Nectar IPA - Nectar Ales

alleykatking

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle. Many thanks go out to mjl21 aka Mike for this one! Review from notes.

A- Pours a dark amber almost light clear brown color. Little 1/2 finger tannish white head that dies down to little lacing on the sides that seem to slide right back down into the glass.

S- There is some sweet caramel malts coming through the underbelly of the aroma. Some earthy piney hops in the front of the nose along with some fruity mango-ish notes here and there as well. Alcohol was present as well once this beer warmed a little.

T- Sweet malts come through more than what I thought and almost crash right up against a fruity hop kick in the front of this beer. This makes the beer kind of unbalanced in the mouth from time to time. Good tasting hops in the back end that is a little earthy in taste.

M- This is a light- medium mouthfeel. Carbonation is not lacking in this beer at all. A mix of mango fruity hops and sweet malts bring the palate a little balance during this beer. Clean taste throughout but alcohol taste comes though in the tail-end.

D- This is a decent beer. I was glad I got the chance ot try this one. A decent drinker that is a pleasant surprise. Nothing over the top but not a bad beer either.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2009 02:10:59 | More by alleykatking

countrocula

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

had two of these on tap at The Mason Jar in Mahwah. As a side note, this night is like St. Elmo's Fire in here with old people like me singing Mick Jagger 'She's the Boss' songs. Huge snow storm impending....

Anyway, came to my table with nary a head and no residual lacing. Could be that the glass has some cleaner/detergent residue... Dunno. Very amber in hue with a slight mistiness to it. Not crystal clear but pretty transparent.

Beyonce is now on the juke

smell is slightly astringent. No big bouquet here. Little malt and booze aroma.

This maybe due to the cold temp this was served at but the inital taste is slightly plasticky. Tad bit of orange rind bitterness on finish. Sweet in a way. Surely orange rind over graprfruit...

Mouth is cleanish. Not cloying but a syrupy sensation develops after a few gulps. Not an exemplar of the style.

As much as this isn't an ultimately satisfying representation of the style, it's watery and booze deficient enough to be a solid pounder. I'd like to try another session with it warmed up to about 45 F

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2011 02:31:22 | More by countrocula

portia99

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A relatively new arrival in MA...12oz bottle (2/22/11 on the bottle) poured into a Bruery tulip.

A - Sparkingly clear medium dark amber color with a small cap of foam that recedes quickly leaving behind an uneven collar and some superficial surface bubbles and no lacing.

S - Quite fruity and citrusy up front. Crisp and pretty clean with an abundance of oranges, fresh grass, a mild spicy aspect, some sweet toffeeish aromas.

T - Still retains some of the citrusy and fruity points from the aroma, but not as prominently. Sweet, orangey, estery...a bit dirty, not as clean as I'd hoped. Bitterness is medium and a bit heavy feeling which I think is this beers biggest issue for me. It seems weighed down by the bitterness instead of being an enhancement and a focal point of the brew.

M - Feels a bit full and heavy. The carbonation is firm gives a big tingle on the tongue. Rough, heavy bitterness and just a general lack of life from the hops is a bit of a detractor.

O - This is an IPA that just misses the mark a bit for me. Probably falls into the category of a beer that uses a hop that just doesn't satisfy my particular hophead needs. Solid and well brewed, but just seems to leave me looking for something that never appears in there. I wouldn't turn this down if offered, but I'll probably not be buying any sixers of this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2011 17:54:39 | More by portia99

MaltsOfGlory

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours about a half finger head, maybe just slightly off white, but barely. The head has about half small bubbles and half medium sized bubbles, it looks like a pretty normal head, not creamy or pillowy or anything, which kinda sucks. The head is now pretty much gone so that's a bummer, decent lacing. The body is a dark red color, with hints of orange in there as well. Frankly this looks just like their red that I reviewed right before this, with maybe a touch more orange in the appearance. The carbonation looks very small, just as it did in the red ale. It's somewhat transparent, not completely, but a decent amount. A beer being transparent is even worse in an IPA than it is in a red ale, so this is bad for this beer even more than it was for the last one I reviewed. Overall it looks good, fore sure not great, but good, if it's just like the red ale I suppose I'll be happy, but bored since it would just be the same thing. The smell is much like the red ale as well, not much to it, very clean and refreshing smell, but not much going on. The hops are obviously the most present thing, but there clearly aren't enough of them, I get that it's made by "nectar" ales, but still, you can't use that as an excuse for wimping out on hops. I get some malt on the smell, but really a small amount. Overall the smell is just too faint and light, we'll see, but I don't think that this is going to be a great IPA. Yeah on the flavor, well there just really isn't much flavor. I mean you get that tiny tiny distinct nectar or fruit flavor that nectar ales have, but it's just not enough to make this beer that great. I mean it's an IPA, IPA's should have a butt load of hops, and this might be the weakest IPA I've ever had, maybe it's tied with 21st amendments bitter american. I mean there is enough hops, I suppose, but it's just not enough to be a good IPA. I'm sorry, but the nectar flavor works with the red, it's a good mix, but if your making an IPA you can't F around with hops and silly flavors, it's not a witbier. As for other flavors, small malt taste, and I also get a little alcohol kick, which is a little irritating because it's only 6.8%. I guess with all this being said it's still a good beer, just not a good IPA. Maybe if you slapped "nectar pale ale" on this, I would be a lot happier with it, I dunno. As for everything else, the mouthfeel is decent, good carbonation, it doesn't have big enough of a body though for an IPA. Drinkability is better than it should be, not enough hops and overall flavor. Overall on this beer, I get what they were trying to do, and the nectar flavor is nice, just like it was in their red, but I can't rate this beer too high, just because it's an IPA, and they didn't make a good IPA, they made a good pale ale. Maybe I shouldn't downgrade them just for that so much, but hey, IPA's should be hoppy, that's the way it is. Don't make a pale ale and say it's an IPA. Anyways, good beer, bad IPA, wrong label.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 12:03:36 | More by MaltsOfGlory

THECPJ

Delaware

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: copper orange with a 1 finger off white head

smell: citrus, floral, hops, malts

taste: bitter, dry, hops, caramel, biscuit, malts

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: alright IPA. nothing to impressive. glad I got to try it.

cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 22:59:26 | More by THECPJ

hosehead83

Ohio

3.51/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a "stubby" 12oz. bottle with an attractive hummingbird label.
Clear, copper-gold with a moderate head of off-white foam.
Aroma-Faint floral hop note
Taste-Toasted malt, soft floral hops. Nicely balanced but more of a pale ale feel than an IPA. Innofensive and pleasant, would make a good "starter" IPA for those just venturing into the wonderful world of the hophead.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 21:52:42 | More by hosehead83

bennetj17

Arizona

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear copper color with a touch of amber. Slim head dissolves into a film atop the beer. Mild aroma of toasted nuts and pine-like, citrus hops. Sweet carmelly malt flavor with a hint of roasted character, it blends well with a medium hoppiness. There is not that much bitter toward the finish, but a touch of sourness lingers and detracts some. Medium body, the carbonation starts out decent but falls somewhat flat. I liked the balance of malt and hop flavors in this IPA but overall it was just decent, only worth a try...

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2006 02:19:20 | More by bennetj17

OStrungT

California

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a very slightly cloudy golden color. It has a thick white head. The head fades a little quickly, leaving a slight lacing.

This beer has a citrusy hop aroma. It also smells slightly fruity. Maybe apricot? A slight honey aroma is also present. t has a slight malty aroma also.

As with the aroma, this beer tastes slightly odd. It has a citrus hop flavor, but there is more to it. It tastes fruity. Some apricot, and maybe some orange. Odd. Not much malt to it.

This beer is very mild. It is refreshing. It goes down smooth, leaving a fruity, hoppy aftertaste.

I doubt this beer would make a great session beer. The flavor is off for the style. Alcohol wise, it would be easy to put down a few.

Overall: This beer is odd. It is not bad, but it is very different. I doubt I will buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2006 00:22:37 | More by OStrungT

bulletrain76

California

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle. Clear red amber with a small white head. Tobacco, leather, citrus and pine aroma. Piney, citrusy hops over semi-sweet malts, with a little earth. The hops are a little dominant, but not too bitter for an IPA. Medium light body with crisp carbonation. Pretty nice IPA, but typical California style, and uneventful.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2008 08:18:49 | More by bulletrain76

brewerburgundy

California

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle, Sam Adams glass, bottled on 1/5/10.

This is the average copper and white headed American IPA. The head is sticky but not prominent.

At first the aroma seemed very hoppy, but it has struck a balance with the malt now. In fact, it's leaning towards the malt now, rich and sweet buttered toffee. The hops present a little weed, orange, and lemon peel.

The body is strong with buttered toffee and biscuit and is relatively sweet. The same orange and lemon peel become flavors and bitterness that isn't very pronounced.

The mouthfeel has strength on lower carbonation and a velvety texture for 6.7% ABV.

I'm impressed. Firestone Walker's 'other' brand is also quality judging by this IPA.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 01:31:50 | More by brewerburgundy

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Slighty hazy pale yellow gold body. Level off-white three finger medium size bubble head.

