Hazelnut Brown Nectar - Rogue Ales

Nesued

South Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Ordered this at a local "flying saucer", my first taste of a "Rogue-based" brew. Being on-tap, I decided to give it a try.

Appearance: Very dark brown coloring, the draw I received had a lasting head that took at least five minutes to "calm down".

Smell: An overwhelming hazelnut extract aroma with an underlying malt addition.

Taste: Wonderfully smooth and well-bodied taste, the presence of hazelnut was one of the draws to trying this beer, and the strong presence was expected. The malt and chocolate taste was present and balanced out what would have been a very awkward "one-sided" extract beer.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation was well-balanced and added to the "denseness" of the presentation. A more carbonated presence would have (obviously) given a weaker presentation.

Drinkability: The was a wonderfully drinkable beer. In fact I stopped by a local shop to pick up several of the "20-oz bottles" on my way home. A $5.30 price per bottle is a bit of a kick-back, but only slightly. Others have said this would be a good "dessert-beer" and I agree, however it worked well in a "chips and salsa sitting around a table talking" format as well. Was a good pairing with the queso dip actually.

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2005 20:34:04 | More by Nesued

granger10

Wisconsin

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this Rogue variation on tap. I think it might be the same recipe as the Morimoto but it definitely has a different flavor profile on tap. I like the bottle version but this stuff is really good on tap. Dark brown, hazelnut, color. Nice creamy tan head. Moderate lacing. Aroma is coffee with hazelnut and more nuttyness. Flavor leans on the sweet side with caramel and toffee malts. Nutty base. Lots of roasted hazelnut flavor in here. Creamy. A bit of coffee in here. Finish is somewhat dry but lingers. Mouthfeel is excellent. The flavors transition and work with each other quite well. There's a nice all around thickness to this beer. Better on tap than bottle imo.

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2005 21:09:32 | More by granger10

HochFliegen

Oregon

4.45/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice brown color with a thin head.
Chocolate dominated the aroma of the beer was looking for a more hazelnut scent. But it was nice with a big malty nose to it.
The taste was quite smooth with a big chocolate flavor at first tapers off to a hint of nuts and slight bitterness.
Good amount of hazelnut flavor and more detectable in the after taste. Good smooth beer that is great for a after dinner drink.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2005 03:53:01 | More by HochFliegen

koolk

Australia

4.38/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

US Trip Aug-Dec 04

Poured, you guessed it, a dark brown (a nut brown if you will) with only a small head, but some good lacing.

Fantastic blend of aromas make this probably the best nut brown i've had. Nuts, dark malts, roasted malts and some spiciness all weld together in harmony to create a lovely smelling beer.

Good sweet malt flavours and only a little touch of hops help make this a creamy joy to drink. Incredibly drinkable, you cant have just one!

Another screamer from Rogue!

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2004 01:03:29 | More by koolk

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap. Dark brown cloudy liquid with a very thin off-white head. Small amounts of lace on the glass. Smells slighty roasty, with a nuttiness. Big malty flavors, not quite dark roast. Nutty sewwtness. Dry finish. Not much bitterness. Medium body, low carbonation. There is a lot of flavor in this brown. Easy to drink. Good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2004 18:15:42 | More by Bierguy5

oracle

Indiana

4.6/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Beer arrived a deep brown, almost black with fluffy 1 inch off white head the left heavy lacing.

Smelled great, light and sweet with hints of hops.

Refreshing clean malt flavor, a light nuttiness and slightly sweet with a hint of coffee in the finish.

Very good and very easy to drink. I wish we could get kegs of this more often

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2004 16:43:32 | More by oracle

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on tap at Red Bones.

This brown poured a clear, dark chestnut color with light brown, creamy foam that settled. The smell was of dark caramel with a very light nutty aroma. The taste had caramel and faint hazelnuts with hints of coffee and toffee. There was a very light sweetness followed by a very light bitterness in the finish (hops, tannins?). The mouthfeel was dry and smooth with medium-full body and modest carbonation. The flavor lingered nicely. This was a very flavorful and enjoyable ale! Delicious on tap -- I will have to try it from a bottle someday.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2004 22:00:11 | More by UncleJimbo

PatandDavid

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I dind't think this was awesome in the bottle, but this past week on tap at Redbones...it was delicious. Pour was dark brown with reddish highlights. I thought it had a roasted nutella smell to it. Taste was nice flavors of hazelnut, coffee, and chocolate all rolled up...I sorta got Tootsie Roll flavor off the beer. A flavorful beer that was in good shape, and if I saw on draft would get again, it beat the bottle version.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2004 19:26:21 | More by PatandDavid

Shaw

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(10/12/04 edit)
I tried this beer at the Rogue Brewery while in Newport, Ore., in October and my faith was restored. Freshness counts. The taste was nutty and malty and didn't have the nut extract taste I'd noticed when having it in Florida. I've adjusted my review accordingly.

