Nectar IPA - Nectar Ales

aibkstaff

New York

4.83/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Nectar IPA pours with a bright clear copper color. The aroma is sweet malty and of floral hops. The taste is dry and crisp with floral hops. It has a nice clean bright medium body. You can tell it's about 6.7%. The overall mouthfeel is fine being a little light in carbonation with a dry finish. This is a great beer with a ton of drinkability!

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2009 01:43:47 | More by aibkstaff

lostbearbrew

Georgia

4.8/5  rDev +24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: beer pours a reddish-amber color, slightly darker than most IPA's, not the copper you'd look for by style, but fine by me. Nice lacing down the glass after nice 1/2" head.

Smell: Floral/citrusy aroma wafts off the head, along with a biscuity malt smell, much like a Belgian might have. Something here makes you want to tip back and grab that first sip. Really good smell, and unique enough to make it stand out.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Ok, once you take that first sip, you're glad you did - this is about perfect on balance between malt and hops in the taste and the mouthfeel is smooth, almost liquid gold when combine the two aspects. Great lingering bitter finish that smacks of earthy hops.

Drinkability: This is simply, an amazingly good IPA. Not overdone, very well balanced and about perfectly carbonated for my tastes. I think I could drink these for days on end if I could get tham all the time. LOL! Big IF!

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2005 17:11:15 | More by lostbearbrew

dickroop

Maryland

4.7/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I visited the Crown City Brewpub in Pasadena. Their wheat beer was only 1 step above lawnmower brew, so I cast my eye to the other taps in search of HOPS! There was Nectar IPA with the bright-colored hummingbird on the tap saying "sample a pint".

It was bronze color and clear, with a full 1-finger head that produced exquisite lacing. The nose was very promising, piney, resinous, hoppy. Initial flavor was more of same, supported by mystery bitterness in the mid-palate, but not such a bitter finish, a delightful sweet/bitter balance. This is good! A perfect complement to the lunch veggieburger that just arrived. Mouthfeel is light and easy, nice. Altogether, the not-too-high alcohol makes for outstanding drinkability. I coulda sipped this nectar all afternoon.

I can hardly say enough good things about this ale. I WISH I would see bottles of this brew on the east coast. What a great discovery.

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2006 23:54:23 | More by dickroop

albern

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I really liked this IPA and it is for me a must try. It hits all the right notes and has a very orangey, citrus burst of floral and estery hop. This is exactly how I like the hop, not so biting and bitter, more juicy, oily, floral, with citrus burts all over the flavor. The malty middle was very complementary. I will add to the review when I go back for another.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 21:03:07 | More by albern

FuzzyGuy84

Virginia

4.63/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle poured into a pint glass.

Great orange-brown color, darker than I would expect from an IPA. Amazing smell of citrus and hops, very strong and very pleasant. I love the taste of this beer. It is very much Humbolt's more popular "Red Nectar" kicked up a notch. Nice and hoppy without being overpowering, this is one of the best IPAs I've ever tasted. Mouthfeel is a little thin, but the carbonation and hoppyness feel good on the tongue. Overall just a stellar beer I would reccomend to any fan of Pale Ales in general.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2006 19:09:08 | More by FuzzyGuy84

winpig3

California

4.58/5  rDev +19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: nice red copper color, reminds me of ruby red grapefruit - which is fitting of its smell, light carbonation, weak head retention

Smell: the beer has a sweet malt smell, hops smell of citrus and floral aromas, would like a fuller nose...not more bitterness, just a stonger presence

Taste: excellent balance between hop bitterness and malt taste, not over-hopped, and fitting of an IPA

Mouthfeel: the beer is smooth and full with just enough carbonation to liven up the flavor

Drinkability: highly recommended, think I'll have another

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2005 01:57:48 | More by winpig3

geographie

Oregon

4.58/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

pushing the definition of "pale", but a very tasty looking brew nonetheless. Pours a slightly hazy amber with a tough, moussy head that takes some time to come down.

aroma is very sweet malty and hoppy as well. Comes off as an extract-like smell - akin to an imperial ipa, but is quite pleasant. Malty front complimented with roasted notes and a mid-light viscosity to boot. Bitterness is like ripping a very wet bandaid off, please mind the allusion to the visual, only slightly intense but you're damn glad you did it. As i am damn glad to haf quaffed this brew.