Mild pine aroma, not abrasive.

Strong semi-sweet coating on the tongue. Piney hops at the swallow and beyond. Hint of soap.

Medium-to-light mouthfeel. Ok drinkability.

Not a California classic of an ipa, but not bad.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 23:27:34 | More by RonfromJersey

Kadonny

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked up a six pack of this in NJ on the recommendation of the beer buyer there. He said he loves hoppy beers and this one was his favorite.

A: A medium orange color with a two finger white head. Nice glass lacing.

S: Based in his description of the beer, I was expecting a west coast hop bomb, but got something different. Smells are of pine, slight citrus, earth and caramel malt sweetness.

T: My first flavors were pine and resin with some darker earthy notes then complimented by some citrus tones of orange and grapefruit. The malt sweetness is pretty big with caramel and spicy notes. Finish turns back to the hops with the spicy piney finish with nice but not huge bitterness on the back end. More bitterness as the beer warms.

M: Medium, resiny, sweet with no alcohol. Nice carbonation.

O: A solid beer, but nothing to write home about. This is a west coast beer that if I were guessing would say is from the east coast. I expected way more bright fruits and got way more dark spicy flavors and way more sweetness. A balanced IPA, but from the west coast I don't always want balance.

Overall this is a solid beer, but not a standout. Goes to show how one persons taste is way different than another. I would not classify this as an overly hoppy beer as the beer buyer did. Oh well, at least I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 12:56:19 | More by Kadonny

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle served in a Spieglau nonic. 2/22/11 printed on the neck of the bottle. Pours a burnt-orange hue with a semi-hazy clarity and a dense, half inch, cream-colored head embedded with craters and pinpricks. Nose expresses lemon zest, toasted malts and caramel notes. Taste consistent with nose - there's definitely a lemony quality on a malty backbone. I'm also getting a kind of earthy/ashy flavor towards the back. Flavor profile is definitely a bit muddled. Mouthfeel is light-medium in consistency with a slightly sharp carbonation, some acidity that stimulates the salivary glands along the cheeks and a slight oiliness to the texture. As IPAs goes, this brew isn't really something to write home about. Definitely a bit malt-centric for the style and balance just seems a bit off. Not bad, but not really something I would seek out again either.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 22:02:49 | More by Jwale73

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Finally got around to trying this after having a bunch of the other Nectar Ales lately. This reminded me a bit of the Hemp Ale but there wasn't much else that was memorable about this. With so many IPA's coming out of California now, there wasn't much to distinguish this from the others and it went down pretty easily, which is not something that I say about this style often!

The pour to this was pretty dark with a decent amount of head and some opaqueness to the hue. There wasn't much of an aroma to this and the taste was relatively typical of the style. Some pine and citrus were found here with a bit of the "skunk" from the weed mixed in. This reminded me of the Hemp Ale from these guys, but this didn't have the caramel or herbal notes to go with it. Because there wasn't much bitterness or carbonation to be found here, this just went right down like flat soda.

As for the alcohol, it was present but not complementary for the notes or for the style. Fan of IPA's looking for a hop bomb or an avalanche of flavor will be disappointed here but for anyone who enjoyed the Hemp Ale and wants a slightly more aggressive take on it, this ended up fitting that bill.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 00:01:10 | More by JerzDevl2000

CheezyBlaster

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Warning: maybe this is an old bottle. No date I could find easily, but the hop profile seems diminished, and the malt profile just isn't impressive enough to make me think this was intentional. I'll plan another review down the line.

Very malt forward. Mild dark fruits forward, touch of ripe banana. Thin caramel, agave nectar flavors. Some extremely attenuated piney, hop resinous notes force through. Nothing citrus oriented. Meh, serviceable.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 23:45:44 | More by CheezyBlaster

KingSlender

California

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Just cracked open a Humbolt IPA last night. This is one of the tougher Humbolt brews to get in my area. The brew poured a deep amber cherry-like color, which was very different from the other reviews on this beer. Different batch maybe?? Thick white head remained the same and the nose was very good...probably the best aspect of this IPA. After taking a few sips it reminded me more of a Pale than an IPA. Hopped pretty good, but nothing to get excited about. I had this beer a few years ago and thought it tasted alot better. Maybe it WAS the batch???

The King recommends drinking this beer with slice of peppered beef jerkey.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2004 16:39:50 | More by KingSlender

chodinheaven

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Somewhat hazy burnt orange color with very fine bubbles of carbonation from the bottom. Small head on a medium pour that reduces down to a patchy white sea foam head. Pine and grapefruit hops come to mind on the nose, very pleasant. A healthy barley malt backing rounds out the aroma.

