This review for Hitachino Nest Lager has been a long time coming- I first tried it during the interview at Kiuchi Brewery in 2014 – seems such a long time ago. Back then, I was told to keep it under wraps as they wanted to surprise people before putting it into bottles. Hitachino Nest Lager is a pilsner style beer, available all year round, and has an abv of 5.5% and an IBU of 20.
Finally in bottled form…
Hitachino Nest Lager Aroma and Taste
It surprised me that it took so long for Kiuchi Brewery to make a pilsner – I mean, pretty much every other brewery in Japan, be it large or small, makes a pilsner or something similar. Kiuchi Brewery have pretty much every popular style going so it’s nice to finally see their take on a pilsner beer.
Having had the Hitachino Nest Lager on draught at Hitachino Brewing Lab in Akihabara earlier on this year, it was great to see the bottled form strongly resemble the on-tap version of it. It had a golden, straw-like colour to it and a thin amount of white head on top, which clung to the side of the glass as the beer went down. Unlike other big-selling pilsners, Hitachino Nest Lager had a fruity aroma to it that was a bit on the sweet side for me, yet it wasn’t as overpowering as I thought it was going to be. There was also some hoppiness to it as well, unexpected with a low IBU but a welcome addition.
Drinking Hitachino Nest Lager reminded me that I enjoy drinking pilsners. A strange comment to make, but after recently going back and trying some Kirin, Suntory, and Asahi, I found I had lost my interest in them due to, well, blandness compared to the beers I had been drinking beforehand. Hitachino Nest Lager took the pilsner recipe and injected some life into a tired style of beer. The sweetness from the malt and slight twinge of bitterness worked well, though the sweetness did develop too much for my enjoyment. It was very easy drinking though, and before I knew it, the bottle had been sunk.
Hitachino Nest Lager One Line Review
Hitachino Nest Lager is a fruity twist on a style of beer that needs some reinventing in Japan, but it is a little expensive for what it is.
Where to Buy Hitachino Nest Lager
Hitachino Nest Lager can be bought online at the following places:
