Hazelnut Brown Nectar - Rogue Ales

DrDocRudge

Florida

4.9/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

WOW!!! The deep-brown color with its smooth tan head make you want to drink this beer. Then the hazelnut and chocolate aromas hit the nose and only the strong of heart can resist. Tasting the beer is truly a religous experience, hazlenut, chocolate, coffee, brown ale...paradise. The only negative is that the beer body is a little thin for the style. Otherwise, find it and treat yourself to one of the very best. Buy two, one to savour the other to quaff quickly as your senses will beg it.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2001 13:16:05 | More by DrDocRudge

chriskozma

New York

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

I picked up a bomber of this at Galeville Grocery in Liverpool.

The flavor of this beer is unreal. Sweet malt, sugary, vanilla, caramel and all things delicious. I don't normally like brown ales but this is probably the tastiest beer I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2008 02:36:26 | More by chriskozma

TooleBurger

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

If you want to drink a nutty beer, this is it. This has got some serious NUT!

a: nice dark brown appearance, with very little head

s: the smell did it for me, it was nutty and delicious

t: tastes just like it smells, almost a disappointment based on the exceptional nose

m: again, very good taste, just like the smell

d: i could have drank a few of the larger bottles before getting gutfucked!

A great nutty beer!

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2009 02:25:38 | More by TooleBurger

smurder187

Massachusetts

4.72/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This one has been tried and tested for many years, and I think I only add to praise when I write about this being one of my favorite beers. The beer is dark, but has a lighter tone to the tastebuds. It's smooth, malty and carries a light hazlenutty flavor that tastes great every time.
Sitting in the Portland airport after a visit with my brother, I felt blessed to have a delay and a Rogue bar by my gate. I enjoyed a tall glass of this nectar and decided to get a growler to take home on the plane. I've always enjoyed this particular brew, but that moment at PDX solidified it as a favorite as th beer and I merrily bonded.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2009 18:57:33 | More by smurder187

californiakebab

California

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

Appearance - Dark amber, light tan creamy head with nice retention.

Smell - Vanilla, hazelnut, cocoa dominate the aroma with some caramel in the background.

Taste - Flavor follows the aroma with a rich, hazelnut character and caramel malt. A very slight amount of the bitterness keeps it from being too sweet and keeps you wanting more. Tastes almost like a root beer float, delicious.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, lower carbonation but fitting for the style, very smooth and weighs nicely on the palate.

Overall - An amazing twist on a brown ale, you could down more than a few of these.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 04:43:27 | More by californiakebab

beragg

Iowa

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

I was really looking forward to trying this. Thank God, it was already chilled so I didn't have to wait at home. It poured an attractive brown with a decent head but nothing amzing. When I smelled it I cought something that I thought for sure was soy sauce, it might have been the marraige of the hops and the hazelnut, I don't know, but that's just what I smelled. When I tasted it though it was absolutely awesome! So was the mouthfeel. This is a beer I could drink a lot of. Hopefull they will put this in sixers (I've only seen the big 22 oz bottles). I definitely recommend this beer to anyone. Domo arigato Morimotosan!

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2004 21:28:06 | More by beragg

kylephillips

Ohio

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

Poured from 22oz bottle into pint glass

Pours dark reddish brown, kind of a caramel like color. Thick creamy head is tan in color. Head does not last long. Lacing on the glass is minimal.

The aroma is extremely malty and nutty. I can't really smell any hops over the breadiness of this one. It really makes me think of a can of nuts, which is not a bad thing.

Body is light and carbonation is medium. Initial taste is sweet, followed by breadiness. Aftertaste is a very nice malty flavor, which doesn't last long. Not much bitterness to this beer.

Drinkability is excellent! It goes down very easy, does not taste very alcoholic at all. The flavor is just complex enough to keep you interested, but easy enough to slam a pint at the same time. This is the third or fourth time I've had this beer, and it is quickly becoming one of my staples.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2008 00:38:26 | More by kylephillips

alphanon

Washington

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

Had this last night while out at a local pizza joint with a buddy. The pour was a nice imperial pint very thin light colored head, nice lacing on the glass as it was drank though. Very nice deep reddish brown color and very clear. The nose on this beer isn't complex at all, mostly malt sweetness no real hop aroma. The flavor of this beer is also toward the sweet side no real hop flavor or bitterness only enough to balance out the malt. Mouthfeel for this right where it should be not thin but not think either. All in all a real nice totally drinkable beer that you could sit and have a few pints of. I will be drinking this again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2009 19:36:33 | More by alphanon

JordanC

California

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

Appearance was an nice thick brown look that made me anticipate it to be more flavorful than a comparable style like Newcastle.

