Hazelnut Brown Nectar - Rogue Ales

Reidrover

Oregon

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

Comes in the 22 oz bomber with good ole Morimoto on the screen print..ah you can see it now..]
beautiful looking beer dark almost mahogany brown with a nice tan coloured head that shrinks yet persists to the end.
A great malty/nutty aroma greets my nose wonderful stuff.
Taste starts off with a nice malty sweetness followed by a mineral tatse in the middle then near the end the hazelnut shows through..some very faint hops and some nice alcohol warmth in the throat.
Very smooth and welcoming on the tongue.
An exceptionally drinkable beer..gets better as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2003 02:59:09 | More by Reidrover

RenoZymurgist

Nevada

3.7/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The trademark Rogue head action is definetly there in this one. A thick head formed immediatly and subsided to a 1\4 inch head that is thick and sticks to the glass leaving a little lace. Nice red color that is so dark as to appear brown. Aroma is of a coffeeness blended with sweet dark carmel and a distinct nutty aroma. Flavor is smooth and thick with very little malt bitterness and more of a sweet coffee flavor with a very obvious nuttiness that could never have come from malt. Hops are present but are here just to balance the malt character. Body is very heavy and goes well with this beer as there is little bitterness from hops or malt so it dosen't linger too much. Smooth flavor is very refreshing and is a nice break from the usual Brown ales I have tried. The only thing i have to say after drinking this beer is that if you want to try it be prepared for an unnaturally strong nut flavor. This beer is very very close to the Original Hazelnut Brown Ale Rogue does and i would like to know how Morimoto gets credit for this recipe.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2003 23:09:40 | More by RenoZymurgist

scottum

Vermont

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

Pours out a redish dark brown with a small tan head. Big nut malt flavor. A touch of the fruity with quite the hazelnut makes this a very drinkable brew. Hops are present enought for the balance to stick. Overall a solid brew worth drinking. A bit sweet.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2003 18:16:46 | More by scottum

BierReise

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A vigorous pour yielded only a thin yet creamy and condensed tan head atop a cloudy deep amber brown body. The head thinned out even more to but a slight film. Aroma is malty, nutty and with noticable hops present and hints of coffee and chocolate. Mouthfeel is very smooth with a creaminess to it. Flavor is reminding me of Sam Smiths nutbrown yet definately more bitter. Finishes a tad dry. Overall would be better if less bitter in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2003 22:26:44 | More by BierReise

queenboadicea

Virginia

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

***A quick sidenote before the review....As has been noted, this beer reminds me a lot of the Hazelnut Brown Nectar. And for good reason...the Morimoto Hazelnut is replacing the HBN. If you check out either Rogue's website or compare bottles of the two, you'll notice that the ingredient list is almost identical. At the same time, the Moriomoto Sobe is replacing the Buckwheat Ale.***

The beer pours a nice reddish brown with only a small head. The flavor is a combination of hazelnut and coffee, with mildy pronounced malt and a slightly hoppy finish. I found this beer to become far more pleasant and drinkable as it warmed up and was ideal at approx. 60 deg. Any cooler and much of the flavor and character is lost.

Another fine offering from Rogue, although I fear for nostalgic reasons that I will miss the Hazelnut Brown!

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2003 14:51:58 | More by queenboadicea

alexgash

Connecticut

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

Thank you Jackson, Wyoming. I have now had a hazelnut beer though I still haven't eaten a real hazelnut all by itself. Weird. This beer poured a rich, rootbeer/ebony brown with a creamy tan head. I was amazed by how the aromas were detectable from three feet away! Luckily the smell was complex and inviting; mostly molasses-sweet/nutty malts, with a hint of roasted coffee. The sweet and nutty malts were there all the way, followed by an acidic, slightly tart, nutty, dry finish. Very well balanced. I have not had many nut browns, but this is bound to be one of the best (and most unusual?).

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2003 22:00:46 | More by alexgash

BeerManDan

California

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

When poured out of the bottle the color produced was a clear dark brown with some tan foam and nice lace from start to finish. The smell of roasted malts and hazelnut was very appearent. The taste was of roasted malts, hazelnuts and a hint of chocolate. Well balance on the sweet/bitterness of the hops to make this ale a very pleasant tasting beer. I bought it at the brewery and was wondering if I could purchase it other than their. Oh well, just gives me another excuse to travel to Newport, Oregon to visit Rogue Ales again!

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2003 23:05:28 | More by BeerManDan

kevinl6

South Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I really like this offering from Rogue. It is very unique to say the least. A beautiful glass of beer that is dark brown with a very thin, lacy head. Smell is very nice...yep, hazelnut, and just an overall 'nutty' smell. A fairly strong aroma. Taste is again 'nutty' and very malty as well. A somewhat carbonated mouthfeel, but its not too much. I'm actually reviewing this from my notes of a couple of days ago, and I had a question mark beside my 3.5 mouthfeel rating. I was comtemplating going a notch higher, but decided to leave it as is. I'll certainly be having another, and if this rating changes, I'll update it. A very drinkable, complex, and 'different' Rogue that is very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2003 03:05:34 | More by kevinl6

aaronh

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

All this talk about hazlenut brown lately made me decide i should try it out, since it's been in the fridge for a month. I poured the entire bottle into a 1L glass, and it produced a deep hazy brown color, topped by a deep cream colored that shows good retention. Very nutty aroma that is comprized of hazlenut, caramel, nice roasted malt, some earthy hops and a bit of chocolate. The taste is a lot like chocolate covered hazlenuts, and it even has that slightly sharp nut aftertaste. Good coffee notes and some chocolate as well. Not as sweet as I expected, but still very good. Lack of sweetness probably actually helps the drinkability and the overall enjoyment of this beer. The mouthfeel is solid, but not as rich as some other browns. Still good though, as it is by no means thin. Drinkability is pretty darn good. Not sure where this ranks in my overall browns, but I'd guess a little behind Avery, DFH and Troeg's. A very solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2003 01:31:40 | More by aaronh

GreenCard

Oregon

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

22 oz. bottle of the Morimoto version...

Appearance: dark brown w/ a dark tan creamy clingy head, good lacing (as always with Rogue), great clarity, lots of clinging bubbles

Aroma: caramelly sweetness, slightly roasty, subtle nuttiness, a touch of woodsy hops, metallic twinge

Flavor: luscious maltiness balanced out with a restrained piney hop flavor and bitterness, slight tanginess, some coffee notes, the nutty hazelnut essence sort of hangs back in the palate, aftertaste verges on an acrid quality (without that, it would be a 4-4.5)

Mouthfeel: medium body, gentle carbonation, some astringency on teeth, pretty smooth

Overall Impression: If you read some of my other Rogue reviews, I was pretty disappointed by their lack of balance. But I've kept trying more of their beers because I they are a highly respected brewery. This is the third one I've found that I am happy with. Nicely balanced, tasty, unique. I can now safely say that Rogue is a capable, diverse, respectable brewery. Not all of their beers are hop-bombs.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2003 20:24:51 | More by GreenCard

TPoling

Texas

4.53/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this Nectar following a rather mediocre nut brown ale from another well-known craft brewery in the Northwest. Even so, the Rogue offering would have stood on its own even after another top-notch beer. The mahogany color and deep tan were enticing enough even before the nose absorbed the nutty maltiness of this brew.

I feared that the hazelnut extract would be overpowering. Instead, it complemented the nuttiness of the malts. All around excellent, but the bitterness from Cascade and Saaz, two favorites of mine, clashed slightly from what should have been a very smooth and rich ale of the dessert kind.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2003 22:11:01 | More by TPoling

GreatPondBrewer

Oregon

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

22 oz. Bomber poured into a tulip glass.

Poured a impenetrable black with a creamy cafe au lait head about a 1/4 inch thick. That receded into a thing ring about the edge of the glass, but not too much lacing.

This smell is my all time favorite. I would love nothing better than have a feed bag full of coffee grounds and hazelnut is one of my favorite aromas. This had a wonderfully deep pungent smell of this wafting about as well as some sweet, dark chocolates.

The taste had less hazelnut than I would have liked. FIt had morphed from that aroma into a deep bitter coffee flavor The bitterness was not that of hops but just pure coffee. There was also some latent toffee tastes and just a hint of brown sugar. In my opinion it was a little too astringant and the complexities and subtlties of the smell were lost.

