Endless Beers: Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

ABV: 7.5%

In my travels around the world of beer, I took out the bottle with the owl on top. Turns out my next stop was in Japan: Hatachino Nest. In the hours before bed, I’ve been craving more stouts and darker beers than IPAs and lighter beers. Must be the cold, dark (particularly without power) weather we’ve been having in Philly. Anyway, I digress…on to the Japanese espresso stout. This beer is a sipper, but in a good way.

With the name “Espresso Stout,” it better live up to its name and provide a rich espresso flavor. I’ve grown skeptical of many of these kinds of stouts, because I’ve found more chocolate or vanilla flavors than coffee. If you are looking for a stout that has a bold coffee flavor—this is it. The taste throughout the entire drink is remniscent of coffee beans followed by dark chocolate.

The drink pours dark—a midnight, opaque black. The head is a creamy dark tan that sits well and leaves good lacing behind. The aroma is of coffee with light notes of chocolate lingering through the scent. The sip begins with the bitterness of a coffee been, which then transforms into an appetizing creamy coffee. Throughout are subtle notes of dark chocolate, which gets stronger at the end. The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth, however, the bitterness of an espresso or coffee lingers afterward.

Overall, this is a good stout if you are looking for a strong coffee taste. The stout is much less sweet from others, but this is welcomed with the taste of an espresso. This is more an “after-dinner beer” than anything else, because of the bitterness attached to it and the creamy, full taste of the suds. Rather than pouring yourself a cup of coffee after dinner, just pour yourself a glass of the Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout!