Hazelnut Brown Nectar - Rogue Ales

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sampled at Brick Store Pub with the Atlanta B.A. crew. Hops and added flavour. Are browns needed? If I am going to have this, it might as well be on-tap. Colour-brown. I can see it appealing to some people and transitioning from coolers. A bit too much on the sweet side for my palate.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2006 04:18:35 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Roasted nut brown with a significant infusion of crimson; the beer is especially ruddy when backlit. The ecru cap is dense, creamy and sticky--typical Rogue quality--and is impressively persistent. Small sheets of thick lace are nice to look at, but don't last as long as I'd like.

The aroma isn't as hazelnutty as I'd feared. I faulted the Morimoto version for being too one-dimensional, too focused on hazelnut. My hope is that this beer doesn't suffer a similar fate. Exiting the glass is a glorious combination chocolate malt, vanilla and buttered, roasted hazelnuts. Well done.

In comparison to Morimoto, this is easily the better beer, largely because its hazelnut flavor is more in harmony with the brown ale rather than completely dominating it. Outside of the obvious added flavor, the malt bill is a highlight (although it's hard to fathom why 7 different varieties of malt were necessary). Roasted barley is a larger part of the flavor profile than is chocolate, thereby allowing the hazelnut essence to shine. Tobacco is a subtle contributor as well.

Drinkability is enhanced by the fact that the beer falls marginally on the bitter side of the sweet-bitter continuum. The body firms up nicely with warming, even edging into creamy by the final third of the bottle. The finish is characterized by a piquant, nutty flavor that, once again, is evidence of an evenhanded addition of hazelnut nectar. Restraint was needed... and restraint was exercised.

This beer is a pleasant surprise. I'm a Rogue fan, but I wasn't expecting much after being disappointed by Morimoto Hazelnut. The secret, I believe, is that this beer is first and foremost a quality brown ale and the hazelnut flavor is complimentary in the best possible way. I should never have doubted. For my penance, I'll purchase a few more bombers as soon as possible.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2004 21:24:25 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Finally got around to purchasing a bottle of this. Dont know why it took me so long, its like everywhere, I guess my priorities were on others..Anyway..

A - Poured a deep hazelnut brown with a small, maybe one inch tan head, Faded quickly and did not leave much behind. Some small residual glass lace, but nothing remarkable. Decent visible carbonation..

S - Roasted nuts and caramel, pretty straightforward but down very very nicely. A touch of roasted coffee as well. Maybe a hint of chocolate.

T - Very nice brown ale. Nice nuttiness and mix of caramel. Some light hop in the back. Good all around flavor, nothing really dominating. Some small coffee flavor again as I think about it.

M - A little slick, but nothing drastic. Decent feel though. Needed a bit more carbonation I think.

D - Totally sessionable in a big way. This was soo smooth you could drink it all night with no issues.

Overall this was a pretty damn fine brown ale. I have had better, but this is pretty damn good. Definatly worth checking out if you havent already.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2007 00:37:00 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

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

Another beer I've had many times but never written up a review for. It's a go to choice for some of my friends so a bottle was shared yesterday evening.

A: The pour is a perfectly clear light brown color with a nice off-white head.

S: Very, very nutty. Hazelnuts dominate the aroma and some nice notes of toffee, chocolate, and lightly roasted malt are present as well.

T: This beer is always such a good choice. A rich hazelnut flavor is the star of the show. There's also a wonderful creaminess to the beer which you would never expect. There is also some sweet malt and toffee flavor, but the beer doesn't get too sweet at any time.

M: A medium body with moderate carbonation. There's also that nice creaminess that I mentioned earlier.

D: Every time I drink this I remember why it's such a popular pick. A wonderfully easy drinking beer and great flavors that the beer geek or casual drinker can appreciate.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2009 18:39:33 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

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

A: Pours a nice, medium slightly-hazed brown with a fairly-nice off-white head.

S: Definite nuttiness comes through along with some sweet malt; not terribly complex, but a really nice balance. A bit of caramel and toffee in the background.

T: Again, loads of nuts coming here. A bit distracting and not quite as clean as the nose was. This is definitely a bit one-dimensional, but not bad by any means.

M: Very nice and creamy. The nut flavors work well with the sweetness.

D: All a bit too much hazelnut, detracting a bit from the ultimate drinkability of this one, along the same lines as their Chocolate Stout.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2010 22:11:08 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Straight up solid brown in color with a fizzy khaki-colored head that quickly settles to a ring of bubbles and further settles leaving the beer to look like a glass of Nestea.

Smell: The scent isn't overly abundent, but it's there. It's there and it's hazlenut, baby! There's also cream soda, toast with honey, and a little bit of chocolate to be found.

Taste: It's delish! Malty sweet, with flavors of hazlenut, vanilla, and even coffee. The soft, floral hops are delicate and help to balance out the sweetness, though they remain light (and especially light for Rogue). Lastly, both chocolate and honey close out things. Finish is clean.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Creamy. Carbonation remains low.

Drinkability: Excellent and unique! Very easy to drink. Sweet, but not too sweet. A very tasty brown ale!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2006 06:14:22 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: Pours a dark tea brown color with a beige head that displays reasonable longevity and leaves some bolts of lace

Smell: Milk chocolate and nuts aroma

Taste: Starts with a chocolately flavor that, after the swallow starts to display some hazelnut complexity; the finish has a touch of vanilla and is a little bitter, but more like nut skin bitter than hoppy bitter

Mouthfeel: Medium to thick body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Easy to drink and a definite improvement on the typical brown ale

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2006 23:48:22 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

4.65/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at the Lazy Dog Cafe in Valencia, CA.

A - Color is a strongly brewed iced tea tone that came with no head. Very little lacing on this one.

S - Sweet malts, chocolate, hazelnuts.

T - Bittersweet chocolate mixed with toasted hazelnuts. There is a slight bitterness to this beer that is fleeting.

M - Leaves a slight coating feeling in the mouth. Good carbonation.

D - This is a very good beer. I had it with a hickory smoked bacon and blue cheese butter burger and it was a fine meal indeed. I would definitely get this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2010 05:04:31 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a dark brown color ale with a foamy dark head with average retention. Aroma is nutty from the hazelnut flavour and malty with some roastiness. Taste is quite enjoyable with the hazelnut easily identifiable and roasted malt balancing everything else. Overall, I would say that this is a very good session beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2006 13:50:42 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

After dancing around this beer for some time, I finally got arround to trying it. Smells like a really good nut brown ale. Lots of barley malt, almonds, hazlenut, chocolate and roasted malt with a fermented sour to the nose. Looks almost opaque and dark brown. Lightly headed with a tan lace. Tastes like a big flavored brown ale with ameretto mixed in. Flavors of hazlenut, cocoa, barley malt, and caramel remain strong into the finish. The beer wears a bit grainy and astringent, but not to deterring levels. Finishes a bit thinner than the initial sip. Could be a bit creamier. Still-good beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2005 15:41:45 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

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

Another of the dark rich beers had during the day,pours a deep brown with some amber highlights thr out a nice creamy looking head that leaves a light amount of lace,big rich aromas some sweet cream and vanilla with only a light hazelnut note.Taste up is of dark roast coffee going into a light mocha flavor with that hazelnut flavor coming thry late and even more as it warmed.A rich flavorful brown ale somewhat sweet but not cloying a good dessert beer I would think.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2004 02:29:25 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

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

This appears simply to be a specially bottled "Hazelnut Brown Nectar". All of the ingredients and specifications match from bottle to bottle with the exception of the color. The Hazelnut Brown Nectar is listed at 36 degrees Lovibond, but the Morimoto is darker at 44.

It's a dark reddish brown with a foamy light tan. Hazelnut is noteable in the aroma along with some cocoa-ish notes from a softly sweet malt. It's medium bodied and the gentle, natural carbonation caresses the tongue. It's sweetly cocoa-ish and lightly fruity upfront, followed by a distinct hazelnut note in the finish along with a light, mildly roasted note in the aftertaste. It's well-balanced with a median bitterness that leaves the sweetness of the malt up front, but drys out the finish. Quite enjoyable and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2003 16:53:43 | More by NeroFiddled

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

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

Deeply, darkly, tawny brown color, with a smallish head, cocoa-tan hued...aroma: sweet, roasty, very malty, lush and chocolatey, nuts aplenty.
Taste: goodness! Ever-so sweet! Yum! No hops, huge, caramely malt, but full-on sweetness, thickly textured...wow, the high-concept is thrown in high-relief here, as I can think of no other expression so sure of this particular style, their aim is true, and they hit the mark perfectly. Hazelnut, yes, so rich, and thick, and an excellent dessert brew, something to adequately fill in for Frangelico, if the need arises.
They bring it on full-bore on this one, wow, it's a choice brew, indeed!
Hey, do a specially-flavored brew, do it all the way, that's what I say, and that's what Rogue does here!

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2004 09:10:03 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.5/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a deep dark brown color with a thick frothy light tan head that slowly fades. The aroma is exceptional. It has a nice malty core littered with dark cystal and chocolate malts as well as a wonderful hazelnut aroma. The taste is good. It has a smooth brown ale flavor with a darker malt feel. It has a creamy nut finish that is quite tastey. The mouthfeel is good. It is a medium/full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a damn fine brown ale. It has tremendous flavor and aroma; a good sessions brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2004 00:36:14 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.35/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass. Beer is brown and mostly clear. Forms a decent sized head of small off white bubbles that leaves very little lacing on the glass. Looks OK.

Aroma is simple and has this roastiness to it.

