Hazelnut Brown Nectar - Rogue Ales

McShane

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The Specialty beer winner from this years Great American Beer Festival is my beer for the evening. Well I agree that it is special. One of those brown beers you just have to love. I'm not a big brown beer fan. This one though is from Rogue and it carries a signature goodness that some brewers can't pull off. Let's get to it.

Appearence - Beautiful brown beer. A half inch thick head that really let's you get to the core of the beer quickly.

Smell- Clean and crisp. Rogue really has mastered the smell of beers. They never smell "treated" or chemically. It never seems as though they added something to it bring out the smells. It's all ingrediants. Hazelnuts aren't a wonderful nut but they have a distinct smell. Good stuff.

Taste- Is a brown ale with a sweet finish. It doesn't try to do to much.

Mouthfeel - Crisp with a hint of Carbonation. It lingers a little bit at the end though which is ok, not awesome though.

Overall it's a good solid beer. If you like brown beers, this one you will enjoy a great deal.

Thanks

Steve McShane
The Drunkardscall Podcast
Growler Radio Podcast
www.inkandaudio.net
@ayemcshane on twitter.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 04:25:10 | More by McShane

pkalix

California

4.58/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

wow! very interesting smell!!!!
but let's start with the appearance- beautiful molasses color, minimum head.
now the smell- AWESOME!!! i love nuts and i am aware many brews dont 'project' what they call themselves. but i get the hazelnut aroma here and anxiously awaiting the first sip as i write this.
i wasnt expecting much (refer to the 'project' comment above) but this is a decent tasting brew. not sure i get the hazelnut flavor from the taste as much as i might the aroma (you realize 'flavored' coffee doesnt exist- it's an added AROMA they mix in with the beans to 'trick' your taste buds into believing it is tasting what it is smelling). but it's a decent tasting brew. i would take off major points if i found out they added the AROMA, but i think i can get the hazelnut flavor in there....
mouthfeel is always a difficult category for me, but it's a medium-bodied, minimally carbonated liquid.
overall, it's what i expected when i purchased it which is an accomplishment in that sense. it tastes good, has a decent abv, and can be had in more than one at a time. slight 'flavoring bitterness' in the end taste, but it is minimal.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 23:43:16 | More by pkalix

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle. Pours a cloudy dark brown with a half inch of tan head. Lots of lacing. Aroma is really nutty with some caramel malts, hazelnut and hints of coffee. The flavor is earthy and nutty. Almost has a bit of a caramel popcorn taste to it. Hazelnut is more present at the end. Coffee finish. Creamy mouthfeel. Pretty nice twist on the style. Overall, one of the better Brown Ales out there.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 04:27:02 | More by PicoPapa

mjtiernan

New York

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a straight-sided pint glass. No bottling info...hopefully it’s not too ancient.

A: Regrettably poured it straight down the middle and got huge head. Off-white, bubbles on the large side. Lots of lacing. Body is medium brown and slightly hazy.

S: Warm hazelnuts and butterscotch. The aroma REALLY intensifies if you swirl it around a bit. Some hops are there, but way in the background.

T: That’s pretty darn nice. Not a bold brown ale by any means. Nice levels of hazelnut, toasted malt, caramel and some grassy hops.

M: Light body, somewhat watery texture, lively carb. Slight acidic finish. Easy to drink.

O: Not the bold brown that I anticipated, but that’s just fine. This was unique, nicely executed and a pleasure to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 03:05:07 | More by mjtiernan

metsfan1

California

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

Wow, let me repeat that, wow. I have just found the same experience that I had when I first bit into a piece of toast with Nutella on it. For a fan of the hazelnut, this is the equivalent of a finding dark brown gold in a little 12 oz bottle. If you like a beer with a distinguished nut taste, look no further. You will not find a better beer. Did I mention this beer is good.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 23:36:17 | More by metsfan1

Alextricity

Michigan

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

There IS a God!

Appearance: When I first cracked the bottle open, suds spewed everywhere as if I had popped champagne. Not a great first impression, but I quickly forgave it. I poured it in a glass and got a nice and creamy tan head, and a beer with a deep brown color. Nice.

Smell: Heavy malts, caramel, and obviously, hazelnut. There's no hop presence in the smell or taste with this one, I can say that right now. That's to be expected though.

Taste/feel: It's just what you'd expect from a quality hazelnut flavored beer. It has a nice, deep, rich hazelnut and malt flavor. The aftertaste consists of coffee and maybe even some chocolate in the background. Pretty complex, and pretty damn delicious as well. The feel suits the beer well -- medium carbonation and feel, making this an easy drinking beer.

My taste buds liked Hazelnut Brown from Sam Adams, so I decided to try this one out, and I couldn't be happier with that choice ... suddenly one of my favorite beers. I don't think I could drink more than one pint in a session, but good lord this is fantastic for "desserty beer" fans.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 20:00:49 | More by Alextricity

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

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

Pours smooth dark brown with a small beige head.

Big malty nose, mild sweetness, woody and nutty, plenty of hazelnut

Similar to nose with big maltiness, roasted hazelnuts, buttery.

This is jam packed with hazelnut. Good change of pace in the world of brown ales.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 14:57:35 | More by TheMultiYeast

shigg85

Japan

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

Bought a bottle of this from M & R Liquors in Manchester, CT. Poured into a Baird pint glass. Mysterious cloudy brown hue. A playful hazelnut and maple syrup nose hints at the powerful hazelnut and hop flavor in the brew. Silky smooth caramel aftertaste with a bit of bitter toffee as well. This is an amazing fall/winter brew that matches with the changing leaves outside, making me reminisce on the whole experience. As far as brown ales go, this is one of the best i've ever had, not being overly hazelnut-driven and definitely sticking to its category. Definitely a recommendation!

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 23:19:36 | More by shigg85

hosehead83

Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.
Amber/brown in color, with a rather short head of tan foam.
Aroma-Hazelnut, faint chocolate
Taste-Chocolate milk, hazelnut, light coffee. A bit thin-bodied but nice overall flavor.
Sessionable. Not overdone, subtle and tasty. A nice match for an aged hunk of Gouda.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 19:16:10 | More by hosehead83

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Into a pint glass (also had in a nonic, nothing changed):

A: dark brown colored body that leaves a nice one finger creamy tan lacing looking head. The body is totally too dark for any carbonation to be seen and a perfect super light foamy lacing is left.

S: hazelnuts and brown sugar up front with some malts in the background, reminds me a bit of beer bread.

T: same smells coming through on my tongue with a bit more nuttiness.

M: medium, maybe closer to heavy, still has a good deal of sharpness on the tongue, sticky aftertaste

O: another brown I've had a long time ago that I had a chance to get back to. So glad to have a memory to remind me of my favorite style.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 18:46:59 | More by kangarooAdam59

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Consumed 8/24/12

Appearance: Clear, light brown - more of a dark amber with a lot of ruby when held up to the light - off-white head, fades to a creamy ring, leaves some lacing

Smell: Brown ale malts, caramel toffee, and some lightly toasted malts - a light sweetness throughout - sweet hazelnut coffee - overall, kind of smells like hazelnut coffee with lots of sugar and Pacman yeast

Taste: As the name would imply, this is basically a brown ale with hazelnut flavor - caramel, lightly cooked, lightly toasted, with some toffee - mildly bitter - light hazelnut coffee and some dark bread - sweet, but not too much - very mild and mellow, almost to the point of being watery

Mouthfeel: Unexpectedly light, but nicely smooth, creamy, well-carbonated

Overall: Good if you love hazelnuts, otherwise "meh"

This is a decent brown ale, but it is only memorable because of the hazelnut flavor. And the hazelnuts are not even very aggressive. I would be happy to drink this again, but I certainly do not feel an urge to go out and buy bombers.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 02:37:59 | More by angrybabboon

Vigilante

Nevada

3.78/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into a pub-style pint glass.

A: Dark brown color with reddish hue. 1/2 inch of head which dissipated quickly leaving no lacing.

S: Carmel, hazelnut, toffee, malt.

T: Carmel, hazelnut, toffee, malt, slight taste of pine, and slight citrus aftertaste.

M: Crisp but with a thin body that is a little too watery. I was disappointed by the mouthfeel. From the smell I expected this to be a medium or full bodied beer.

O: Good brown ale with complex flavors but a little too light bodied. I enjoyed trying this beer but it is not something that I would drink frequently.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 06:44:16 | More by Vigilante

confer

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Color is medium brown with a beige head that fades quickly. Looks like strong iced tea.
Smell is hazelnut and maple syrup goodness. It smells as though it could be poured on pancakes.
Taste is brown ale with a bit of the hazelnut sweetness. Not as much sweetness as is in the smell.
Overall a very good brown and one worth buying again.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 00:06:37 | More by confer

beerbellydaddy

California

4.55/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Yum.
This brew was poured from a 22 oz bottle into a glass mug; it gave a deep copper color and displayed a deep burgundy through the glass. Its head was large and lingering, but the lacing left only traces.
The smell was pleasant but understated, mostly malt with some nutty tinges and mild oak.
The taste is delicious – creamy malt and nut.
A mouthful is light and unobtrusive, a little thin and easy to drink.
Overall this is a gem, moving up my list of favorites. It is a tad thin and unassuming, but is so damn flavorful and satisfying that it is a pleasure to drink. Give me another barkeep.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 00:10:01 | More by beerbellydaddy

Danny1217

Florida

4.63/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours brownish red with a decent head that recedes and leaves some nice lacing on the glass. Hazelnut at the forefront of the nose. A bit of sweet caramel and toffee, but hazelnut definitely dominates. It's a very good smell. The taste is similar. Up front there is a somewhat strong carbonation on the tongue, but the hazelnut quickly comes forward and dominates the palate.

If you love hazelnut like I do, you will like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 15:02:56 | More by Danny1217

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 7/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours an interesting dark red-orange amber with a moderate head and lacing. Strong hazelnut and malt start and middle with some astringent hopping and dry finish. A bit more sweetness wouldn't hurt, but still a pleasant nutty brown ale. Nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 22:32:58 | More by LiquidAmber

circus_cat

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A: Brown with reddish amber notes around the edges. In a tulip glass, I got about two fingers of khaki marshmallow head. Dissipates at a medium rate, leaving a little lacing.

S: Hazelnut, baked bread, malts malts malts. I'm also getting a little bit of a tootsie roll smell on the end. After a second smell, I'm getting honey as well. A touch of brown sugar

T: BIG hazelnut with lots of malts. I'm still getting something through the middle that tastes like a tootsie roll or the hard candy part of a chocolate tootsie pop. It's feeling maltier and maltier as it warms and brown sugar is coming through. It could be bolder.

M: Yikes, y'all. This is really really watery. It's smooth, low carbonation, drinkable but SO thin-bodied in my opinion. Man, I wish there were more to this beer because it has such good potential.

O: Maybe it's just my palate because this beer got really good reviews, and I DO really enjoy the aroma and flavor but I just think this beer would be great if it were bold all-around. I wish it had all of the nose, taste, and mouthfeel except intensified a lot. That said, brown ales and stouts are kind of mah thang. I recently had DFH Palo Santo & Indian Brown which are both HUMONGOUS browns in body, flavor, aroma (and booze)..I would almost call palo santo a stout--so I might just still be in a different element. But yeah, this just needs some thickening.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 00:18:27 | More by circus_cat

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.78/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured into a standard pint glass.

The beer is a hazy, muddy light brown. A frothy espresso head recedes to an uneven film while huge, sheets of lacing coat the glass.

The beer smells amazing. Stick your head in a pile of toffee, chocolate, and hazelnuts, and you might be close.

The beer tastes equally impressive: burnt toffee, caramel, chocolate covered pretzel, and the obvious hazelnut taste explosion. Really good, without being cloying or over the top.

A medium bodied mouthfeel with a nice clean finish, but it could be a dessert beer for sure.

Overall, I don't get all of the hatred for Rogue. Too pricey, yes. But this is just another awesome selection, and it held up to my expectations. I'm glad I didn't buy a sixer for $12 but the single for $2.79 was exceptional.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 18:42:13 | More by JuicesFlowing

chinchill

South Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle served in a stemmed stubby flute.

A: A fine dark brown color; Cloudy with a sudsy/creamy head. Head has only a short life.

S: Aroma of light malt is nearly buried under the powerful aroma of roasted hazelnuts.

T: A remarkable nutty flavor; unusual, but true to the "Hazelnut Brown" label. Markedly nutty; more so than any beer I can remember. This component is mainly hazelnut but there is a bit of generic roasted nut flavor there too. It finishes with an extravagant roasted hazelnut and malt flavor, with hints of chocolate, oats, and spicy hops. Excellent bitter/sweet balance.

M: smooth; rather full bodied; excellent, moderate carbonation.

O: This is a world-class nut brown ale. Not to be missed by any beer aficionado, this is an easy-drinking beer I'll be recommending to others.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 23:21:37 | More by chinchill

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

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

#82 on the beers of fame list as of last fall.

