Pour slowly creamy-headed, butterscotch-hued, heavily hopped ‘eisbock’ seasonal or risk spillage. Heady 9% alcohol welcomes Scotch malt kick, wintry cinnamon-nutmeg-coriander luster, and marmalade-like mandarin orange-pineapple-mango perfusion. By mild vanilla-maple finish, astringent ester-y grape sourness overwhelms grassy mouthfeel.
All posts by John Fortunato
HITACHINO NEST SWEET STOUT
Dry Baker’s chocolate souring and stove-burnt coffee drear encumber oily hop-charred oaken cherry, parched fig, sun-dried raisin, purple grape, and candied date fruiting. Resinous earthen peat seeps into withered port-bourbon subsidy. Negligible caramel malting means ‘sweet’ labeling is off the mark.
HITACHINO NEST RED RICE ALE
Ample rice milk sweetness sustained above honeyed yeast pertinence and mild sake umami countering tartly soured orange tang. Gentle hop-grained bitterness overcomes acidic citrus nose of fine Belgian pale ale knockoff.
HITACHINO NEST JAPANESE CLASSIC ALE
Eccentric cedar-casked spiced ale allows bright coriander-spiced mandarin orange uprising to absorb perfumed floral bouquet to herbal hop depth. Ashen cedar remnant re-enforces white-peppered dandelion nicety contrasting mild mustard seed bittering.
HITACHINO NEST ESPRESSO STOUT
Decisive coal-hued tan-headed Asian stout imparts heavily roasted bitter espresso theme emboldening cedar-smoked jalapeno-peppered chipotle resilience. Molasses-thick black chocolate swell picks up coffee-soured vanilla bean register.
(YUKSOM) HIMILAYAN BLUE LAGER
Insipid light-bodied pale-strawed floral-citric lager reminiscent of flaccid German weiss. Muted lemon-candied entry deadened by cereal-grained corn musk that evaporates to fizzy, washed out, pale-malted finish. Delicately inessential.
HIGHLAND ST. THERESE’S PALE ALE
Robust amber body reminiscent of barleymalt-sweetened toasted lager receives moist orange-tangerine wisp pervading mineral-grained cracked wheat spine. Lingered hop-embittered lemon rind tang bombards tender almond finish but acetous metallic bitterness causes minor setback.
HIGHLAND OATMEAL PORTER
Moderate reddish brown dry porter with dark roast chocolate onrush, black coffee acridity and port wine licks settling at a mildly bitter pine-oak grove enriching sticky honeyed molasses succulence augmenting sour powdered chocolate finish. But fragile toasted oats spine dilutes blanched nut char.
HIGHLAND KASHMIR I.P.A.
Aggressively hopped golden dry body punctuates sunny lemon tang and brisk curacao orange bitterness with polite wheat chaff, but watery fructose finish lacks fervor.
HIGHLAND IMPERIAL KASHMIR I.P.A.
Heady 10% alcohol-soaked full body is absolutely mellow slow sipping beauty way beyond standard India Pale Ales. Molasses-thick chocolate-cocoa malts enrich dried-fruited stewed prune, cherry puree, overripe banana, raisin, plum, and bruised orange adjuncts as well as buttery Chardonnay and bourbon boozing. Candied caramel-butterscotch center engages floral hop bouquet and tertiary dewy melon sweetness. Highly recommended.
HIGHLAND GAELIC ALE
Dry red fruiting (apple-grape-apricot) embellishes caramelized mocha malts and tingly spice hops, flattening to drearily unresolved corn sugared midst. Irish influence completely lost amongst dulled out toasted almond sweetness and muted floral accent of deep amber ale. But teasing bock-like fig-date finish adds depth.
HIGH FALLS INDIA PALE ALE
Golden-hued moderation bogged down by distant fruit fragrance, unassuming mocha malt trepidation, and tepid burnt wood tones goes astray of traditional IPA values. Better head, fuller grain rim, and stronger alcohol content don’t make up for nebulous make-up.