this is a [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] beer, maybe even 4.5. I liked it enough to buy 2 bottles of it. I'm going to try to find it again and just focus on the beer, as on this occasion it complimented a myriad of appetizers. I think there's more to this beer than my review from memory indicates.