Humboldt Brown (Hemp Ale) - Nectar Ales

macrosmatic

Florida

3.76/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. bottle into an Upland pint glass.

A: Clear burnished brown with a half-finger's worth of off-white head and moderate visible carbonation.

S: Brown, mildly roasted bready malts (these, as usual, smell a bit like cardboard to me), some nuttiness, a bit of spices, kinda earthy. Not blowing me away here.

T: A simple flavor profile - earthy brown malt sweetness, nutty, hints of spice, and a slight hoppy bitterness near the end. A very clean, almost absent finish.

M: Medium body, carbonation on the low side, no alcohol presence to speak of.

O: A solid brown ale, but nothing exciting. Still, for the style it's fairly well-done, and I wouldn't hesitate to grab a couple more if I'm ever in the mood.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 21:19:36 | More by macrosmatic

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.56/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12oz Bottle from Whole Foods Las Vegas NV for $2.50

Appearance - Clear light brown with an average size fizzy beige coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some decent lacing. The head lasted for around 3-4 minutes.

Smell - Hops, malts, grassy/peat, chocolate

Taste & Mouth - There is a slightly below average amount of carbonation and I can taste caramel, malts, grassy/peat. There is also a hint of chocolate and some dark fruits. It ends with a earthy malty aftertaste.

Overall – Not my type of flavours found in a beer, but it still tastes well crafted and interesting. It has a touch too many earthy notes for me but still worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 04:45:14 | More by spinrsx

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

3.91/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown to black yet still can see a bit of light coming through this beer. Some head at pour disappates to almost nothing with no lacing present on the glass. Aroma reveals some earthy tones - grass (no pun intended) and dirt (on the good side). Flavor is mild and not as interesting with a mostly consistent flavor from front to back. Relatively light.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 23:27:52 | More by Oakenator

Fatehunter

Oregon

2.81/5  rDev -19%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a finger and half of head on a dark amber colored body.
The aroma is earthy with some grain. A nice smell I had encountered in a beer before.
The taste has a metallic tone with vegetables and malt. It's interesting.
The texture is crisp with moderate carbonation.
The metallic and vegetable taste did not work for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 23:49:05 | More by Fatehunter

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.53/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Medium to big light brown head settles into a decent lacing above a clear reddish amber colored beer.

Light roasted malts, nuts of some kind, and not much else in the aroma.

This brown isn't bad, it has a slight nutty taste that comes through with the light roasted malts and the taste of the hemp. I don't recall ever drinking a hemp beer before, so not really sure what I can compare the taste to.

An almost dryish aftertaste with some of the nutty and hemp taste sticking around with this medium bodied drink.

This ale brewed with hemp isn't to bad, sort of tastes like a slightly washed out Newcastle or something along those lines. I don't know what the purpose of adding hemp but what the heck give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 06:22:14 | More by LXIXME

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

2.71/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

A-Pours brown and slightly clear. Nearly zero head. Looks a bit watery despite its color.

S-Very soft and I also don't really like what I can decipher. Some wet cardboard, toast and another slightly off-putting aroma.

T-About the same. There seems to be two different flavors that I am having trouble describing; both are not tasty. Behind that lies some of the usual Brown flavors.

M-Semi-light. Not very crisp.

O/D-Not a fan of this one at all.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2013 19:01:01 | More by VelvetExtract

nickfl

Florida

3.59/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with one finger of off hits foam on top of a clear, dark brown body with ruby highlights. The head fades quickly and leaves light lace.

S - Nutty brown malt with a touch of molasses.

T - Dry, bready malt up front with some light roast in Netherlands middle. Finishes with more nutty roasted notes and light hop presence.

M - A moderately thick body, average carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - Not bad, it is pretty standard brown ale with a decent malt presence and a pronounced nutty character presumably from the hemp.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 07:12:37 | More by nickfl

abcdefghijkyle

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this one up as part of a mixed sixer. I needed try it for the novelty

A: Nice mahogany color. The khaki colored head dissipated pretty quickly after the pour although the suds are clinging to the sides of the glass.

S: Smells like wet wood, resin, and a faint frutiness which I can't place. This smells really earthy altogether

T: It tastes a lot fruiter than the smell. I'm picking up juniper berries, nuts, pine, and resin.... no hemp though unfortunately. There is a vague roasted character to this, but I'm picking up much malt

M: Kind of watery, this is the lowlight for me

Overall, I wish that there were more hemp in this. If this had been billed as a garden variety brown ale I think I might've like it a little more. I'm glad I tried it but I probably won't have it again. It's worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 04:02:28 | More by abcdefghijkyle

Immortale25

Florida

3.3/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Poured into a Ninkasi Brewing pint glass. Bottleneck says 07/26/12.