Smelled very sweet and nutty. Smelled very good but not too beery (not a word but makes sense to me).

Excellent and surprising taste of almond nut and something quite sweet I ended up placing as being like brown sugar

Felt good on the tongue, a medium body that lingered a bit and left a roasted malt and nutty aftertaste.

Really enjoyed the beer and it made an impression on me. Normally stick with darker beers but this went well with food and alone as a desert beer. Recommend.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2008 04:48:20 | More by JordanC

clockwerk

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Poured from that stylish brown bottle into a 22oz wine glass.

A - Nice dark mahogany colour. The kind of colour I'd like my floors to be. Good head formation with nice tight bubbles that sticks around for awhile until receding into a cap any sailor could be proud of. This is pretty beer.

S - Oh look Hazelnuts! But unfortunately it doesn't smell like hazelnuts it smells like hazelnut syrup. As in artificial. I picked up some other notes in there, but it was mainly hazelnut syrup.

T - Damn, there's a really good beer in there somewhere. It's hard for me to get past the hazelnut. Contrary to what Beers like Peche Mortel and Young's Double Chocolate stout have achieved by blending the flavours, however bold, to create a clearly defined palate, this beer seem dichotomous. There's a really nice Brown Ale I taste, and then there's a Hazelnut syrup. The flavours to be seem to be competitive rather than cooperative. It's hard to decide whether thats good or not because it's a tasty beer. I found it distracting.

M - Medium bodied and solid. Good level of carbonation for me. I found it very smooth and a little creamy.

D - The hazelnut was cloying by the end of the bottle for me. I usually don't think much of this category, but in this case there was something that really detracted towards the end. Not enough to bring down the flavour score, but enough to prevent a second bottle.

Notes: I think my review might come off harsher than intended. It just felt to me like the Hazelnut flavour was not well integrated into the profile, but the Brown Ale was solid, and the Hazelnut does taste nice for 7/8ths of it.

The only other issue I have with this beer is it's price. If it was something truly special, sure, I can see $6.15 for 650ml. When I can get La Fin Du Monde or Maudite for $5.40 for 750ml, I'm having a hard time making that choice.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2009 03:15:45 | More by clockwerk

cloakNdaggar

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Aroma of nutela, treacle, caramel, and chocolate.

Pours ,more of a red colour than a brown. Beige head. Medium head retention. Some lace.

Tastes Like Ferero rocher chocolates. Caramel, hazelnuts, burnt sugar, chocolate.

Mouthfeel was ok, if a bit thin. Carbonation was ok.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2009 19:14:11 | More by cloakNdaggar

inxy

Michigan

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

Poured into a pint glass.

A - Beautiful huge fluffy 2 inch light tan head, dies down semi-quickly but leaves quite a bit of foam on the glass on it's way down. Lacing is really just foam so far, but lots of it. Amber resin colored, held up to light it's stop light red. Kinda hazy, but not much visable carbonation at all.

Guy on the bottle looks like Mike Mogis. Very cool.

S - Sweet and creamy. Hazelnut monin syrup. Malty malt.

T - Hazelnut for sure. I used to be a Barista at a coffee shop, and it tastes like the hazelnut syrup we used for lattes, only better. Milk Chocolate, roasty malt, subtle chickory undertones. Hoppy sourness in the background.

M - Super creamy. Super smooth. Barely any prickle, which suits it nicely.

D/Overall - It's a great beer for sure, but I couldn't do it too often. I'm a hazelnut freak, and I seek out hazelnut ingredients in everything I consume, but this is too sweet to drink all the time. Don't get me wrong, the sweetness is very well balanced and I enjoy it thoroughly, but I'm afraid it could get old over time. Still, this is a great beer for special occasions and entertaining.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2010 04:43:41 | More by inxy

Jacobpaul81

Indiana

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

Appearance 4.0
Poured a dark mahogany color. Almost zero head.

Aroma 4.0
The hazelnut and coffee scent is quite strong. Smells more like coffee than beer. Slight scent of roasted grain but my senses are overwhelmed by the hazelnut.

