The beers of Iwakuni: Kiuchi Brewery Hitachino Nest Beer Nipponia

Back from my dry week. I failed miserably, but as I become more accustomed to not having a beer after work every day I think it will get easier to do. But anyway, I purchased this at the world liqueur in Iwakuni. It is the Hitachino Nest Nipponia by Kiuchi Brewery out of Kounosu, Japan. Kiuchi Brewery is actually a sake brewery that started in 1823 by Kiuchi Gihei using rice he had left over from collecting land taxes (in rice) from the local farmers for the Tokugawa Mito family, relatives of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Gihei was a friend of Fujita Toko, one of the founders of the Mitogaku school of thought which was nativist, isolationist, Neo-Confucian, Emperor worshiping, anti-Western, anti-Christian and created the phrase Sonnō jōi (Revere the Emperor, expel the barbarians) and would eventually spark the Boshin war and create the Meji Restoration. Needless to say, as a White Presbyterian from South Carolina in the American military they would have hated my very being. But I digress, in honor of his friend, Kiuchi Gihei would name his flagship nihonshu (we usually call it sake in English, but sake is just the Japanese word for alcohol) Kikusakari, meaning "Chrysanthemum property" in reference to the Emperors chrysanthemum emblem. After WW2 Kiuchi Brewery would come to be considered a premium brewer as most sake brewers were cheapening their products to meet demand from the exploding economy, but owner Mikio Kiuchi resisted this and continued producing traditional high quality sake. In 1996 after Japan liberalized their beer making laws, allowing microbreweries to be started in the country, Kiuchi Brewery would start an associated beer brewing business called Hitachino Nest. The Hitachino Nest brand has gained much acclaim by taking western beer styles and Nipponizing them with local ingredients, while still staying true to that style. Tonight's beer was named Nipponia due to the fact that it uses varieties of barley and hops developed in Japan, it says as much on the bottle.

According to their website: "Nipponia is brewed using the revived Japanese breed of Kanego Golden barley which was first developed in 1900, along with another strain of hops called 'Japanese-bred Sorachi Ace'. Nipponia is a delightfully golden coloured beer with citrus edge and complex and lingering taste". I received this beer in a 550ml crimpcap bottle with heavy shoulders and a bulged neck. The cap and the label features Hitachino Nest's famous owl on a black background with grey waves and a gold NIPPONIA. On both the front and the back there is a similar epitaph to what was on the website, so I will not restate them here. Around the neck there is a "necklace" label with a picture of the Kiuchi brewery on top of the words NIPPONIA NI. This beer is 8% ABV. I will be using my dark beer glass from my Japanese set. Lets pop the cap and see the head.

Nose from the bottle is grain sour with citrusy, almost piney hops. Pours golden amber with a white, dissipating head, though it's still lively. Nose from the glass is much the same, except the hops really start to shine through the sour. On first sip, I'm not positive this beer hasn't skunked. It has. I let the sink drink that one, I'll get another tomorrow.

 I have retrieved a replacement. Hopefully all goes well. However, it should be noted that I forgot it in my car for two days so all might be for naught. Nose from the new bottle is also sour with a little bit of citrus hops. Color is the same as before, but this one holds a head better. A good omen, but what of the flavor? It has a blend of hay and citrus hops, with pine resin on the backside and a light grain sour finish, dry aftertaste. The last one definitely skunked, this one is much better. The sour characteristics subside as you drink, giving way to greater piney hop flavor. The aftertaste becomes a little bitter and more dry as well. It's actually a little bit sweet, some honey and fig flavor hiding behind the hops. I love beers that develop as you drink them.

So today is Easter Sunday. Every time Easter comes around I inevitably have to explain to someone that no, Easter is not a coverup of a pagan "spring equinox" holiday. Often the justification for this is in the fact that Venerable Bede (responsible for recording much of early English history) claimed that the word Easter came from the word Eastore, meaning "Radiant dawn" in high German and also the name of the Goddess of spring and love in Anglo-Saxon paganism. So, a few points on this. First off, modern scholars are pretty sure the word Easter comes from it's German equivalent Ostern, remember that English evolved out of German. Second, the modern celebration of Easter was established by the Council of Nicaea (which is in Turkey, not exactly a hotbed of German paganism) in the year 325 to more or less coincide with the celebration of the Jewish Passover. If you recall from all that Bible lern'in you done did as a child, the Sanhedrin made their move on Jesus immediately after Passover, as they were afraid of riots if they had done it during the celebration. Point three, everyone outside of Anglophone (and Germanophone) countries calls the observance "Pascha" or Passion in English. Kind of negates the argument, does it not? As for some of the non church traditions of Easter, those come mostly from "May Day" which legitimately does have pagan origins.
Final thoughts. It's an interesting beer. Not my cup of tea, but I can't fault it for not being exactly tailored to my tastes. It is well brewed and interesting and I certainly would suggest it to any beer connoisseur. I give this beer my blurry seal of approval.

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