Kiuchi Brewery - Hitachino Nest

Microbrewery in Naka, Ibaraki, Japan 🇯🇵
Associated with 4 Venues

Established in 1996

Contact
1257 Kounosu, Naka-shi, Naka, 311-0133, Japan
Description
Kiuchi Brewery (木内酒造) is a brewery in Naka, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 1823 by village headman Kiuchi Gihei as a sake and shochu producer. Craft beer production began in 1996 after a change in Japanese law governing micro brewing. A number of Kiuchi's products seek to combine European beer-making technology with traditional Japanese brewing techniques; for example, its XH Hitachino Nest Beer is matured in shochu casks.

     Show


6.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 6.5 Texture 6 Overall 6.5
Are almost our malt, spice, something I can't place and maybe rice. Flavors are similar to nose, sweet, tart with a little bitter. Tastes a little like homebrew. Mild carbonation and okay body.
Tried from Can from Belgian Style Ales / Monastery Greetings on 01 Oct 2025 at 00:30

5.6/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6.5 Flavor 5 Texture 6 Overall 5
Aromas are orange as soon as I open the can then later a hint of hops and some malt. Flavors are somewhat similar to nose, loses some of the orange and hops go kind of old resin.
Tried from Can from Belgian Style Ales / Monastery Greetings on 28 Sep 2025 at 22:49

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Utseende: Sort.
Lukt: Kaffe, lakris, kirsebær, sjoolade.
Smak: Kaffe, lakris, mørk sjokolade, kirsebær.
Skum/kullsyre: Tynt skum.
Medium: Rating:8-8-8-8-8=8, Bottle@330ml, ABV@7%, Når@2025.08.30.
Hvor: Kjøpt@Vinmonopolet Trondheim, Trondheim Torg, Nydt@Hjemme.
Navn: Espresso Stout
Stil: STOUT - PASTRY / FLAVOURED
Bryggeri: Kiuchi Brewery - Hitachino
Tried from Can from Vinmonopolet Trondheim, Trondheim Torg on 30 Aug 2025 at 20:49

7.5/10
Tried from Bottle on 24 Aug 2025 at 18:07

7/10
Happy birthday Kristina!
Tried from Can on 24 Aug 2025 at 13:19

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
It is a regular IPA, nothing sexy, but it is fully drinkable, bitter but not at the extreme, a bit buttery and malty, not so aromatic, 21.02.18, at Epalinge, relax.
Tried from Bottle from Sterk Avondverkoop on 15 Aug 2025 at 18:56

7/10
Been years since I've had a beer from this brewery. Thankfully tastes like beer, with a hefty amount of stated additives. I should've used a Japanese glass!
Tried from Bottle on 28 Jul 2025 at 23:36

6.1/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 5.5 Texture 8 Overall 5
Misted pale amber with a dense off-white head. Yuzu, pale malt (oxidized), bread, herbal notes. Litght sweet, light to medium bitterness. Not fresh anymore.
Tried from Can on 28 Jul 2025 at 10:52

7/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7.5 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7
(Bottle) Pours slightly hazy amber with small loose white head. Nice aroma of toffee malt and orange. Medium body with bright carbonation. Good and unusual taste. Plenty of bitter orange on a toffee malt base with a good hoppy bitter finish that cuts in at the end, leaving a long bitter orange and hop finish. There’s some peppery notes too. Very good, and unusual.
Tried from Bottle on 14 Jul 2025 at 13:27

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8.5 Flavor 7.5 Texture 8 Overall 8
Pricey n/a single from Appalachian during dry January. I think it was $5.99. Completely forgot about it & rediscovered it while rearranging some leftovers in the fridge. 0.2% abv on the label. Cheers?

Mojito glass at home. Clear, orange amber, lingering froth.
Smell is cooked down & sweet ginger with a concentrated, floral yuzu oil.
Taste is predominately floral. A slightly candied citrus down the middle, with an itchy dry backbone & a decent potent herbal hop bite that lingers past anything else.
Frothy, snappy, not absolutely thin, decent acid, & some lingering astringency.

Pretty nice attributes for what it is.
Tried from Bottle from Appalachian Vintner on 02 Jul 2025 at 22:19