Hazelnut Brown Nectar - Rogue Ales

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

claspada

New Jersey

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

Pours a nice chestnut brown with a light nut brown colored head.
Aroma is dominated by the hazelnut but also has a nice amount of maltiness and other nut-oriented malts (probably Special Roast and Victory for you homebrewers out there).
This is one of the smoothest drinking beers that I've ever had. Words really can describe the magnitude of how much I love this beer. The pleasant flavor of the hazelnut maltiness makes me want to chug this beer down but you will be rewarded if you savor and enjoy slower. There is a nice amount of maltiness and a slight hoppiness added to the wonderful sweet hazelnut flavor which is more evident as the beer warms a tad.
Drinkability is very high for the entirety of this 16 oz pint but I don't think I could solely session this all night as the sweetness would overwhelm me eventually. Otherwise, absolutely delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2012 10:27:56 | More by claspada

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

TheRealBigC

Nevada

4.73/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

When Rogue nails it, they really nail it. This is a totally unique, totally fantastic beer. The hazelnut smell is strong, but the flavor is well-balanced and light (in a good way). As such, it's an all weather beer that stands alone. One of our local pubs has a constantly rotating tap, but this one has stayed on as long as I've been going there. It's a flavorful beer but because it's not overwhelmingly bold, it's a great beer to pass off to your friends, especially those who often reach for a Newcastle.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2012 19:44:15 | More by TheRealBigC

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

kylehay2004

Florida

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

A: single finger head on a clear amber body. Excellent lacing.

S: chocolate, toffee, nuts, caramel malts.

T: Light roasted malts, milk chocolate, mild oak, hazelnut, burnt toast and a hint of vanilla.

M: very very smooth. Medium creamy body and lighter side of moderate carbonation.

Overall: this is an excellent brown ale. Many of these are boring and simple but this one is smooth, highly drinkable and complex. One of rogues best.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2012 21:15:27 | More by kylehay2004

afksports

New York

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

can't believe this is my first time having this. roasted hazelnut blasts out of the glass with every whiff. Just enough hops to bitter it up, nutty taste with a good.roast quality. This will be my go to Thanksgiving beer for years to come. For now, it's perfect for a happy hour brown.

Mouthfeel is watery and appropriate, clean finish that leaves just a touch if the 13 malts that shape it. The only thing to improve is the higher than necessary alcohol by volume.

Quality from Rogue. I knew they could do it!

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2012 22:08:06 | More by afksports

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

dansmcd

Australia

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a molasses colour, under a thin sliver of head and thin streaks of lacing.

S - I've just stepped into a bakery. Biscuit, cake and HAZELNUT! Powerful nutty aroma, almond meal, sweet chocolate powder. I can almost taste it in the air.

T - Follows the nose with an overwhelming hazelnut dominated profile, complemented by vanilla, chocolate and wood.

M - Dry and chalky, light to medium body with medium carbonation.

O - Rogue have well and truly captured hazelnut in a bottle here. If you really like your hazelnuts, this could be your go to beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 07:32:56 | More by dansmcd

aasher

Indiana

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a light bodied chestnut brown in color with a one finger creamy off white head. The nose is somewhat sweet and malt with a touch of nuttiness, almost in a syrup type of manner. The flavors are a big improvement. It's malty with hints of caramel, toffee, and light butterscotch with a lot of hazelnut. The hazelnut even flows into the after taste and doesn't leave for a couple minutes. It has great, great flavor for the style. It drinks light and sweet with a subtly dry finish. This is one of the best brown ales you can find in my opinion. This beer may be an acquired taste but if you like coffee or nutty flavors this beer is for you.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 04:29:48 | More by aasher

Vixie

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice ruby red with a bit of a tan head that leaves some lacing.

Smell is on the sweet side, the malt notes kick in first, then a bit of a candy like sweetness.

Taste is very much on the sweet side, but not overly so. There is a nuttiness there, and the sweetness is a bit different from the typical malt sweetness, maybe from the hazelnuts.

Feel is fairly standard for the style, no complaints here.

Overall a decent beer, but not a standout. It goes down very easy, and would be nice on a hot day, I would juts like a bit more fullness in the flavor. Worth a try, a nice variation on a brown ale.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2012 20:37:47 | More by Vixie

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12-ouncer.

Slightly reddish-brown with a churning head of beige bubbles. Coarse and popping. And, falling... Ok, poor retention. But, it looks 'nectary'? 3.5

Roasted grain, mustiness, and nutty sweetness. Very faint hazelnut nose. Not much more to the aroma than that. Smells like a Euro Dark Lager... 2.5

Sharp hazelnut coffee flavors with a bright pungency. A little sweet, a lot roasty (for a brown ale). Toffee, Nutella, earthy/spicy hops, and some malt bitterness (especially, in the finish). If I didn't know it to have hazelnut/hazelnut flavor added, I'd think it was a product of a lively yeast (which I think is adding other nutty qualities). Everlasting finish that is bittersweet. Delicate flavors involved here. 4.0

Another easy drinker from my mix-and-match tonight. Low carbonation levels enhance that (but, hurt the score). Pretty much medium-bodied. Minor alcohol presence. VERY minor. 3.5

Nice little brown ale. Good thing, because I was almost at the point of 'down-and-out' on Rogue beer. Happy to have this little puppy in my pint glass. 4.0

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 04:46:35 | More by thecheapies

joecalderoni

Texas

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

A: a nice tanned brown color with a medium head on it that dissapeared rather quickly!

S: Amazing hazelnut aroma with a mild malty with nutty aroma on the back of the nose!

T: amazing hazelnut taste with a nice nutty taste on the back! very simillar to the nose! some caramell as well!

M: medium to full body on this one! very chewy! very nice!!

O: an amazing beer! very well balanced and very nice as a desset beer!

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2012 02:14:22 | More by joecalderoni

Lordquackingstic

Italy

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

Poured into a tulip.

A: Dark brown with a finger and a half of off-white head. No lacing.

S: Super nutty, hazel, slightly sweet malt, slight coffee aroma. The nuts dominate the smell.

T: Huge on nutty tones with a great kick of hazelnut. Malts definitely present, but not overly sweet. Low bitterness.

M: Not overly carbonated. Leaves a nice nutty, hazelnut coffee aftertaste.

O: I've only had a couple of straight brown ales, but this is the best yet. I'm happy that it's not overly sweet like some browns. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 22:10:17 | More by Lordquackingstic

oline73

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into my Chimay goblet.

Appearance: The beer pours a murky reddish brown with a light tan head that goes away completely.

Smell: Definitely picking up the nuts. Malty but not particularly sweet. I'm getting the hazelnuts and some vanilla notes.

Taste: The hazelnuts are quite pronounced here too. A very mild malt sweetness, the sweet taste is mild, not the malt. The finish is slightly bitter and nutty.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tingly carbonation and a slightly slick finish.

Overall: I'm a big fan of this beer. The hazelnuts are a very welcome addition to the mix. I'd have another.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 01:15:37 | More by oline73