A- Pours a medium brown color plus some ruby shining through with a 1/2 inch light tan head that bears little retention before becoming a thin ring around the edge of the glass and thin splotchy surface foam. Resilient ring of drippy lacing.

S- Lightly roasted malt nose with a trace of hops. No cannabis notes to speak of yet, just some typical caramel and bread but very light.

T- On the lighter side of things with more toasty character than roasty. Only a tad sweet with notes of dark bread...but still no cannabis. Barely any hop bitterness either.

M- Thin and watery with very little body coming through. Medium-low carbonation doesn't help.

O- Very drinkable but certainly not very exciting. And, if you're looking for something that comes even a little bit close to tasting like marijuana, steer clear of this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 04:16:23 | More by Immortale25

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured out as an average looking brown color, good clarity and a white fizzy head. The retention was minimal as well as the lacing. The smell of the beer some sweet malt with a touch of coffee and an herbal note. The taste of the beer is lightly roasted, it's got a subtle chocolate flavor as well as a bitter finish. The mouthfeel of the beer was light, decent carbonation with a soft creamy finish to it. Overall it's not a bad brown ale. It's not the best but it's still worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 23:28:38 | More by Knapp85

wethead

4.28/5  rDev +23.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Smell like a nice brown ale with some hits of spice and coffee.

Taste: Great ! - Its a must try beer, I could say all kinds of things about this beer, but lets put it this way, my friend who just recently tried Guinness a few weeks ago said: "Wow, I like this beer better, Its got a great taste and feel".

Its true, Its an interesting but not a super overpowering taste that so many other smaller beer companies put out, I have had some really hard to drink beers,

This beer is a fun, delicious nut brown that is great to drink at 3am if you can't sleep.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 07:04:31 | More by wethead

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.88/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz, 6/15/12
Tulip

A: Pours out a deep dirty brown amber color. One finger of off white head. Seems to be nice carbonation.

S: I like the nose in this one. Really nice nutty character. Definitely some hops underneath. Some mild roast hints. Maybe a touch of chocolate.

T: On the tip of the tongue, I get a little bit of coffee or roast bitterness. It's very mild. Then you get the nice nuttiness in the mid palate. Again, a touch of chocolate on the back end. Not the overly dark rich stuff, just mild hints. Finish is dry and as aspects of a very light porter.

M: Medium bodied.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 18:16:51 | More by inlimbo77

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a fairly clear mahogany-brown color with a hinger of frothy off-white head. THe head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of caramel malts, nuttiness, with some brown sugar and roastiness, with a bit of floral hop.

T - Starts off with a mix of sweet sweet caramel malts with some nuttiness and brown sugar. Through the middle, some floral hop comes through with some bitterness and some bready malt and a bit of roastiness. The finish is a mix of sweet caramel malts with some bready malts, floral hop, and a bit of brown sugar.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nice malty brown ale. Good mix of flavors and balance.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 00:43:53 | More by ngeunit1

alric0smi

3.48/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Not as thick as it initially seems. I am usually not a fan of darker brews just because a lot of them seem to be too 'meaty', after one beer the sound of another doesn't sound too appetizing, but Humboldt Brown is actually very light. The top note still has that classic brown ale flavor, but it dissipates into a very smooth, refreshing middle, leaving an equally refreshing aftertaste. Its light with a robust flavor and yet maintains a 5.7% alcohol content. I really enjoyed it. It seems to go well with everything(food, other drinks, etc.)

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 09:36:40 | More by alric0smi

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.23/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Review from 6/2010 notes. Poured into a Celebrator pokal. Pours a deep ruby amber with a small, fine head and light lacing. Roasted malt and light hop aroma. A bland, slight malt, slightly fruity taste with an abrupt finish with slight hops. A light earthy, interesting flavor in the background, but it stays far enough away to not catch my interest. Kind of boring, really. Adequate.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 17:52:44 | More by LiquidAmber

TheSixthRing

California

3.33/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours dark brown with a deep, reddish hue. Head is a light tan color, about 3 fingers thick with decent retention. Resulting lace is thick and sticky.

Smell - Lightly roasted malts, a touch of spice and a subtle underlying hop aroma.

Taste - Mostly light cocoa, and with faint hints of roasted malt and somewhat nutty... otherwise, this is a fairly bland beer. Decent hop character does well to give it some balance. A little spice toward the finish and into the aftertaste, felt mostly on the lips, otherwise there's nothing of real interest here.

Mouthfeel - Medium body. Smooth. Underwhelming carbonation.