The mouthfeel was also a little lacking. I was not at all taken by the amount of carbonation it had. I would like something a little smoother without that ginger ale feeling on my tongue. Certainly not nectar

Personally I could drink this beer just for the smell, but I think I will have to drink it sparingly. It goes well as an after dinner beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2003 19:32:25 | More by GreatPondBrewer

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

1.73/5  rDev -57.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

A strange one. Tastes like a Vanilla Coke/Newcastle Brown shandy with some hazelnut syrup and a touch more malt. Very odd, and unevenly balanced. The flavours don't blend well at all, really bad, especially when i had such high hopes. Another good reason for me not to like brown ales. Odd.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2003 08:38:02 | More by rastaman

jcalabre

California

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

Originally sampled on 30 January 2002. I am writing this review from my notes. This pours nearly clear, root beer brown w/ a slight tan head. Slightly sweet, nutty (duh) taste on the palate. This is a very enjoyable brew, thx beerguy101 for getting it to me

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2003 21:45:44 | More by jcalabre

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

2.28/5  rDev -44.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Just altogether weird tasting. I don’t like hazelnut coffee or hazelnut beer. The sweet malt and sweet hazelnut are not in harmony with each other and the hops don’t really effectively counterbalance the overwhelming sweetness. This tan colored “beverage” with a fading beige/tan head has a hazelnut and sweet syrupy aroma. The thick oily body and sweet nutty taste, and hint of vanilla is just too much. The light lemony bitterness seems to be an afterthought. Do I detect a faint cappuccino flavor? An odd mealy mouthfeel begs for a chaser to wash away the sweet sludge. Have I mentioned sweet?

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2003 15:03:04 | More by BeerResearcher

hotstuff

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This brew poured a medium tan head with fine-small bubbles into my glass. It had fair lacing on the sides of my mug. The body was brown in color. This brew in my opinion has a coffee flavor to it which I enjoyed. There was no bitterness to this brew which is to my liking. It had a slightly sweet aftertaste to it that was not overwhelming to me.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2003 12:29:21 | More by hotstuff

francisweizen

Australia

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

This beer is one of the best brown ales...ever! This may even be as good as the infamous Samuel Smiths nut brown ale! This beer poured a light brown colour, with a nice, white head. The aromas were of hazelnut, and various malts. The taste was very sweet, alcoholic, and nutty. Excellent! This is almost like you put a shot or two of Ameretto in your favorite beer. The mouthfeel was a bit thick and the drinkability was not perfect, but this is one damn good nut brown ale!

Cheers!
-F

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2003 13:06:56 | More by francisweizen

daledeee

Iowa

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

Nice big silk screened bottle. 16.9 oz. Pours a nice tan head and is very dark brown colored. Head goes away pretty quickly though and leaves lace. Nose is not as strong as the flavor. Hint of chocolate and roasted malt smell. I can also smell the hazelnut. The hazelnut does not come through in the taste very much. Taste is dark chocolate backed by roasted malt and a hint of coffee. Alcohol is hidden well. Nice smooth mouth feel

This tastes more like a stout or a porter than a brown ale. But I like this beer a lot.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2003 15:03:58 | More by daledeee

SamuraiJack

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hard to believe that we got this beer here in Bishop! As noted by others, this seems very similar to the Hazelnut Brown.

First pour shows a darker than expected amber tinted brown ale with a creamy tan head. Aroma is malty with a noticable nuttiness and the tiniest hints of citrus/spice and coffee.

Initial taste is sweet, soft and malty. The sweetness quickly resolves into noticable hazelnut flavours while the softness gives way to chocolate covered fruit notes. While the beer is undeniably sweet, there is a nice bite that builds throughout the flavour to eventually dominate the finish. Even there, however, the flavours are balanced - with some toasted oak and fruit to liven the palette.

It's no shock that a speciality beer branded for a Sushi chef would taste good with fish - but I have to admit I was surprised at how well a Hazelnut beer worked with fish. This is a good example of the style and a pleasant while perhaps not extraordinary in any way beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2003 22:14:48 | More by SamuraiJack

nomad

Kansas

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

Poured an opaque deep hazelnut color, with a small foamy tan-colored head. Had pretty good lace, hard-to-see carbonation, and tiny bits of stain.

