Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Brew Ale, an unlisted offering from Hitachino Nest Brewing, settled a thick, hazy brown in the glass, with moderate carbonation briefly forcing a thin white head. The nose carried spicy ginger, cloves, and candied sugar over a sweet, cookie-like malt.
Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Brew Ale opened with spicy, ginger snap crackers and a balanced “sweet but dry” malt backbone. Ginger was always detectable, but never made its way to the front of the mouth. The ale ends on a peppery and slightly heated dry fade, made slightly tart by the carbonation.
Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Ale is a fine and (mostly) restrained example of subtle use of special ingredients. All in all, the ale is a great ale but, sadly, priced to reflect the relative low supply and import costs.
