Hazelnut Brown Nectar - Rogue Ales

smibroncos

New York

4.47/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

A. Poured a dark clear copper with a short off white diminishing head good lacing on the glass.

S. Hazelnut, malt, leaves, maple

T. The hazlenut is the star of the flavor, nutty, and earthy, maple and sweet but then the bitterness hits, and lasts. Really a great balanced brew.

M. Medium bodied lots of carbonation sweet and sticky on the tongue, great duration.

D. A really good brew I expected the sweetness however I wasn't ready for the bitter finish. Great balance and a good brew.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2010 04:00:36 | More by smibroncos

bellafromsocal

California

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

Has a amber-brown appearance with a decent tan head. You can definitely smell the hazelnut and it carries through into the taste. Smooth and malty with little bitterness. It was easy going down and not overly carbonated. Altough not one of my favorites, I definitely enjoyed it and would order again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2010 15:25:04 | More by bellafromsocal

katybee

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This is not really a sessions beer; it wants to be more of a long-lasting sipping beer. However I found it a little lacking in overall body and the nutty flavor left a slight aftertaste that became a little intolerable deep into the drink--almost wanted something else to wash it down with. But a fine different flavor while fresh and cold.

color: deep golden brown amber
light quickly dissipating head

smell: lightly of true hazelnut, not hoppy

taste: first off, very light hops and more malted warmth, with hazel nuttiness on the tongue; the hazel becomes more predominant on exhale and is a slight residual flavor in the back of mouth, a bit dry and bitter but true hazelnut flavored if you like that.

mouthfeel: a bit thin, though uncarbonated and drinkable

drinkability: I gave lowmarks for the residual slight aftertaste; a quaffer, not a sipper!

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2010 20:39:02 | More by katybee

gfreed

Massachusetts

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

Coffee with hazelnut syrup in it is candy coffee. Beer with hazelnut nectar (aka syrup) is... not as bad as candy beer. I normally avoid beer with additives in it, like fruit and nuts and coffee and veggies. However, I like Rogue and I trusted them not to screw this up. Fortunately I was right this time.

Far more complex than I expected, this starts with a coppery, shimmery color and a thin head. The hazelnuts are prominent in the aroma, but so is the malt which successfully elbows the nuts aside. I found some butter in the smell as well. Butter in my beer? There's a Nutella feel to the aroma which carries over into the taste: it's a sweetness that stops short of icky, but still manages not to overtake the better parts of the beer. It has the feel of a cake cone, in fact (but there's no ice cream). Low in carbonation, light in body, and there's a dusty finish that tastes a bit like the smell of my favorite library. Very low in hops and bitterness.

Worth a try, but only once. Despite my harsh feelings towards hazelnuts, I liked this.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2010 00:17:04 | More by gfreed

NODAK

Tennessee

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

Restrained aroma....somewhat sweet on the nose...nutty.

Dark brown in the glass...small head. Clear.

From the taste, I can tell why the refer to it as "nectar". It definitely has a nuttiness about it, but there's also a good deal of butterscotch, hazlenut sweetness in the body as well. Hops are very restrained in the back...a bit of sweetness hangs around after the swallow.

It's unlike anything I've had before to be honest. The hazlenut is as pronounced here as you'll find it anywhere, and this is about as sweet of a brown ale you'll find.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2010 22:36:25 | More by NODAK

msmezher

California

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

Brown Nectar is one of those beers I get excited about no matter how many times I've had it, and whether it's coming to me from a bottle or on-tap. Every time I have this beer it's like a pick-me-up, my mood goes from whatever to great in a matter of sips. Strong hazelnut flavor, from a rich translucent brown body with medium carbonation and foamy head. I highly recommend drinking Brown Nectar in a bathtub or in the hot sun, highly refreshing, crisp, sweet, nutty taste. From my experience this seems to be the case with Rogue, they don't make any crazy zany beers of experimental styles or in the hazy realm of deep palate tasting notes. Rogue makes good-ass beers, in whatever department they chose. They may not be the craziest, or the finest, but DAMMIT they're the beerest (coining that phrase, btw.)

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2010 09:48:34 | More by msmezher

Spider889

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Every time I try this beer I am reminded that I really should just buy a few bombers to have around...

Nice dark drown with a small creamy head. Smells of sweet caramel and chocolate, dry nutty malts, and definitely some hazelnut as well.

The taste is of roasted malt, lots of nice hoppy bitterness edging in, and the aftertaste is all super sweet hazelnut.

Nice and creamy, medium bodied and well carbonated. Very drinkable so long as you want a nice sweet brew. Certainly one of the best brown ales around.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2010 04:42:00 | More by Spider889

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

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

I had this on tap at Ramuntos in Lebanon NH last week, review transcribed from notes.

Deep clear reddish-brown brew, head is thin from the draft pour, and is completely bleach white. Albino headed brown ale, odd. Smell is nutty and brown, nothing surprising here. Brown sugar and a bit of smoke. Feel is a good balance between crisp carbo and creamy moderately-thick body. Taste follows right from the smell, nutty and toasty and brown. A little lemony hop keeps it honest. Finishes with burnt brown sugar and hop that lingers for a long time.

I don't like most brown ales because they typically have a sticky starchy sweetness. But thankfully this isn't like that, it's more crisp.

Serving type: on-tap

09-04-2010 15:51:25 | More by BeerNinja007

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Al's of Hampden on 9/2/10.

A - Copper brown body with half an inch of creamy beige head that reduced to a swirly patch and thin ring of retention, leaving no lace around the glass at all.

S - Initial aroma is quite malty and nutty (obviously) overall with a blend of hazelnut, toffee, butterscotch and rich caramel notes.

T - Like the aroma, the flavor is quite nutty but also sweet and not astringent. Lots of rich toffee, caramel and sweet malty notes are at the forefront, while a very light floral hop character develops in the backend. Finish is bittersweet with a hint of earthiness.

M - Medium bodied with a slight oily texture and quite a bit of bristle due to the carbonation being on the lively side of the spectrum for the style. Finishes sweet on the palate with a light hop bite.

D - Very good brown ale with a dominant nutty character and sweet flavor accented with a mild hop punch. Good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2010 20:18:46 | More by ffejherb

hughesm4

Ohio

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

On tap at Rogues Brewery.
a-poured at dark amber in color with a slight head that laced along the side of the glass.
s-holy cow! how many hazelnuts are in this beer? You now exactly what you are about to get into and your nose is just teasing your mouth.
t-initially tastes of nuts, switching to a sweet taste as the beer hits the back of your throat.
m/d-leaves a full feeling sweetness in your mouth that just leaves you wanting more. thoroughly enjoyed this beer, unfortunately so did my wife and she drank the majority of it. I recommend this beer to anyone.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2010 01:06:11 | More by hughesm4

CampusCrew

Florida

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

had this at the huge kickbacks dinner in Jacksonville, FL. I took some notes but mostly doing this from memory.
Appearance: dark brown in color, and nice lacing
Smell: loads of sweet bread aromas,
Taste: smooth medium body with loads of sweet nutty flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2010 17:19:06 | More by CampusCrew

Gobzilla

California

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

A: poured a dark brown with maroon highlights with a half finger of head that left nice rings of sticky lacing down the glass after every sip.

S: there was definitely a nice creamy vanilla hazenut dominate aroma with hints of chocolate and oatmeal. It had a little brown sugar and maple syrup as well with faint sweet malt notes.

T: the. Vanilla and hazelnut also dominated the taste that also had maple syrup, brown sugar, and chocolate accents; very tasty brown ale.

M: the brew was light to medium body with a fair amount of carbonation that had a sweet and creamy finish.

D: very drinakble beer evn though it was a little on the sweet side but went really well pair with some crumb cake.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2010 06:35:39 | More by Gobzilla

Offa

California

3.4/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Rogue in Portland, this is good but not great. It has a strong hazelnut character and not much else, so it's great if you're into beer that tastes like hazelnut candy but not if you're not. As for me, I'm not a big hazelnut-beer person, but that said, it has a firm, clean hazelnut quality. The biggest problem is that I think the hazelnut should be one element adding to a complex whole, yet here it is pretty much hazelnut with the other elements just barely able to show themselves.

Dark brown with some red hint, it has a thin tan ring.

Aroma is hazelnut with a toasty hint.

Taste is hazelnut up front, then joined by some sweetish toasty maltiness and light earthy bitterness to balance. It's balanced, neither too bitter nor too sweet, pretty drinkable, and the character is, as said, clean and firm. However, the hazelnut definitely dominates, and too much in my opinion, rendering it rather one-dimensional, so I doubt I'll actually buy it again. Hazelnut to me can be good in beer if it is a slight additional element adding to complexity of a beer that does not overall taste like hazelnut.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2010 19:23:07 | More by Offa

DNICE555

Connecticut

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

Do your like hazelnut iced coffee? You will like this beer then. Had it on tap at the B. Brown smooth rich and creamy. These unique beers really blow my mind. Its really showing off in a good way and I love it. To brew a beer that tastes like an iced coffee is pretty cool. Skillz... so bold and tasty. For what the brewer is trying to accomplish, I really can't imagine better results. I still have yet to have a Rogue beer I did not enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2010 03:12:02 | More by DNICE555

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

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

isualum12

Idaho

4.8/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Let me say from the beginning I LOVE THIS BEER...

I have had this beer from the bottle and tap. Currently my local neighborhood bar has it tap and I love them for it.

Pours dark brown in color. The color almost says flavor. The head is white creamy and heavy. The smell is chocolate with a little toasted almonds.

Flavor hits the toung like a rocket ship but with pure smoothness. The Hazlenut flavor rolls around hitting you with a little chocolate and suger and cinnamon covered nuts.

The best part about this beer is when you add other food flavors. I have always enjoyed this beer on it's own but then I addes some buffalo wings for dinner and this beer jumped to an increadiable level. I have now done that with a french dip sandwich as well. Try it you won't be disappointed.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2010 03:19:59 | More by isualum12

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a pint glass.

Appearance: A deep, slightly cloudy burgundy color, with cherry changing to brown with the thickness of the glass. Soft off-white head lingers casually.