---
(6/24/04 review follows)

I hadn't had Hazelnut Brown Nectar since I last reviewed it, and I haven't reviewed it on-tap. I must say I was disappointed by the beer I had at my local pub. It wasn't bad by any means, but it sure didn't live up to my memory of it.

I checked my review of the bottled version and the keg this beer came from must not be that fresh. It did have to travel all the way from Oregon to Florida. (Although I had some fantastic Rogue Dead Guy at the same pub last month.) The biggest characteristic in this beer is the hazelnut aroma/flavor, which is almost too powerful.

I will have to re-visit this beer. I'm making a mental note to try it on-tap at the Rogue brewery when I'm there in September.

I suggest you try this beer from the bottle unless you live on the West Coast of the United States. Otherwise the beer may not live up to its -- deserved -- fantastic reputation. When it's good, it's hard to beat. But this pint I had was just a bit too dull. It was average when it should have been excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2004 07:02:54 | More by Shaw

Gavage

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brown in color with a 1" head. The aroma is full of hazelnuts and malt. The flavor has several components that were nicely balanced: malt, hazelnut, caramel, lite bitterness, and a hint of bitter chocolate. Medium bodied.

The mouthfeel was smooth. Dry finish and the nutty flavor lingers on the tongue. Nicely drinkable and quite enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2004 20:26:34 | More by Gavage

pheurton

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

mostly soil colored brown with hints of a ruby red at the bottom of the glass. small cream colored head dissapeared to nothing...no collar or lace to speak of. disappointing appearance. strong hazelnut aroma in the nose. medium bodied with ample carbonation. soft roasted flavor with sweet and juicy hazelnut notes. sweetness seems right on point as it never gets too much. lightly hopped for balancing. more like a desert beer, nevertheless, i enjoyed this one very much. an excellent twist on the brown ale.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2004 17:58:43 | More by pheurton

ngandhi

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Clark St. Ale House in Chicago, IL. 4.00/pint.

Rich and not much different from an Irish carbomb. I expected a lot more complexity. Oddly enough, this is quite different and not as subtle as the Morimoto Hazelnut -- even though they're the same beer.

Relax, relax.
ng

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2004 03:17:20 | More by ngandhi

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Very deep brown body with a perfect 2 inch tan head, rocky, with small and regular bubbles, fine lacing and lasting. Sweet nose, chocolate mainly with hints of maple and coffee. The taste is pretty malty, sweet, surprisingly very fresh with loads of nice flavors among which none really stood out, but honey, chocolate, milk, nuts, toffee, caramel, coffee, maple, rich cookies. Soft, creamy and chewy palate. Tremendous malt/hops balance, more on the malt size, but hops is noticeable, especially toward the finish where I noticed a woody/herbal hops flavor and a roastiness that added to the complexity. Great bursting vanilla aftertaste. Lovely beer which I'm frightened I won't be able to get a crack at near often enough living up here:( Two thumbs up to JoeT for this great desert.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2003 15:52:32 | More by Rastacouere

homersimpson

North Carolina

4.83/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep brown with a light reddish tint, light beige lace
Caramel malty and a hint of the nuttiness in the nose
Super chewy with a stickiness that lingers
Very malty with a nutty toffee flavor that jumps to your tongue. A light bit of spicy hop to keep it from being too sweet. Long, sweet toffee caramel nut finish.
Great beer, not hoppy like most Rogues, but almost perfect. always a favorite.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2003 04:55:39 | More by homersimpson

ithacabaron

California

3.58/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a nice nutty brown into my pint glass. Aroma is sweet, sugar-glazed hazelnuts, with an over tone of the Saaz hops used.

Taste is that of a traditional brown ale (and an excellent one), with hazelnuts and a smooth chocolate. The chocolate seems sweetened (an odd example, but the closest thing I can think of is hot-chocolate mix).

