It’s a gorgeous Saturday and the kickoff of the July Fourth weekend. After getting some work done, I thought I’d try and catch up on a few of these posts. There’s nothing better than drinking a beer while blogging about them. I had to choose between beers my friend Joe gave me when we met up in Kentucky a couple weekends ago, beers my friend David sent me from San Diego, or beers from the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Across the World 12 pack sent to me by the brewery. Tough choice, but I thought I had better dig into the IPAs before the hops faded. There were a few IPAs in this 12 pack, so I figured I had better start with the bottles. The bottle says, “Japan’s Kiuchi Brewery, makers of the Hitachino Nest beers, have an elegant take on classic beer styles with a uniquely Japanese influence. They suggested adding yuzu – an Asian citrus fruit – to a hazy white IPA and we jumped at the chance. What emerged is a hoppy yet refined version of the style with a bright citrus flavor and a spicy finish.”
Location: Poured into a TEKU pint glass at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 7% ABV, 0 IBUs, % OG, ~200 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s pale yellow in color and extremely clear. There’s a fluffy whit head that Felt to a thin layer over the top, but there appears to be a good amount of carbonation in it. The aroma is not at all what I was expecting from an IPA. It has a light floral-like aroma with some coriander and hints of nutmeg.
Taste & Feel: The body medium and the mouthfeel is lightly crisp from the carbonation. The flavor up front is a bit spicy from the coriander and nutmeg. The sweet maltiness comes out a little bit in the middle with some citrusy flavors, but the citrusy flavors really open up and take over in the finish. The finish is fairly bitter with floral hop notes and a somewhat strong dose of the nutmeg and coriander. These spices and bitterness last for a minute or two in the aftertaste.
Food Pairing: Given the citrusy and spicy flavors in this beer, I’d definitely pair it with a fish or seafood dish. I considered a salad, but might be afraid it would be to light to stand up to the spiciness, so I’d pair it with something meatier.
Overall Impression: It’s a hot day, and this beer is definitely better on a hot day, with all of the citrusy and spicy flavors. I’ll admit that I’m not a huge fan of Wit or White beers – as I’m not a fan of coriander. It’s a well made beer that’s quite complex in flavor throughout. While it’s light, yet flavorful, it’s just not a flavor I enjoy all that much. While I can see this being a flavors others would enjoy, it would have to be a pretty hot day for me to want to grab one of these.
My Rating: 
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