Advent Calendar Window One - Commemorative Ale

So this Advent Calendar didn't get off to the greatest of starts. I meant to follow up the introduction with a part 2 yesterday, but due to having a gay old time in wonderful Macclesfield I didn't get round to it. It was a post about a beer tasting of some of the beers I'd bought for this Advent calendar that were ousted by others. I'll maybe post it after Christmas.

Anyway, Window and Beer one in this calendar is Kiuchi Brewery Hitachino Nest Commemorative Ale 8%. I bought this beer much earlier in the year so I'm assuming it's the 2012 edition, but this is not stated on any part of the bottle I can find. It's actually brewed as A New Year celebration beer, but falls into the Christmas theme just for being generally festive.

"You'd see that today holds something special

Something Holy not superficial

So here's to the birthday boy who saved our lives...."

Commemorative Ale sits in the glass a thick, hazy orange and instantly hits you with it's spicy nose. There's lots of ginger, marjoram, tarragon and orange. It's a spice sensation you feel glow in your cheeks immediately. The taste retains a ginger dominating, but not in the fiery sense a Ginger beer might produce. It's mellowed by the juicy oranges, coriander stalks, vanilla and a touch of lemongrass. The finish produces a rice wine spice that is familiar in Hitachino Nest beers. More Akemashite Omedetogozaimasu than Auld Lang Syne but that would be the expectancy. It's a near perfect festive beer and winning start to this Calendar. Like many festive favourites, more than one would be trying, but one is more than enough.

Purchased from Beers of Europe, May 2013.

Drunk aside two Advent Calendar chocolates, both in the shape of Father Christmas.

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