Category: food

from the bottle:

Why is this beer different from all other beers? In the beginning, there was an idea, and it was good: A Gourmet Kosher Microbrew to celebrate the bounty of our own American land of milk and honey. Witness, a renewed Genesis: the evolution of our first creation! A smidgen of Middle East inspiration, a dash of West Coast ingenuity and an East Coast garden of brewing delights… Then we tasted it, and it was very good. After 5000 years of civilization, savor a microbrew with the chutzpah to keep calling itself the Chosen Beer. From the Golden Gate to the City of Gold, may He’Brew join in the blessings of your lives. To life! L’Chaim!

from my notes:

Pours a nice clear strawberry blond color. Nice, thick head with an off-white color that quickly fades. Smells of citrus, herbs and hops. When Genesis first hits your tongue you taste the malt with some citrus notes then the mild hops kick in with some earthy undertones. Not as strong as a Pale Ale just enough to let you know this is a hoppy beer.

Not a bad American Pale Ale but I’ve had better (Red Chair, Inversion) If you like your beer with some mild hop bite to it this is a good place to start.

Rating (out of five):

From the bottle:

1554 Enlightened Black Ale redefines the phrase keeping time in a bottle. From an ancient, crumbling, Belgian library book, out intrepid researchers found references to this obscure style dating back to the year 1554. Overcoming obsolete script and units of measurement, our brewers discovered an ale with a surprisingly bright taste and a dry, chocolately finish – one evocative of the dark brews enjoyed in Belgian taverns 500 years ago.

From my notes:

Pours dark, this is a black beer with a nice head the color of ivory piano keys. Head dissipates quickly. Smells of roasted malts, chocolate and some caramel. Taste reflects the smell: dark roasted malts and chocolate,hint of sweetness. 1554 is medium bodied and very smooth, velvety…

1554 is a well balanced beer that never overpowers your tastebuds. The Brewers at New Belgium have done a great job bringing all the elements together with this beer, it is just so drinkable. If you enjoy rich malty beers 1554 is for you.

Rating (out of five):

from the importer’s site (the actual brewery’s site doesn’t mention this stout(?!):

From Japan’s most prestigious brewery, the very unusual character of Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout stems from the fact that Kiuchi Brewery is using the recipe of a Russian Imperial Stout as base. Saphir & Northern Brewer hops are used.

from the bottle:

Japanese dark ale brewed with coffee beans

from my notes:

deep, dark brown almost black. Thick, tan, large bubbled head that quickly dissipates and leaves nice rings as you drink. Smells of oatmeal, malts, and roasted coffee. Tastes of coffee, vanilla and chocolate. Manages to successfully incorporate roasted coffee without making the beer taste like nothing bit burnt toast. Very smooth drink with a pleasing light, bitter finish.

Lot’s of coffee stouts go overboard on trying to infuse their beer with the flavor and smell of coffee that end up ruining the beer as all that effort does nothing but make the beer taste like burnt toast or dirt. I know some people enjoy an earthy or peaty flavor to their alcohol but not me. Hitachino Nest manages to thread that needle and deliver a great beer.

Rating (out of five):