Taste 3.5/4.0
At first sip, there's a mixed roasted nut flavor at the center-point. Very nice and what I expect from the nut brown style. As it sits on the tongue, the nuts give way to a very strong hazelnut, caramel and bitter chocolate flavor which is very coffee-like in it's aftertaste.

Mouthfeel 4.0
Nice thickness, not to thin, not to thick. Right on with the brown ale style. I found the aroma very strong, even while in the mouth.

Drinkability 4.0
Very drinkable. Not too sweet, not too thin or thick, very rich flavored. Not your traditional brown ale, but it's something you won't find from other nut browns. Very solid beer from Rogue.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 19:27:36 | More by Jacobpaul81

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

emanon

California

4.72/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Yum!

This Beer pours a dark brownish Red tinted dark color. Very clear no haze, with a light brown head, almost no lace. Very wood like chocolate tastes hit me right away with a wood/coffee finish. Delicious and smooth. I really enjoyed this beer. I am fairly new at this but so far hands down my favorite Brown Ale so far. Medium Body & feels pretty light. The sophisticated flavors make this more of a beer to savor but still very drinkable. Maybe Not a session beer. But what Great beer is?

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2008 02:14:11 | More by emanon

Oatsoda

California

3.55/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

In a pint glass, the thin layer of foam quickly dissipates above a red-brown translucent body.

As you would expect from the name, the aroma is very hazelnutty- reminding me of drinking a flavored coffee.

To my flavor-sensing mechanisms, it seemed to have a low malt presence with at least half of its taste coming from a grapefruit-like citrus finish. Not at all what I was expecting with the hazelnut preview.

Light-bodied, it's carbonation was like a flat soda.

Although it is a dark-colored beer, I imagine it as a good summer thirst-quencher with its strong citrus taste.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2009 08:39:14 | More by Oatsoda

GitcheGumee

Michigan

2.68/5  rDev -34.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bomber bottle into a pint glass. This is the first time I have tried this beer.

Appearance: It has a a very deep amber color to it. It looks quite nice in the glass. The beer has minimal head. A small amount gathered at the top of the glass, and settled quickly. This isn't what I picture a brown ale to look like, but it does have a nice appearance.

Smell: The beer has strong roasted malt scent. I did detect the hazelnut, but not overwhelming.

Taste: The first sip caught me a little off guard. This beer is much sweeter than I expectedl. It finishes with a nice roasted taste, which I liked. The sweetness negatively affected this beer for me. The hazelnut was very prominent, which was expected, but I guess I just don't like hazelnut in my beer. The 6.2% ABV is very well hidden...little to no alcohol taste whatsoever.

Mouthfeel: This beer felt very thin and watery. This is not what I expect in a brown ale. There wasn't very much carbonation, which accentuated the watery feel. Not much good going on in this department.

Drinkability: I could see myself buying a bomber of this once (maximum) per year. I can't say the beer is bad, but the sweetness, thin, watery aspects leave a little to be desired. One bomber was enough.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2009 02:06:56 | More by GitcheGumee

theotherone87

Pennsylvania

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

From a good looking 22oz bomber 8/7/11

A-The head was a nice off color white. The body was a gorgeous brown on the darker side, but was not too dark that you could not see thru.

S- The smell reminded me of a nutty french vanilla coffee blend. Had a nice aroma of sweet nutty caramel.

T- The taste sent my senses on a rollercoaster ride thru sweetness up a hill a nuttiness and down with slight candied undertone. A truley excellent brown ale. The name of the beer fits perfectly.

M-The beer was not too heavy nor too light, it was just right. Could drink more then one of these any night. The beer was carbonated ,but not overly carbonated.

o- I liked this beer a lot. I have not tried to many Rogues beers, but saw this in a local six pack shop and decided to take it for a whirl. It is a bit on the sweet side, but I think it adds lots of character to the beer. It is not too sweet like other beers I have encountered. It is also not too bitter. I would reccommend this beer to anyone, if they do not know much about beers or are looking for something new to try. I had mine after dinner and it felt like a very pleasant dessert.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 00:55:35 | More by theotherone87

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

ctrlfreak

South Dakota

3.58/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I love hazelnut, so when I found this beer it immediately found it’s way into my cart. The bottle itself is a wonderful work of art. I popped the top and took a long inhale noting the nutty scent. My nose isn’t fully developed just yet so if I can pick something up then you know it is in there.

The pour was into an imperial pint glass. The splash down play between beer and head was mesmerizing. The beautiful red-brown color eventually won the game but the head was a thick creamy head. It lasted for ½ the beer and the nose from the head rounded out an overall taste of the beer. Periodically after that I added what was left in the bottle to give it a little more head.

