28 June 2008

Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar (ORE)

This has been rated well over 1,000 times at ratebeer, so I don't think there's anything new to be said. Still, I'd never had it until now. Ratebeer lists this as a winter seasonal -- is that true? I assumed it was year-round.

The nose suggests that this might be a hopped up American brown ale, but after tasting, I see that it's really the roastiness that sets it apart. It's almost chocolatey, which gibes well with hazelnut. Not too sweet though: the 33 IBU is used just to keep it in check. Very tasty, but the body seems a bit lighter than I might have wanted (not that it's watery). It's less rich and, I think, less good than Dogfish Head's Indian Brown, which I currently rate as my favorite brown. Still, the two beers are not trying to do the same thing, and I understand why this is so highly regarded.

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