This might actually be comparable to CCB Maduro. Very translucent brown body. It smells dry and full of hazelnut. slightly sweet smell. The taste is just right for a brown. Light and sweet. Slightly dry, but only enough to even things out. Light hazelnut flavor which hides the sweet base. Finishes nutty and sweet.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 01:03:14 | More by VncentLIFE

Jsteez

New Mexico

4.43/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-Poured a nice three finger brown bubbly head. Nice lacy sides around the edge of the glass. Tan streaks of lace on sides. Straight translucent brown, with a dark red hue. Really good looking brew.

S-Not a lot going on in the smell. It could have been the glass I was using...not sure. I could smell faint malt and a little alcohol,maybe...

T-Mouth watering and refreshing. It was nutty, oak hoppy, bready, with a sense of sweet malt. The hazelnut undertones balanced the hops and malt. Pure bliss. I sensed some clove as well. Very well balanced.

M-Light-medium body. Light carbonation. Dry, and a slightly bitter aftertaste. Perfect balance.

Overall, this is a fine brown beer that lives up to its name. If you want a balance of flavors, along with sweet, bitter, dry, malt, hops, and a warm alcohol feeling in your belly, this brew is for you. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 04:50:15 | More by Jsteez

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle served in a snifter.

pours a deep brown / mahogany tone while yielding a 1" frothy, beige head. moderate to below average retention; decent lacing. nose is very nutty (stands to reason)- one of the nuttier smelling beers in recent memory. secondary notes of caramel and maybe a hint of vanilla. very nice aroma.

flavor follows and even exceeds the aroma, delivering hazelnut, caramel, vanilla, and a touch of coffee. very nicely done. medium-bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall i like this beer a lot, great rendition of a brown ale - plus there's the fact that i'm partial to hazelnut. i'd stop short of saying world class, but a tasty, flavorful beer, and not too heavy.

(originally reviewed: 10-04-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 01:13:45 | More by BostonHops

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pretty close to clear. Slight chill haze. Deep brown. Hints of dark red and lighter browns. Quite pretty. Head is a very light tan, thin, and drops to a tiny cap and collar. Spotty at best.

Smell: Pretty mellow. Loaded with a muted sweetness. Hazelnuts smell creamy and fresh and a little sweet. Touches of dark bread dough and caramel candy. Some citrus dusting. Has that distinct Rogue house yeast aroma that I can't quite describe. Very bready. Spread some hazelnut on a dark crusty loaf and you get this. Mild touches of alcohol Very clean.

Taste: A far more muted approach than the nose...if that's possible. Hazelnuts are loaded but in no way aggressive. Definitely bready with a pull of caramel sweetness. Some cracker dryness. Nutty. I can't help but think of dark brown bread. Deft use of hazelnuts. Avoids becoming sweet. Some minor hopping and of course, you can taste that Pacman yeast. It's distinct.

Mouthfeel: A little thin. Carbonation is moderate. Creamy and smooth as can be without being nitro or oatmeal. Very clean.

Overall: I was dreading drinking this beer. It's not worth dreading. It's a Rogue product and that means what you want it to mean. It's tasty, but not memorable.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 02:06:55 | More by Goblinmunkey7

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

4.48/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 650 ml bottle into the CBS snifter.

A) Deep brown with a full finger of khaki colored head, which settled quickly to a wispy dusting. Just a bit of lacing.

S) Darker malt and lot of malt sweetness. Plenty of nutty aroma, hazelnut as implied. There is caramel, vanilla, chocolate.

T) Fantastic hazelnut presence and a hint of milk chocolate, which got me craving a Ritter Sport milk chocolate bar with hazelnut cream. This has just a hint of hops, but really this is delightfully malty.

M) Medium body and moderate carbonation. This was just silky smooth, with an excellent nutty aftertaste.

O) This is certainly one of the best Brown Ales I've had the pleasure of drinking, right up there with Samuel Smith's Nut Brown. If you enjoy Brown Ales, this is a must try.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 01:21:06 | More by RoamingGnome

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

APPEARANCE: Beautiful amber, with shards of orange light illuminating the extremities of the glass. Massive ivory head, lively. Reminds me of Iron Bru.

SMELL: Crickey, genuine roasted hazelnut flavour and nothing subtle about it.

TASTE: Not complex, just generic brown ale with a domineering fresh hazlenut flavour and some caramel.

OVERALL: Yuck!!!! I feel mollycoddled by the overbearing hazelnut but if you like warming Christmassy flavours this is for you. Thinking objectively, it's a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 05:55:45 | More by Hoppsbabo