Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale (6-can pack)

Brewed by: Kiuchi Brewery
Country: Japan
Style: Pale Ale

ABV: 7%
BeerAdvocate.com rating: 84

Kiuchi Brewery brews Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale (ABV 7%) with barley, rice and two kinds of yeast – one for barley and another for rice. The brewery uses Asamurasaki – an ancient red rice which gives the beer its hue. The result is a beautiful, pink-colored ale with moderate bitterness, pleasant acidity and hints of fruit on the nose and palate.

The brewing process starts with polishing, washing, soaking and steaming the rice (25% of total grain bill). In the mash, pilsner malt is added. After lautering, Hallertauer hops are added. Two different yeasts must be used as regular beer yeast is not able to convert the rice sugars into alcohol. A fermentation time of two weeks is followed by a maturation period of four weeks. Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale is filtered but left unpasteurized. 11.83 oz. can.

Brewery Information:

Kiuchi Sake Brewery was established in 1823 by Gihei Kiuchi who was the village headman of Kounosu village, Naka County, Japan. When Mikio Kiuchi inherited the brewery legacy in the 1950s, the Sake industry was growing rapidly along with the growing economy, which filled the market with low quality, cheap, mass-produced Sake. However, Mikio Kiuchi stuck to the century old high-quality Sake philosophy that had been the hallmark of Kiuchi Brewery since its founding.

The current family leaders, brothers Youichi and Toshiyuki Kiuchi took Kiuchi Brewery into the artisanal craft beer market after regulations on the Japanese brewing licenses were relaxed in 1994. They bought brewing equipment from abroad, worked with their friends from across the globe and fused their history and experience of Sake brewing into their artisanal brews. Hence, the Hitachino Nest “Owl” brand was born.