Overall - It's drinkable, but I don't think I'd buy it again unless my options were severely limited.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 03:53:10 | More by TheSixthRing

ZorPrime

Quebec (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Received this as a gift from my boss.

The beer is amber, quite dark and on top of it a good beige foamy head. Dense and sticky. The aroma is dominated by hops. Piny. Some caramel malts too. I notice also some roasted malts. Good. The taste I get some nuts, hazelnuts. The finish is slightly bitter. Refreshing and very sessionable. This one I would buy quite often for day to day drinking. A good beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 00:17:22 | More by ZorPrime

Brad007

Vermont

3.73/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light brown color with a thin head into my glass. A beer brewed with hemp seems like a novelty.

Flowery with a touch of sweet malt. I want to say brown sugar. Not a bad thing for the style.

Flavors in the mouth are essentially that of brown sugar and molasses. Not much else

Simple mouthfeel too. Hmm. Not sure if I should have expected more?

Not boring. Just not interesting enough to write home about

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 23:22:03 | More by Brad007

metter98

New York

3.45/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is clear dark amber in color and has a light to moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high tan head that slowly died down, leaving a large collar of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are aromas of brown, nutty and roasted malts in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has some hints of bitterness and herbs towards the finish.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and a bit smooth and thin on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is easy to drink but there’s nothing overly special about the taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 23:51:06 | More by metter98

thepliceisright

3.73/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Poured a dark brown color with a one inch light brown head.

Roasted malt comes through right away, with a slight hop aroma.

The roasted malt smell translates well into taste. Along with the roasted malt, there is prevalent nutty and slight biscuit flavor. I didn't notice much hoppiness, but there is a slight bitter finish.

A very creamy mouthfeel to this beer, which for me is not a bad thing. It is quite thick for a brown ale.

Overall, I'm pleased with this beer. The thick, creamy taste is backed up with roasted malt and nutty flavor. I didn't notice many hoppy characteristics, but this is a brown ale, so I'm looking for more of a malty flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 23:37:57 | More by thepliceisright

codsmith

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a bottle from Armanetti's in Chicago

A: Very dark brown that is still light enough to see through and very clear. Light tan head that is very minimal and laces the glass nicely. Perfect for the style

S: Malty, sweet, and dark fruit aromas are very forthcoming. No noticeable hop aroma. Fruit esters are over done for this.

T: Medium malty flavor. There is an odd acrid taste and finish that doesn't agree with everything.

M: Medium-to-full body. Slightly bitter with a dry, resiny impression.

O: Not sure the malt, hops, and adjuncts really worked together on this.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 22:00:11 | More by codsmith

soju6

Missouri

3.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a reddish brown color with an off-white head that fades to decent lacing.

S: Mild aroma of roasted malt and quite grainy.

T: MIld chocolate tatse mixed in with some roasted malt. There is a bitterness in the background with a dry finish.

F: Medium body, smooth and a bit creamy.

O: Fairly average for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 01:59:31 | More by soju6

Murrhey

Montana

3.28/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had on tap at a local pub. Reviewed from notes.

A- Poured dark brown with half a finger cream colored head. Laces very well.

S- Rich and roast smells. Definitely doesn't smell like I thought it would.

T- Tasty roast malts and thick flavors of nuttiness and toffee.

M- Thick and wet.

O- I honestly avoided this beer for quite a while because I didn't want to drink a glass of marijuana. This was pretty good though.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2012 19:43:04 | More by Murrhey

ouser31

California

4.6/5  rDev +32.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wow!! Had this today on tap at a local Pub House... it was amazing! has to be one of my Top 5 of all time... I say that with very little brew tastings compared to alot of others but a GREAT BEER!!!!

Great Taste all the way thru the beer! Just what a brown should be...!

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2012 05:48:27 | More by ouser31

muskiesman

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From my notes:
draft poured into a tulip glass

A - A nice dark opaque brown that built a significant egg shell head that faded rather quickly and left lite lacing

A - Mild Hop scent with big spoonful of hemp nuttiness, sweets toffee and dark fruits.

T - The hemp of course is present in an earthy malt and nutty taste. There is a nice biterness that may be the hemp or the intro of hops. Also lots of roasted malts and a little cocoa. Hops come in with grass notes and mild florals

M - The body is mid range or a tad light with fair carbonation. Finish is very nice with a bitterness and nutty feel that keeps you drinking.

O - A solid go at a Hemp Ale. Certainly not my favorite of the bunch but a good representation of what can be done. I particularly love the finish with a bitter nuttiness and roasted malt fisn
nutty quality.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2012 15:41:51 | More by muskiesman