Nugget Nectar By Troegs
Seasonal beers are nothing new. There is a constant stream of beers available to us and many are only available for a short time period. Many are connected to the season in which they are released; think Pumpkin beers in the fall and Stouts in the winter. Others aren’t connected to the season but still get released at the same time each year. Some of these beers gain a huge following as drinkers anticipate their release each year. Troegs Nugget Nectar is one of those beers.
Released in early January each year, Troegs Nugget Nectar in an Imperial Amber Ale. It isn’t a seasonal beer that has any connection to the season but has gained quite the following. Much of this is because of its unapologetic flavor profile, and unique style.
Review Of Troegs Nugget Nectar
In an endless sea of IPAs, it has become hard for a beer to be hoppy and not categorized as an IPA. But that is exactly where Nugget Nectar shines.
The Imperial Amber Ale isn’t a style you’ll see very often. In fact, I can’t name another one which is what makes it so attractive. While other breweries are releasing Double/Imperial IPAs, Troegs is doing something a little different.
Nugget Nectar has an ABV of 7.5% and IBUs of 93. With high IBUs, you can expect huge hop bitterness from this beer.
Here is how Troegs describes Nugget Nectar:
It’s impossible to forget your first squeeze. Once a year, as the newest humulus lupulus harvest arrives at Tröegs, we blend these super-fresh hops into an Imperial Amber Ale. Excessively dry-hopped, Nugget Nectar is an explosion of pine, resin and mango.
Initial Thoughts
Annual releases always bring up the same conversation, how does it compare to last year?
And that’s a reasonable question as ingredients have a tendency to change slightly over time. Some of this is by choice of the brewer while other changes are just natural as the raw ingredients vary year to year. For this reason, many are quick to pick up Nugget Nectar so they can see if it stacks up to their memories. It has been a very popular release for years.
Troegs Nugget Nectar pours a burnt orange/red color with a bright white head. It is a very pretty beer as the color is strong with great clarity.
From the initial pour, the hops come alive with elements of pine and citrus letting you know that this is a hop forward beer.
Tasting Notes
The flavor of Nugget Nectar proves what the aroma was telling us – this beer is primarily about the hops. And Troegs does a great job of laying out their ingredients on their website as well so we know exactly how they achieve these flavors.
Nugget Nectar uses Nugget, Palisade, Simcoe, Tomahawk, and Warrior hops. That’s quite the blend and I’d imagine most of those are used in great quantities to produce the aroma and flavor profile we love.
The results of these hops is intense pine and tropical fruit flavors. With 93 IBUs, the hops provide a substantial bitterness throughout but it isn’t harsh or lingering. Much of that is due to the balance with the Amber Ale malt base which provides a subtle caramel-like sweetness.
The body of the beer is moderate and while the 7.5% is relatively high compared to other Amber Ales, neither of these elements will prevent you from enjoying more than one if you desire.
Final Thoughts
In many ways, Troegs Nuggeet Nectar is a lot like an Imperial Red IPA. And I would have to think that it was quite tempting to categorize it in that way. Naming anything IPA, tends to make it sell better and capture more customer attention.
If you are a fan of hop forward beers then Troegs Nugget Nectar is for you. It has intense hop flavor and aroma. Like West Coast IPAs, it has a noticeable pine presence that is just barely kept under control by the amber ale malt base.
Related Post: How To Pour The Perfect IPA
Conculsion
One of the ways Troegs describes Nugget Nectar is “A bright spot in the dead of winter.” That’s a fitting description as January is often a month associated with dark, heavy beers.
But along comes Nugget Nectar with intense hops along with just enough of a sweet malt base to give you something different to drink on cold winter evenings. I’m a big fan of this beer and also love that while it is limited, there appears to be enough to go around for those that want it.
If you enjoy hop forward beers in the winter, Nugget Nectar is a must try beer.
