From Kiuchi Brewery in Japan comes my pick for Day 2: Hitachino Nest Celebration Ale. I picked it in part because a Japanese holiday ale intrigues me, and in part because there’s some interesting details about this beer to dig up.

You’ll notice from the brewery’s website and the picture of the beer here (if you squint) that it’s a 2005 beer—which seems to indicate that it’s no longer available, but not so. BeerAdvocate displays an updated photo (no "2005") and the reviews are current. The US distributor’s page on the beer is also up-to-date, so rest assured, this is still there for the taking.

Also interesting, the distributor (B. United International) lists this beer as an Eisbock—at 9% alcohol I’d believe that—while BeerAdvocate lists Winter Warmer. My guess? It’s a bit of both—a Winter Warmer then given the Eisbock treatment to pump it up to a staggering 9% alcohol.

And that’s not even the best of it: this beer is brewed with 5 different malts, 4 different hops, and a bounty of spices—orange peel, coriander, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla beans. A true holiday treat!

BeerAdvocate score: 88/100, 98% approval. RateBeer score: 3.66/5, 92nd percentile.