The nuts come on more as an aftertaste after the crisp brown ale has worked it's wonders. For a flavored ale, and a dessert ale, this is wonderfully balanced. A little sweet, but that's the point.

The 650 ML bottle, with the sweetness can be a bit much by the end of the bottle. This would be excellent split between two romantically inclined people, perhaps served with cheesecake.

An excellent job here, as far as flavored ales go, and I look forward to trying Rogue/Morimoto's Soba Ale.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2003 07:01:40 | More by ithacabaron

mjohn27603

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark varnished brown, thin head less than one finger. Smells of chocolate. Taste is nutty, yes on the hazelnut side. A undertow of chocolate. Mildly bitter. Like a nutty stout without the roasted flavor. Of the two Morimoto ales I've tried I prefer the Soba to this. Slightly sour aftertaste.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2003 02:52:59 | More by mjohn27603

nixhecks

Rhode Island

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a deep dark brown with rootbeer edges and a decent tan head. The aroma was very deep and rich - sharp coffee and chocolate malts, and maybe just a hint of hazelnut. The taste starts off with the same coffee from the smell, then kicks in a good dose of hazelnut that comes through the most in the aftertaste. Hints of chocolate also leave to thirsting for the next sip. The mouthfeel was a little thin but I did like the way that the carbonation fizzled in my mouth - it seemed almost like a hazelnut soda. Very good brew, nice and unique. Rogue truly rocks!

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2003 02:50:33 | More by nixhecks

ManekiNeko

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served chilled in a pint glass. Bomber sized bottle.

Appearance: Lovely clear mahogany color liquid topped by a 1/2" tall head of light tan bubbles. Not much in the way of head retention or lacing.

Smell: Definite smells of caramel and toffee. Amaretto and hazelnut arommas as well. Faint hint of light chocolate.

Taste: Caramel malt flavor dominates, then the taste of hazelnut comes throught. Slightly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Creamy mouthfeel with a pleasantly nutty aftertaste.

Drinkability: I likes me some hazelnuts, and I hope the new Morimoto verson of this ale is not much of a recipe change. Not and everyday drinking beer, but not one to save for special occasions either. You'd better like nuts if you have this. It's not overly nutty, but it definitely informs the flavor profile.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2003 00:13:27 | More by ManekiNeko

TheDM

Indiana

3.53/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This brew pours a creamy small head of light brown bubbles and a semi transparent dark brown body. With a mild malt aroma, this brew has a taste of caramel and spice with just a hint of coffee flavoring. It goes down very smoothly yet leaves a slight dry lingering after taste of the coffee flavoring.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2003 22:58:12 | More by TheDM

dwarbi

New York

4.43/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

There's almost no head at all. The beer is an intriguing color... very dark brown, but there are some other colors hidden in there. Wonderful aroma - mostly toffee. It really tastes like hazelnut coffee. Toffee taste is in there, too. Some caramel as well. Strange brew, to be sure, but very good. Creamy and very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2003 19:18:21 | More by dwarbi

LarryKemp

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

If you like 7-11 coffee bars, you will like this beer. It poured a nice dark brown with only a fairly thick white head. The lace disappeared soon after beginning to drink. The aroma was nearly nonexistant. Malt and hops were supposed to dominate the taste, but I only tasted the hazelnut. I was particularly surprised that the hop characteristics were not more evident. The mouthfeel was medium light and not really exceptional. I would drink this beer again but because of its unique flavor, I think I would limit my intake to one pint.

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2003 06:04:33 | More by LarryKemp

far333

Connecticut

3.23/5  rDev -21%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Very nice dark brown color, but where's the head? It's nowhere to be seen. Great aroma of vanilla and chocolate, and hints of coffee, but I'm not getting hazelnut, nor any hops. Flavor closely matches, but also has a hint of marshmallow. Overall the flavor is too sweet, and the mouthfeel is decidedly slick and oily with low carbonation. The body of the beer is not appealing to me. I would not choose this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2003 06:42:41 | More by far333

porter17

New Jersey

4.93/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Definitely the little brother of the Rogue Chocolate Stout. A very drinkable beer, with a nice hint of the same great chocolate aroma that pervades the stout. This brown also has the same great hint of chocolate on the palate, smooth and tasty. A more dinkable beer than the stout, it has greater appeal to people who seek a beer that is not as bold as the stout.
Another great success by Rogue.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2003 11:54:47 | More by porter17