Smelled like hazelnuts first and foremost, as well as roasted malt and tiny touches of floral hops. Tasted, again firstly, like a delicious hazelnut roasted yet somehow still ounce-fully sweet. Attendantly, it had a charming medium-dark malt, a light topping off of Rogue zingy hops, and a great toasted bread flavor toward the end. But of course, this beer lastly and firstly had a cool take on the classic English Brown tart flavor, a nice capping off of how Rogue putting their roguish interpretation of a middle-of-the-road English classic.. The finish had serious woody and/or cask-conditioned hints.

Had an easy slightly oily mouthfeel that aids this beer's excellent finish. In all, it was a surprising delight, and could go very well with fall and winter foods - it certainly went well with my toasted wheat bread sandwich of peanut butter and honey (poor country boy snack). Calm and easy but so understatedly complex and excessively easy to drink. English brown ales tend to be boring or unappealing – this one is instead stellar for its style.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2003 09:00:52 | More by nomad

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

Mitchster

Michigan

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

Clear, deep dark mahogany in color, forming a clumpy small beautifully tan head atop medium-sized bubbles. Carbonation is moderate. Aroma is of sweet chocolate malt and roasted dark nuts. I'm not normally a fan of nut brown ales, but this one smells nice. Retention is decent and lacing is great. Mouthfeel is soft with a smooth finish. Medium-dense body. Taste...wow....up front there are dirty, earthy hops which are followed by a subtle quick note of alcohol. The best part about this brew is right in the middle; a sweet, chewy dark graininess emerges and bathes the tongue, followed by a pleasant spicy hop bitterness. The finish is toasty and dark, earthy and dry, with notes of dark fruits and warm wood. The hazelnut is rather restrained, making this an enjoyable brew, and not sickingly artificial like many other "flavored" mistakes.

Ingredients: Great Western 2-row Pale, Munich, Hugh Baird Brown, Crystal 80, Crystal 135, Carastan, Beeston Pale Chocolate malts; hazelnut extract, Perle and Saaz hops.

Measurements: 14 degrees Plato, IBU 33, apparent attenuation 73.6, Lovibond 36.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2003 18:59:27 | More by Mitchster

fastfwd

Oklahoma

4.55/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

My first review. I couldn't resist reviewing this one. This beer is such a treat! Nice thick tan head by the time I poured the second glass (first was a little too cold I guess). Began with a nice mild chocolate malt taste, very creamy, smooth, full mouthfeel, and finished with a little bit of hop, but just enough to keep it interesting. Left a hint of coffee and maybe toffee taste in my mouth. Wow, this is a great beer. If I could only have one beer a day I could live on just one of these a day. I'm really impressed with the Rouge beers so far.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2003 18:01:56 | More by fastfwd

WaltTrombone

New York

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

This beer came in a 22 oz. bomber, with the signature Rogue painted label, very classy!

It poured a dark brown, almost black, with red notes when held to the light. The creamy tan head went away almost immediately. The aroma was faint, an undefined sweetness, with nut and chocolate notes. (Served at cellar temps, BTW, around 50-55F)

The taste is not complex, mostly a malty sweetness, with just enough hop bitterness to remind you that it's a beer, not a hazelnut frappacino. Transient notes of hazelnut, chocolate, and figs.

Smooth, almost thin mouthfeel, with light carbonation. The finish is where I really noticed the hazelnut, along with the light bitterness from the hops.

So far, I've found Rogue beers to be good, not great, and surprised by the hype and aura attributed to this brewery by other BAs. They ARE, however of good quality, and very drinkable. If you've been curious about the fuss, you shouldn't be wary, as they are deserving of at least some of the accolades. Worth seeking out, at least to see and taste for yourself!

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2003 06:23:33 | More by WaltTrombone

PhantomVodoo

Ohio

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

Hazed dark brown in color. Some sediment at the bottom. Creamy tan head that stayed well.
Roasted malt aroma with cocoa and coffee.

The taste seems to come in 3 distinct phases. First a smooth, sweet, very nutty malt phase. Then an onslaught of mouth-puckering bitterness. Finally after the finish comes a pleasing hazlenut coffee and cocoa flavor that lingers on the palate for some time. Quite an interesting beer to drink.

Good body and mouthfeel with slight creaminess.
Drinkability set back a notch due to the bitter 2nd phase of the tasting experience.

The hazelnut extract really shows. Overall this beer is quite nutty and also coffee-like. If you're into hazelnut coffee this one is a must find.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2003 21:30:23 | More by PhantomVodoo