Beer is medium to light in body and has an almost ash like backward flavor it. Carbonation in the mouth is minimal but the beer is quite drinkable. No aftertaste. All and all its an average uninteresting beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2010 11:10:14 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

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

Pours a clear brown color with a tan head. The aroma is toffee and hazelnuts. The flavor is caramel with hazelnuts. There is also some chocolate in the flavor as well as some light hop bitterness at the very end. The aftertaste is nutty. Medium, semi-creamy mouthfeel and low-medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2010 04:41:57 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

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

A - It poured out a brown color with a creamy/tan, two-finger head. It left a little lacing.

S - It smelled very nutty and malty. The hazelnut smell comes through, as well.

T - It is very nutty (hazelnut) and a very tasty roasted malt.

M - It was soft and medium-bodied.

D - Another great Rogue product. And a great brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2006 03:07:23 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Clear mahogany in color, the beer has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high beige head that quickly faded into lacy patterns of bubbles covering the surface.
S: Moderate to strong aromas of hazelnut prominently stand out in the nose.
T: Like the smell, hazelnuts stand out in the nutty taste; however they aren't quite as strong and allow for flavors of caramel and buttery malts to shine through. The malts contribute a slight amount of sweetness to the initial taste.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and very smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
D: The beer goes down very easily; the hazelnut flavors are well incorporated into the overall taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2011 03:19:34 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

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

Brown beer, very clear. Thin Tan head that does not last long. Not over the top Hazelnut flavor, but it does kick in in the finish, a nice subtle note. A bit of the Hazelnut note in the nose as well. I like that the sweetness in this beer is very subtle, I hate when these beers are over-sweetened. The front taste is malty, and I can't pull out any taste of the hops, which I was not really expecting to.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2003 00:11:11 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.85/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz. bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep brown color, with a large yellowish head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of roasted malts, nuts, maple, caramel and some hops.

T: The taste is very sweet up front with flavors of hazelnut, coffee, caramel and maple. The malt character is very hearty and there's a mild hops presence that comes in to provide some balance. The after-taste is sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty if you're ok with the sweetness, goes down easy, not too filling, good kick, good representation of style, this is a nice beer to drink if you want a brown ale with some extra flavor than most have.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2008 15:55:38 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This beer poured out as a nice rich brown color. The head was a light tan color with some light lacing. The smell of the beer was big with hazelnut, kind of impressed actually. I didn't expect it's aroma to be so prominent. The taste of the beer was sweet at first and then finished with a nice bitterness at the end. The mouthfeel wasn't bad really it was decent for the style. Overall it's an interesting brew and worth trying for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 04:29:38 | More by Knapp85

Halcyondays

California

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. bomber,

A: Pours a dark brown, with a fizzy off-white head, poor retention, no lacing.

S: Very nutty, sugary malts.

T: Light toffee maltiness, runs the show, not a hard caramel as brown ales can often have. The sweet hazelnut is there as well, as a light complement to the malt. All and all, a tasty, sugary brown ale.

M: Light on the palate, crisp, and smooth.

D: One of the better bottled ales from Rogue, in my opinion, definitely one I'll have again at some point.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2008 15:26:31 | More by Halcyondays

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

jwc215

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown with rubyish highlights. Tall creamy head descends to a one-finger head, then to a thin cover.

The smell is nutty, earthy, slightly grainy - Dark malt abounds.

The taste is of hazlenut from start to finish. Malty sweetness is kept from being cloying by a subtle earthy hop bitterness. Chocolate and honey notes peek through to give it more complexity. Finishes with an exceptionally smooth, malty sweetness.

The feel is creamy in a medium to full, but not thick, body. Malty and rich. The hazelnut flavor hangs on for a long time in the aftertaste.

Nicely done. It's like a soft hazlenut liqueur. Delicious. Very good for a malty, "something different" brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2007 20:51:17 | More by jwc215

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

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

650ml bottle. I very much like hazelnuts, especially when paired with chocolate, which seems to be the promise here.

This beer pours a clear, dark reddish amber hue, with two fingers of foamy, creamy pale beige head, which leaves a thin, low-lying wall of lace around the glass as it kind of hastily recedes.

It smells of lightly toasted hazelnut, bready caramel malt, milk chocolate, mild cafe au lait, and earthy, leafy hops. The taste is more semi-sweet, slightly oily roasted hazelnut, caramel cream, dry coffee, mildly bitter cocoa, and an indeterminate, but likely hop-borne dryness.

The carbonation is fairly soft, and generally innocuous, the body just a bit south of medium weight, and dime-store smooth. It finishes off-dry, the nutty character persisting well, and integrating more or less fully with the lingering malt and bittersweet chocolate notes.

Nutella, this ain't, however, the hazelnut extract offers a nice uptick to the decent base brown ale, in proportions that make it actually quite drinkable, as evidenced by my rapidly emptying glass. Oh, and good thing that I prefaced this all with that disclaimer: I do indeed freaking love hazelnuts, so it's a tad unfortunate that this offering is pushing 10 bucks a bottle 'round these parts.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2009 04:17:07 | More by biboergosum