Hitachino Japanese Classic Ale

I remember picking of two types of Hitachino beers at once several months ago and after trying one and not liking it, I held off trying this. Fast forward many months later as this poor forgotten beer lingers in the back of the fridge, always being passed over by newer beers and favorites, it was time. I decided to open it and give it a shot one night and I knew it I did something bad when it poured out. The oxidation was terrible, it looked deep and rusty, with floating specks of orange, I could tell it was acidic by the smell. I took a sip and I can only describe the taste as pure acidic waste. My lesson learned is this stuff doesn't age well and if it wasn't good to begin with, it'll be even worse later. I don't want to say it is an awful beer because I didn't have it at its freshest state, but I can genuinely say I'm not really a fan of this brewery based on style of their beers. Along the east coast, I have never seen this served on tap or in the Japanese restaurants but I have seen an assortment of these at Japanese supermarkets.

Hitachino Nest Beer XH

I picked this up at a Japanese grocery store for about $5. This is a sharp one, definitely has the sour and sweet all mixed into one. It's not something I would go and buy more of, but it gives a good idea of what "aged" means in Japanese. This is definitely different than the generic Kirin or Sapporo stuff sold in local markets.