Nectar? Not really, but overall well constructed - only point loss is because it doesn't conform to style guidlines perfectly. A great drinker and very very pleasing to the palate.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2007 08:47:13 | More by geographie

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.51/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nectar Ales - Nectar IPA (Not sure why it's listed as "IPA Nectar")

Look - Poured into my new Dogfish Head IPA glass (yay). Pours a clear darker reddish amber with a terrific soapy head. Nice sticky lacing.

Smell - Aroma is malty sweet and citrus hops. Mouth-watering.

Taste - Carbonation hits first but not too hard. Smooth malts ride in on the bubbles, quite sweet. Hops come in piney and citrus after.

Mouthfeel - Floral hops rest on the palate, as well as sweet sticky malts. Very drinkable. Honey seems to stick a bit here, which is OK but not a great aspect.

Overall - Unique blend of malts and pungent hops creates a great IPA experience. Would recommend, worth a try. This brew is a bit underrated, but if you really want the wow factor for this kind of style, give Troegs Nugget Nectar a try. I prefer to call this style an amber DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 11:57:34 | More by JMScowcroft

hopheadhoward

Florida

4.49/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Come on - this is a nice IPA. Not sure why there is such mild praise.

If you like floral hops, a nice finish, you will really enjoy this. I've had it on tap a couple of times in Orlando and I think this is an ideal IPA.

Not pretentious, not complicated, but a great IPA!

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2013 23:44:20 | More by hopheadhoward

khooke

4.48/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: foamy head, light carbonation, toasted brown color

S: piney hops, but hints of honey sweetness

T: piney hops, not overly bitter. Bitterness doesn't linger, gives way to honey sweetness aftertaste

M: light, dissipates quickly, no lasting bitterness, leaves honey sweetness on tongue

overall: very drinkable, easy going - the sweet aftertaste is the selling point of this beer. The hops are not too agressive but are very present, but the fact that it gives way in the mouth the lasting sweetness is unexpected for an IPA. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 06:19:23 | More by khooke

jakester

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I bought this as a single at Union Jack's on the Manatawny. I drank it in a pilsner glass. Date is clearly stamped on the label. YAY!

Pours an almost clear light reddish copper with a two finger head of cream colored foam. The head drops to islands and a ring, with pieces of lacing on the glass. Carbonation looks average.

Aroma is strong grassy/citrusy hops, very clean, with a deep biscuity caramel malt background. Smells inviting.

The first flavor is caramel and biscuity malt sweetness, followed by big, but not too big, hop bitterness. Notes of hay, pine, and lemons all blend together nicely. A well balanced IPA. Aftertaste is citrusy hops and malt sweetness.

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, with just a touch of carbonation. There is a pretty good grab at the back of the throat from hop bitterness. Finish is semi-sweet and bitter.

This is a real good IPA. It's well balanced, with hops and malt complimenting each other nicely. It's not overdone in any way. It's an all day slammer!

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2005 19:19:13 | More by jakester

mpensworth

Oregon

4.47/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Light copper orange in the pint glass, 1.5 finger white head, good lacing.

S - Citrus hop explosion! Lots of orange and grapefruit. Really smells amazing.

T - Big on the citrus hop flavor, not a lot of malt. As it warms up a bit the grapefruit really stood out. Tasty.

M - Good carbonation, medium body and excellent aftertaste.

D - I could easily drink quite a few of these.

I was pretty pleased with this purchase. I kinda overlooked it for a long time, maybe because I've never heard of it, maybe because of the hummingbird on the box. I wanted something different in an IPA sixer and the beer store owner recommended this. Very glad he did, I'll purchase this beer again soon.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2010 21:32:05 | More by mpensworth

grego

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This poured a nice amber color with a good small head that stuck around for a while. Some nice lacing as well. the smell is wonderfully hoppy, citrusy, piney, and sweet as well. The taste follows suit - very tasty brew - zero alcohol taste. Mouthfeel is very smooth but also has a nice dryness. I could drink this beer all day and/or night, seriously. If you like the style you will like this most excellent example.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2006 01:40:27 | More by grego

Pencible

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This poured a clear amber with light tan head. It smelled like sweet floral (rose) hops and bitter copper, with sweet honey malt and a bit of refined yeast and pine. It tasted like caramel and fresh wheat malts blended with floral (rose) and copper hops, with a bit of honeysuckle. It was oily with a bit of carbonation, and had a bittersweet aftertaste. Overall this was another delicious Nectar ale. It wasn't terribly different from their pale ale, and could have used a bit more hops character for sharper bitterness. But this was still very clean and tasty with great body, and simply wonderful to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2008 16:47:35 | More by Pencible

CaptainTripps

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Semi clear, amber/orangish in color. Pour comes with about 1 fingers worth of off white head. Leaves a great amount of lacing.

S: With the first whiff, you can really sense the balance in the beer. A sweet honey malt paired with citrus/floral hops.

T: A great pairing of citrus hops and a honey malt back bone. Slight lemon grass in the back. Great smooth taste. Everything flows nicely.

M: Light to medium bodied beer with great carbonation. Taste is very smooth and no alcohol is present.

O: A great IPA that seems to be yet discovered. The beer is very smooth and a great pick for a warm summer day.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 19:11:14 | More by CaptainTripps

bubseymour

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A = best looking IPA I've seen. Beautiful clear copper with 3 finger super head. Excellent retention. For and American IPA, this is a perfect appearance.

Smell - Somewhat malty for an IPA and a nice combo of citrus and pine notes. Somewhat subdued.

Taste - Very nice IPA. Sweet flavorful and hoppy but very little bitterness in aftertaste. Very great.

Mouthfeel - Creamy and pleasant. Very buttery on the toungue.

Overall - Definitely one of the best American IPA's I've had to date. Its on the upper treshold of standard IPA without straying into Imperial/Double territory but its really a good one.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 00:45:25 | More by bubseymour

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a clear copper-orange color with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of grapefruit, citrus, and pine hops with some sweet caramel and biscuit malts.

T - Starts off with a mix of grapefruit and citrus hops with some bitterness and sweet caramel malts. Through the middle, some pine hops with more bitterness and some biscuit malts. The finish is a mix of grapefruit and pine hops with bitterness and sweet caramel and biscuit malts.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a dry and bitter finish.

D - Very drinkable. Good hop profile and bitterness with good overall balance.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 05:10:42 | More by ngeunit1

Petershib85

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I have to say I was very impressed with the uniquness of this beer.
Appearance: Creamy head. Lots of carbonation.
Smell: Immediate hoppiness and fruitiness, as if it was infused with grapefruit.
Taste: Tastes like it smells. Pleasently hoppy and a very unique citrus presents especially grapefruit. Hops are definatly west coast.
This is a beer that I would definately try again and again.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 02:40:44 | More by Petershib85

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Kickbacks in Jax. Poured into a snifter. Almost white head on a clear, bright copper body. Clear, oily lacing sticks to the glass. Aroma is beautiful grass and pine. Taste is simply delicious. Nicely hopped, citrusy on tasting, nice malt sweetness for balance. No alcohol taste or smell. Rediculously good.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2012 04:04:33 | More by KickbacksSteve

pjwilson

California

4.38/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

appearance: deep amber color, darker than your typical Ipa. Head is minimal but good for style.

smell: great. nice bready malt smell as you get closer...hops dominate from farther away...but don't over power.

taste: I'll just say it: this is my favorite single IPA. Balacned is the key word here. You taste both the malt and the hops equally. Also, the hops taste different than most west coast IPA's. I have no idea what kind they are but they something different than anything else.

mouthfeel and drinkability: man can i put these things back. goes down so smooth. This beer is areadly a staple for me and it was a total fluke that i tried it in the first place: Safeway was out of the beer i wanted (lost coast ipa which i didn't like) when i came back and since i was in a ipa mood i got this. I've bought a sixer weekly this month of this stuff...i just love it for some reason. It tastes good cold out the fridge and it tastes good room temp. I can pull it right out of the fridge and enjoy and i left some at our my friends house . just pulled it right out the cuboard and drank it. (it's better cold though_

i don't mean to overhype this beer. It's not super complex....just a great, great session beer. This is from a guy who doesn't really like Seirra Nevada Pale ale and most IPA's just don't have a great taste...but this one is great...i got to try the pale ale from these guys i think...

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2005 04:28:53 | More by pjwilson

OldSock

District of Columbia

4.38/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance and Presentation – Thanks to oggg for this bottle. 12 oz’s poured into my pint glass, it has a 1 finger white head that sticks around for a few minutes, the beer itself is dark for an IPA, a slightly hazy orange/brown. Good lacing coats the sides of the glass.

Smell – Citrus and a little pine hops with a strong, sweet, malt undertone. Well balanced, not over the top hoppy as I was expecting from a west-coast IPA.

Taste – Great balance, toasted malts mixed with bitter floral and citrus hops. The bitterness is reserved, it is present, but it does not linger long in the after taste. Solid flavor, but definitely not what I was expecting. 6.7% alcohol is hidden well.

Mouthfeel – Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation.

Drinkability and Notes – Nectar IPA has great drinkability because of the balance. It is Definitely not what I expected from a California IPA, malty and pleasingly bitter hops that are not over done. This combo of a biscuity English and a citrusy American IPA is, in my eyes, a gem of a beer. If I had more I would definitely drink another right now.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2005 20:26:12 | More by OldSock

mynie

Indiana

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to tevering99 for the trade.

Pours damn near perfect--dark, rosiny red with a giant off-orange head that sticks around.

Smells of big, piney east coast hops. Strong, but not too bitter. Very good, but a little more complexity might have helped push the scent up a notch.

The taste starts with a perfect syrupy malt against a wonderful hop blend. Here's the complexity! A big blend of west coast hops, with fresh, sticky, green cascades coming to the forefront, letting in more subtle nodes of fruit and leaves. The whole shebang ends with with a sweetly dry malt and an even sweeter kick of yeast.

Whew! Almost a perfect example of its style--perfectly balanced, superbly crafted.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2007 02:55:58 | More by mynie

wagenvolks

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle into a chalice

(Great color!) Pours a bright, copper-rust hue with a thin, fleeting, off-white head. However, I see very little carbonation and there are no remnants of lacing. The aroma improves my initial impression: sweet, candy-caramel malts, floral hops, vanilla, banana and toffee. "Nectar Ale", indeed.

Bittering hops hit the tastebuds first, followed by notes of grapefruit, sweet biscuity malts, and more hops (mostly the floral variety). The flavor is really solid in this beer, and it maintains its presence throughout. The mouthfeel was apparently hiding the carbonation level I so desperately sought in the appearance, and it's spot on. Perfectly crisp body, medium thickness, and a lingering hoppy bite. All in all, this is a very good IPA. The bitterness is a bit too much for me to imagine having Nectar Ales as a daily staple, but it's definitely a beer I'll be looking out for in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2008 04:38:11 | More by wagenvolks

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I received an extra of this in a recent trade courtesy of EinWeizenbitte. Thanks a lot man!

Pours a clear golden orange/amber color with some pale golden yellowish orange hues when held to a light source. One finger light yellowish head with decent retention, slowly fading to a lasting ring.

Uber-fresh floral oily hop aroma with a lot of citrus character as well as some subtle pine. Hints of mango, grapefruit, lemon and orange peel. Slight malt presence with hints of caramel, biscuit and graham cracker.

Dry resinous medium body with lots of incredibly fresh floral hops complimented by a subtle malt backbone and a nice dry finish. The hops are incredibly juicy, bursting with a lot of complex flavors. Lots of sweet fruit and citrus notes. Hints of lemon and orange peel, mango, grapefruit and pineapple with amount of dry pine presence to balance out the sweetness. The bitterness lingers throughout over the subtle caramel, biscuity graham cracker malt backbone into a long dry finish. No detectable alcohol heat and excellent balance make this beer incredibly quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2009 08:24:17 | More by corby112

kbub6f

New York

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

There's a biggish, fine, cream-colored head that leaves thin, sticky lacing. Rosy, orange/amber, clear liquid. Nice. The nose is bitter, fruity, hoppy with a bit of sugar. A super-hoppy front introduces a milky, sweet, darkish malty, full middle. The malt is almost chocolatey at temperature. A big, bitter finish shows a nice roastiness, too. This is just a really nice, fresh, juicy, Cali-IPA. Quite creamy at temperature. Great!

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2004 22:43:25 | More by kbub6f