Grapefruit and pine hops are most prevelant in the first sips. Lots of bitterness in the back of the mouth, but up front its sweeter but sort of bland as well. It just seems like something is lacking there in the beginning of the taste, and in the end its mostly just bitter, but there is also a sizeable barley and wheat malt character to it also. The mouthfeel doesn't seem to help the taste along either, as it is somewhat watery, neither creamy nor crisp. Overall, its easy enough to drink and the 6.7% ABV is not very detectable, making it an easy beer to drink. But I've definitely had AIPA's that I've enjoyed more.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 02:26:41 | More by chodinheaven

Martin2D

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Light amber with a huge head that retained quite well

S - Floral notes, sort of weak

T - Definitely not a hop bomb or anything, slight nuances of those floral hop notes

M - Possibly a little too much carbonation, fine mouthfeel

D - You could drink a lot of these, but there are so many better IPA's out there. This ranks as simply average for me. This one was on the weak side for an IPA

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2009 15:00:43 | More by Martin2D

Marty30

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to baconsausage for this brew! 12 oz bottle poured into pint glass.

A. Nice Dark orange color with 1.5 inch fluffy head that dissapates quickly,nice sticky lacing on the glass. Good carbonation.

S. Pine, slight citrus not very strong smelling some bread and grains. I'm not getting much else.

T. Nice bitter hop citrisy lemon taste and some pine,has a nice earthy tone to it.Bitter aftertaste that lingers.

M. Mouthfeel is kind of light,
smooth,corbonation is gone after about five minutes after pouring.

D. I could drink alot of these, very easy drinking I've had alot of better IPA's but this is a solid brew worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 02:37:20 | More by Marty30

u2carew

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz stubby.
A) Pours with a two finger head. Clear, copper colored body. Lacing is big bubble and semi-sticky.
S) Apricot. Orange. Grapefruit. Great hop aroma overall.
T) Nice hop bite from the start. Begins sharp and bitter then the malt kicks in to bring a pleasant balance. Caramel and nutty. Finishes clean with a lingering malt sweetness and subtle hop bite.
M) Light fizz. Medium light body. Slightly dry in the finish.
O) A decent IPA overall. I would definitely drink another.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 00:06:13 | More by u2carew

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

In a pint glass this beer was an amber color with a thick off-white head. The head retained well and left a fair amount of lace.

Aroma of citrus and piney hops. Peppery on the nose. Some sweet malt.

Grapefruit and piney hops. Sweet malt. The taste was a little toned down compared to the aroma.

Mouthfeel was thin and on the oily side.

An OK beer, not grest

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 17:43:44 | More by lordofthewiens

Kendo

New York

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from the growler into a pint glass. Body is coppery-amber (orangey when backlit) with very small off-white head. Left some small patches of lace.

S: Not terribly strong in the nose. Some caramel malt, some citrus and a touch of grassiness or pine.

T: Caramel malt foundation then a spicy, leafy hop bite with some citrus (mainly orange).

M: Modestly creamy; call it medium-bodied in heft.

O: Good, just nothing earth-shattering. In a world full of great IPAs, this one's just good. That's not necessarily a knock against it; if it were local and I could get it fresh and relatively cheap, it'd be a go-to. But it's not going to make you divorce your wife to shack up with this mistress.

Serving type: growler

03-09-2012 18:49:43 | More by Kendo

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle I picked up for $1.69. Bright orange, very clear. Good sticky lacing on the glass. Smell is a little too subtle for me, slight hops, eh. A bit of orange in the flavor and then bitterness then some malt at the end. Overall this is a good IPA but nothing too crazy.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 20:53:59 | More by ArrogantB

kylehay2004

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Single finger head on a clear orangey copper body. Aroma of citrus hops and toasted malt, very simple. Flavors are also of citrus, mostly orange and floral notes, on a toasted and caramel malt base. Well balanced overall. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Not a very memorable IPA. Not a bad beer, just a little simple and boring.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 20:08:21 | More by kylehay2004

brentk56

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with a nice cap that fades to a big bubbled head with a ring of foam and plenty of lace

Smell: Toasted caramel, a waft of hops and a whiff of band aid

Taste: After an initial burst of toasted malt flavor, the flavor grows rather tobacco-like, with some pine developing by mid-palate; after the swallow, the grassy hops blend with an underlying and unexpected sweetness; the tobacco flavor persists for quite some time

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Not my favorite hop/malt profile, although there is nothing wrong with it

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2008 02:08:48 | More by brentk56