I'd always heard this beer was somewhat legendary but only ever saw it on a restaurant menu in Richmond, VA where it was unnecessarily expensive. I saw it at my local supermarket recently and picked up a bottle. Amazing! One of the most subtle, interesting, and delicate beers I've ever tasted. For some reason I want to drink it with abalone. Anybody tried it? Love at first sip or overrated?

You are right, it's a good beer.

I generally dislike the major Japanese beers (Sapporo et al.) and Hitachino Nest seems to be the only other Japanese brand whose beers are relatively widely available in the US.

Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale is also quite good - you should give it a try. Their stouts, on the other hand, are pretty terrible.

Yes, loved it at first sip. This is a stunning beer and one of my favorites. Not a fan of the Red, really. I've tried something else by Hitachino in an NYC bar and it was ok, but the White Ale is fantastic, and I'm not afraid to admit that I am no conossieur.

The Fringe Club in HK had it for a solid 8-10 months. For the first 6 months or so it was $40 HKD/bottle or 5 USD and some change. I guess they started getting desperate in the last few months because the price dropped to 25 HKD or 3 USD and some change per bottle. I didn't care, I always ordered it and multiple bottles of it and even converted some friends into fans. Went a few months back and they said they no longer had it. I was pretty unhappy to say the least.

Ditto - I also had the Hitachino White Ale in NYC, and it was most excellent! (Price I paid at the bar didn't seem overwhelming.)

Haven't found it in the Boston area yet...still searching.