Smell: Strong, smooth, nutty aroma dominates the nose; roasted malt and vanilla also present.

Taste: There is a persistent, controlling hazelnut taste from start to finish. Caramel sweetness and a roasted malt flavor provide additional introductory stimulation, and some vanilla notes find their way into the flavor.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth taste is somewhat thrown off by the carbonation. It would be an improved with a creamier feel.

Drinkability: With a good level of complexity and balance, this is a great niche beer in the brown ale category. Definitely worth looking for on a regular basis.

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2010 00:09:08 | More by KickInTheChalice

taxguyjase

New Mexico

3.85/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - An oddly semi-translucent brown with a fine tan head - 3.5/5.0
Smell - Very mild with nuttiness and malt. From what I understand, this is a fragrant beer, but that wasn't the case with the one I picked up. 2.5/5.0
Taste - A rich, bold flavor with some (obviously) hazelnut and chocolate. There's some smoky nutty malt as well. You can get some sweetness out of this, but just a hint. 4.5/5.0
Feel - Silky, with a little crispness at the end. Definitely lighter bodied than I expected. 3.5/5.0
Drinkability - Loved the beer, but would have loved to had more detectable aromas. I would wager a second go around would correct this (hopefully) exception to the rule. 4.0/5.0

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2010 00:54:20 | More by taxguyjase

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.63/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at Kickbacks in Jax. Dark in the room so I'm skipping right to the aroma and taste of this beer. The tastes and aromas are in tandem so I'm reviewing by simply by saying that the malts and hazelnut flavor of this beer are perfect. Not too over the top. Just perfect enough to satisfy and keep you yearning for more. The hazelnut flavor is beautiful. Simply beautiful. Makes me want to buy a bagel and load it with hazelnut cream cheese for a perfect pairing. Exceptionally tasty and easy to drink, sooo smooth, just a really amazing and delicious brown. Awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2009 09:15:25 | More by KickbacksSteve

Shumista

Ohio

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

On tap at Ashley's in Ann Arbor, served in a standard pint glass.

A- Hazelnut Brown Nectar pours a dark reddish brown, it was brought to the table with very little head. Looks delicious.
A- Sweet, malty, nutty aroma. Hazelnut is obviously the most prevalent.
T- Sweet and nutty with a caramel malts. Somewhat bready finish. Overall the taste is very sweet, definitely a dessert beer. Seems just right for this time of year though.
M- Medium to thick bodied, kind of chewy.
D- It's certainly a dessert beer. Still though I found the last bit of the pint a little tough to get through. I think the sweetness started to get to me.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2009 19:42:03 | More by Shumista

cbarrett4

Oregon

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

A - Clear, bock like appearance
S - Very prominent hazelnut nose with some roasted notes
T - Hazelnuts, oats, toast, spice
M - Good texture, medium+ body, low tannins
D - Surprisingly smooth and balanced finish

Verdict:

If you like hazelnuts, then this is a winner. It is a very nutty brown ale, sweet and rich with a good, long finish. Rather one dimensional though. =)

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2009 21:35:37 | More by cbarrett4

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

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

Had on-tap at the Rogue Ales Public House on Union Street in San Francisco.

Appearance: Dark caramel brown. Two fingers of tan, coffee-like head dissipated to a thin lacing.

Smell: Cocoa, mocha, and cappuccino. Very enticing. It also has a nutty quality, which I can't put down but am guessing is probably hazelnut.

Taste: The bartender said it was sweet, and, yes, it is very sweet after the initial flavor hits. The hazelnut is much more prevalent, and the cocoa/mocha/cappuccino from the aroma is nowhere to be found. There is a touch a caramel hidden deep underneath.

Drinkability: This is a good, complex brew. It's too sweet for my tastes, but a great beer to try on a nice day in San Francisco. I asked the bartender if it was a brown ale, and he said it was. However, this is a style all it's own; a subgenre of brown ale.

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2009 05:40:32 | More by TheQuietMan22

BigBlacke

Florida

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

Rogue hazelnut brown is wonderful from the start. I got a pint of this at the Yard house in Waikiki. It has a beautiful deep brown caramel color and a dark red color when held to indirect light. Nice frothy mellow head.

Smells very strongly of malt and nuts. Nice and roasty!

Taste is exceptional as well. It has a warming dark roasty and nutty taste that gets better as you drink.

Mouthfeel is very smooth and mellow. Just letting is wander on your tongue for a few seconds is blissful.

Drinkability is just right. Just the right mix of ingredients allows you to sip on it for hours.

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2009 13:05:16 | More by BigBlacke

allboutbierge

Austria

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

Color is off brown with darkening hues. Off white head, copious amounts of lacing. Malt's-a-popping in the nose. Some sweet cherry port, chicory, and hazelnut. Flavor is sweet but that is little surprise...reminiscent of tiramisu but less of a coffee taste...toffee, dried cherry. Just tons of malt without any balancing agent.

A bit too sweet to make an evening out of. Theres a ton of flavor going on and its very entertaining to sip. Just a bit so sweet that it gets a bit uncomfortable on the tongue after a pint.

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2009 17:53:08 | More by allboutbierge