A great sipping beer!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2004 01:27:32 | More by ctrlfreak

sierra11b

California

4.45/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Had this beer in two settings served ice cold into pint glass, then slowly warmed to about 55-60 degrees: Once while relaxing on the couch with a friend and once in the back yard during a cool Sunday evening, accompanied with a nice skirt steak and herb roasted potatoes. It was a much more enjoyable experience with the steak. Highly recommended.

Pours a dark brown with brown, almost purplish-red head. The mouth feel of the beer is quite nice. There's enough body and viscosity in the beer that you can see the resistance of the beer as you pour into the beer already in the glass. Notes of Hazelnut (duh), chocolate, caramel, and light molasses.

Drinkability was nice but not something I could consistently put back. Not that that's a bad thing, really... having just one with dinner is wonderful way to enjoy this beer. This goes into the “will buy again” category for me.

Guy on the bottle reminds me of my father during the early 80s so that's sorta weird. Price is a bit steep but shouldn't be a problem seeing how I would only drink one with a nice meal.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2007 08:46:38 | More by sierra11b

beabear

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Chestnut brown, with a beautiful but not-long-lasting head.

Smell: Obviously "Hazelnut" is in the beer's name, so there's certainly a substantial amount of that in the bouquet. However, it's a really clean smell -- more like hazelnut coffee than the nut itself.

Taste: Super-malty, especially if you let it linger in your mouth a bit. Unlike many brown ales, this is a little light on the dryness -- in that way, it's certainly different than its British brothers. Unlike many beers that advertise a certain flavor, you can totally taste hazelnut here, especially after you swallow it.

Mouthfeel: Swish it around a bit in your mouth and feel how incredibly creamy it becomes.

Drinkability: It's a little high in alcohol for a brown ale, and conversely a little sweet. A wonderful desert drink, but could it work as a session beer? I have doubts.

Anyone who wants to understand how American microbreweries reinvent styles should look at this as Exhibit A. Samuel Smith's Nut Brown (which is basically the standard-bearer for the style) is clean, crisp, and balanced in every way. Conversely, Rogue's interpretation of the Brown Ale is sweet and unrefined. If it's slightly less successful, it certainly gets points for being much riskier.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2008 03:03:37 | More by beabear

LuDookie

4.26/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

I poured this from the bottle into a mug.

It looked to be a dark amber...the mug is tinted.

It smelled great. You could definitely pick out the hazelnut and it had a caramel fragrance.

The hazelnut flavor is definitely prevalent. The beer has a sweet caramel flavor with moderate carbonation for a darker beer.

Mouthfeel....eh, whatever.

Being a hazelnut lover, I tried to ignore all the reviews slamming this beer's "artificial" hazelnut flavoring. I really wanted to enjoy it. I did anyway. I thought it was a good beer....a nice dark amber with the slight feel of a porter and a hefty hint of hazelnut. Artificial or not....I will drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 01:39:15 | More by LuDookie

rshwayder

Rhode Island

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A nutty brown colored beer, as you might expect. It smells mildly of the hazelnut within, which can be deceptive because of the taste to follow. This beer is extremely drinkable, goes down smooth, and has a slightly sweet taste of hazelnut worked perfectly into the brown ale (no syrupy chemical taste whatsoever). The aftertaste is pleasant with almost no bitterness to speak of. Definitely a good beer and well-priced at ~$5 for 22oz.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2007 02:05:07 | More by rshwayder

APetitfils

California

3.28/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: It has a dark red and brown when in direct light, which deepens in color when not in direct light resembling an almost red wine-like appearance. Has a clear consistency with a beige head that retains well.

S: A definite nutty smell that is blended with malt. There is a slight sweet smell that I couldn't wrangle though..

T: A nice roasted malt flavors that make me have to give praise to the name. The hazelnut plays through pretty plainly and you don't have to stress yourself to taste it. There are other components such as coffee, chocolate (lighter than dark), some hops, alcohol, and a slight sweet and acidic signature.

M: Much lighter than I expected. Smooth, somewhat oily, with light hints of carbonation. Nice crispness and bitterness at the end.

D: This is definitely a nut brown and has qualities that make it unique and worth trying. The flavors really open up, and I would recommend allowing them to do so because the get much better.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2010 03:10:20 | More by APetitfils