Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar
Deliciously refreshing, especially for a brown ale.
Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar was a random choice; I walked up and down, staring at the wall of beer at Wegmans, unsure as to what I should pick up. I closed my eyes, pointed, and there it was… my next beer tasting choice. And oh, how glad I am to have grabbed this one up.
Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown Nectar pours a deep reddish brown with a nearly non-existent head and treats the nose to an aroma that’s sweet and light; nothing too fragrant. It offers a medium-light body with higher carbonation than other brown ales I’ve had, which adds a crispness that I can only describe as refreshing. This is an important point too; most of the time, I stay away from brews with higher carbonation because usually, they just don’t do it for me. But in the Hazelnut Brown Nectar, it was quite pleasurable.
Hops enter in at the beginning of the sip but smooth out to a sweet malt; an essence of butterscotch. Don’t be turned off by that though - this beer is in no way syrupy or over-sweet. When I say essence, I mean it.
This beer finishes with a rich, full flavor of nuts. Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar is very enjoyable - I could even see myself choosing it on a hot day. Definitely a sessionable brew for me, although at 6.20% ABV, it could creep up and toss me onto the floor if I’m not careful!
TAGS [ BEER REVIEW | BEER REVIEWS | ROGUE BEER REVIEW | ROGUE BEER REVIEWS | ROGUE HAZELNUT BROWN NECTAR ]
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May 7th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Great review, kid! I haven’t compiled my top 5 American Brown Ales yet, but I already know this one is on that list, it’s delicious. Probably my favorite Rogue beer aside from the Dead Guy. If you get over to Alt Brews anytime soon, have a pint of their hazelnut beer that CB’s makes for them. Not as good, but probably the next best.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Thanks Deron, glad to hear it’ll be on your list! It’s quite superb :)
I got to try the Alternative Brew’s Hazelnut about 2 years ago during a Bills home opener party that Dave held there. Very tasty, although a little sweeter than the Rogue, so I agree with you - I like the Rogue better.
But… it IS pretty cool that Dave got to help create the beer over there at Alt Brews!
May 7th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Have him tell you about when we were there for the first keg…Donna pulled the tap open, we were at the other end of the bar, and the smell of hazelnut kicked you in the face…I honestly think they scaled back the amount of extract that goes into it…those first few kegs were just nuts.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
“those first few kegs were just nuts.”… pun intended, I’m sure! haha :)