Beer of the Vacation: Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar

I have reservations for tomorrow’s tour of the Anchor Brewery, a beer enthusiast’s Mecca. If I see Fritz Maytag, I’ll prostrate myself before him.

This will be a quick little post because I’m tired. Today I went to City Lights, bought a couple books, then walked down Columbus Avenue to the Rogue Ales Public House on Union Street, which is run by the Rogue Ales Brewery of Newport, Oregon. It’s a nice little place, and I highly recommend it if any of you are in the San Francisco area. I had a garden burger and an Anchor Steam Liberty Ale (yes, not their stuff) before moving on to a Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar.


Appearance: Dark caramel brown. Two fingers of tan, coffee-like head dissipated to a thin lacing.

Smell: Cocoa, mocha, and cappuccino. Very enticing. It also has a nutty quality, which I can’t put down but am guessing is probably hazelnut.

Taste: The bartender said it was sweet, and, yes, it is very sweet after the initial flavor hits. The hazelnut is much more prevalent, and the cocoa/mocha/cappuccino from the aroma is nowhere to be found. There is a touch a caramel hidden deep underneath.

Drinkability: This is a good, complex brew. It’s too sweet for my tastes, but a great beer to try on a nice day in San Francisco. I asked the bartender if it was a brown ale, and he said it was. However, this is a style all it’s own; a subgenre of brown ale.

Fun facts about RHBN:

-Price: $6/pint at the Public House. “Welcome to California.”

-Serving temperature: 45-50°F.

-Alcohol content: 6.2 percent ABV.

-Food pairings: BA recommends earthy and nutty cheeses and grilled meat. The Rogue website recommends pork and beer.


The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.

Comments

Popular Posts