Leinenkugel's Fireside Nut Brown - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

2.25/5  rDev -24%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Not good...and I rarely start off a review by stating that outright, but this was a beast to drink. Not in a good, challenging way, either. Poured from a bottle into a pint glass, the beer had a decent appearance. The beer has an almost barn-red/brown color, with a decent (2") head. It got a little shaky from here. The smell has a blending of hazelnut, malt, and hops. When you first drink this brew, you get a mouthful of confusion clumsily barreling around your tastebuds. The hazelnut and hops are present, but the sweetness is thrown off by the increased and overcarbonation and the lightness of the body. The beer doesn't have the substance to balance or compliment the flavors it is trying to pull off. It ends up having a sharp and unpleasant finish, and was not overly enjoyable to choke down. I'm going to give myself a bit of time before trying this brewery's other offers to attempt an unbiased sample.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2010 00:06:59 | More by GarthDanielson

cadizkyguy

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

An above average beer from.Leinenkugels.. Sorry to see it discontinued. Would buy again. Really enjoyed its nuttiness. Dark robust taste. Rarely do I have anything good to say about a BMC offering. But this one hits the spot, true to style. I found this beer just chillin in the back of my fridge and despite its age I found it quite refreshing

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 07:13:37 | More by cadizkyguy

twenty5

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -7.1%

05-12-2013 21:07:51 | More by twenty5

blknikon

Massachusetts

2/5  rDev -32.4%

05-08-2013 00:01:54 | More by blknikon

Kelp

New Hampshire

2.75/5  rDev -7.1%

05-04-2013 23:47:01 | More by Kelp

John_B

Michigan

2.25/5  rDev -24%

05-04-2013 23:13:33 | More by John_B

tankg

Pennsylvania

1/5  rDev -66.2%

04-21-2013 03:16:45 | More by tankg

Jamison85

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev +18.2%

04-20-2013 16:47:18 | More by Jamison85

lucasj82

Indiana

2.75/5  rDev -7.1%

04-13-2013 01:34:20 | More by lucasj82

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.69/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Dark copper color, decent clarity, 1/2" of mild tan head on it, doesn't do much in terms of retention or lacing.

Aroma is nondescript sweet aroma and a mild nuttiness.

More mildness on the way in the palate. Sweet and nuts are minimal. Really thin body doesn't help the flavors settle, just makes it better in terms of 'drinkability' I'm guessing. Plastic flavors going on in the mouthfeel. Its digressing. Coming off as some weak campfire roasted nuts in a watery envelope. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of malt, not much in the way of roasting of that hint of malt.

Its just a thin, sweet beer with some nice color. Not quite oktoberfest, not quite brown ale. Not quite an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 18:35:39 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Bill235

Ohio

2.5/5  rDev -15.5%

02-28-2013 19:58:14 | More by Bill235

zimm421

Ohio

2.75/5  rDev -7.1%

02-28-2013 19:30:35 | More by zimm421

Punisher

Missouri

2/5  rDev -32.4%

02-23-2013 22:42:45 | More by Punisher

RyanLaCount03

Wisconsin

4.6/5  rDev +55.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

I really like this beer when I tried it in February or 2012. The smell of the beer had a really strong hint of nutiness. The taste was very good as well if you are a fan of a beer that is flavored as. The appearance was a dark brown or hazel.My friends also liked this beer. I thought it was a very good beer and was sad to see it go.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 18:35:44 | More by RyanLaCount03

BamfBacon

Ohio

2.5/5  rDev -15.5%

02-17-2013 16:29:45 | More by BamfBacon

Tjvan2

Iowa

3/5  rDev +1.4%

02-11-2013 03:55:56 | More by Tjvan2

jondeelee

Massachusetts

3.49/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Fireside Nut Brown opens to a lightly smoky, chocolaty, grain-based aroma that is instantly appealing. There are scads of breads and nuts in here, to the extent that the beer smells like a combination bakery and nut roasting factory: yeasty baguettes, floury bread doughs, and thick brown breads mingle with roasting chestnuts and pecans. There’s even a hint of oaky vanilla. Touches of chocolate (both milk and dark) add nice sugars to the mix, and there are hints of smoke, peat, and ash at the edges. But there’s also a nice coffee cream and caramel layer to offset the darker notes, as well as bits of fruit, including apricot and orange. Very light hints of citrus grapefruit from the hops add balance. As a whole, the nose is very nice, and surprisingly nuanced for a 4.9% ABV beer. It does lack in potency, however, the aromas light and fast-fading in the glass, marking one of its few weaknesses.

On the tongue, the beer opens with a blast of breads and nuts that translates almost directly from the nose, with yeasty, floury rising wheat dough and toast crust mixing with roasting pecans and chestnuts. The coffee cream and caramel are still here, as are the light hints of chocolate, ash, and smoke. Touches of apricot and cherry rim the edges, joined by pink grapefruit and grapefruit rind from the hops. Some of these more nuanced notes disappear in subsequent sips, the beer simply not strong enough to maintain flavor over the long run, and the flavors are mainly reduced to cereal grains, roasted nuts, and brown sugar. The aftertaste is a relatively quickly-fading remainder of bread and nut, with touches of ash and smoke, and just a hint of sugar. Mouthfeel is medium-light, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is decent fare, especially for a beer with such a low ABV. The initial flavors and aromas are excellent, being balanced, nuanced, and flavorful, but the beer ends up simply not having enough potency to maintain those notes over the course of several sips.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 19:02:14 | More by jondeelee

PHBoiler

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -15.5%

01-23-2013 22:10:27 | More by PHBoiler

fivetime

Idaho

1.5/5  rDev -49.3%

01-22-2013 00:46:13 | More by fivetime

Lukass

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +43.6%

01-03-2013 01:14:40 | More by Lukass

Raynae

3/5  rDev +1.4%

01-01-2013 00:07:51 | More by Raynae

I-Beir-the-Bel

3.25/5  rDev +9.8%

12-30-2012 16:21:02 | More by I-Beir-the-Bel

imthaschmidt

4/5  rDev +35.1%

12-28-2012 16:40:54 | More by imthaschmidt

OriolesFan1008

Maryland

1.5/5  rDev -49.3%

12-27-2012 14:56:59 | More by OriolesFan1008

brewsadedotcom

Pennsylvania

1.5/5  rDev -49.3%

12-24-2012 23:16:20 | More by brewsadedotcom