Nugget Nectar
Tröegs Brewing Company

 

 

Scored the last sixpack at local deli. The flavor profile is fantastic and love the resiny mouthfeel. Wow, this beer deserves a mic drop!

 

Flavors of apricot jam, peach preserve, brown sugar, graham crackers, toffee, orange zest and savory mango. Malty, soft and smooth with hints of tropical fruit. Aroma follows the palate, but with more emphasis on the orange zest. Mouthfeel is crisp and highly drinkable, but still relatively full bodied and rich.

Easily one of the best Imperial red ales on the market.

 

The single best food or beverage to come out of Hershey, PA

very good red ale!!! one of my favorites

Outstanding! Highly recommend! Received as a gift, going to get more!

Dark copper-amber, but bright and almost translucent, a clear pint glass full of it reveals. There's virtually no head to describe, but that's the Philly style of serving draft beers. Even without a head, it's a lovely beer. Little aroma rises above the glass, a little malt a little hops and no discernable alcohol. This is one of those that doesn't offer much to the nose, but gives the tongue a workout. Quickly, it's learned that regardless of the word "nectar" in its name, this isn't some sort of overly sweetened ale. There is some sweetness provided by ample malting, but this one bites. There's just the right dose of alcohol in the mix that it amplifies the sharp hoppiness, which is noteworthy. With notes of pine and citrus, this is a bitterly hopped brew (a good thing) that brings so much more character than most in this style. The glass lacing is a little short. So, this isn't one for the nose and maybe not long for the eyes. It is a complex hopfest within a solid malted body.

Rare 5 out 5. Looking for balanced And if so high marks it will receive. No hop bomb but you can taste the some of the "excessively dry hopped," But sage quickly to a malt creamy goodness. If you're looking for a hop slinger move on but if you're looking for great tasting grab it whem you can. Cheers!

16oz can purchased from the fridge as a single from a local bottle shop for $4.55. "Freshest by 04/28/2023"....given that this was released pretty recently (January 10th), I would say that this beer is less than one month old.

Look: Pours a clear medium amber color with a tan-colored head that slowly dissipated to a very thin layer. Looks very nice.

Smell: Very nice aromas of fresh hops - earthy, resinous pine along with some dankness, woody notes, and grapefruit notes. There's a bit of caramel sweetness underneath all of that hop aroma. This beer smells a bit like a slightly stronger version of Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale.

Taste: It's surprisingly balanced, refreshing, and drinkable. Up front, it has a very nice maltiness with the caramel notes coming through briefly before being taken over by hops. The finish is actually not nearly as bitter as I was expecting; it's relatively smooth and has a pleasant long-lingering bitterness that is not very intense. Nice grapefruit rind flavors on the finish also.

Feel: The mouthfeel is a bit chewy. Nicely carbonated. Medium plus body.

Overall: This beer brings back memories. The first time I had this beer was in the mid- to late- 2000s in Atlanta. Someone had acquired this beer in a trade (I think) and brought it to a beer share. I was blown away by this beer. There aren't many other Imperial Red Ales out there. One that I used to consume a lot of was Terrapin's Big Hoppy Monster. Fast forward to living in PA: I moved here just over 10 years ago. It was probably 9 years ago when I made a feeble attempt to procure some Nugget Nectar. I called a beer distributor that I passed on my way to work and at that time the state laws only allowed them to sell entire cases. I wasn't able to buy/consume that much beer so I passed. Hard to believe that it's been over 15 years since I have had this beer! Enough with story time. This beer certainly deserves its #1 ranking among Imperial Red Ales.

From the can and website:
Color: Straw/Orange
Hops: Nugget, Warrior, Tomahawk, Simcoe, Palisade
Grain: Munich, Pilsner, Vienna
Yeast: Ale

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. Exclusively dry-hopped, Nugget Nectar is an explosion of pine, resin and mango.

 

 

 

Enjoying at the brewery in Hershey, PA, on the way home from our after Christmas trip to Bethlehem and Philly, PA. 12/28/22.

Gorgeous amber color, full head that dissipated leaving a beautiful lacing on the glass.

It was hard to get the aroma as the smells inside the brewery are so strong that's all I could smell, the only downer. Could almost smell grapefruit and papaya.

(Edit from having at home from a poured 12oz bottle bought from Troegs) stone fruit, malty sweetness and pine.

The mouthfeel is bright with light carbonation and smooth as velvet with a slight drying of the mouth.

And now to the flavor profile! This is one amazing, well-balanced beer! Bright hoppiness gives way to luscious mango, pine, and grapefruit. I could drink this all day! One of Leah's favs!

 

 

 

 

Wow! Drank this one ice cold and right out of the can. When I opened it the beer was filled right up to the top and sort of just overflowed a bit. The smell was hops and hops and exactly what I like. The taste was definitely of a hoppy nature and the ABV just adds to the enjoyment. I will positively be looking for more when I can.

 

 

 

Finally had several of these sent from some NJ family so I can try this top-notch-hyped imperial red. I could never catch it available when visiting. Pours a deep and clear golden color with a modest head.
Nose is like sweet cakey/ candies malts and hops all together, makes me want to taste.
The flavor goes there, it’s so much flavor up front with sweet caramel and tasty hops, just a well-balanced impeccable red IPA. Resin/ earthiness is a defining characteristic, and it’s tasty. Tingly fresh hop bitterness lives in this beer. It ends superbly. Amazing balance.
Feels perfect. Smooth and smooth, then smooth. Slight stickiness, vanishes superbly and I’m ready for more.
I can see why this gets the love.
It’s like a Hop Wallop meets a red ale, masterfully and silky.

Pours a nearly clear mahogany color with a small foamy white head and a moderate amount of lacing.

Smells of piney, grassy hops and malt.

Tastes of mildly bitter, peppery hops throughout with smaller tastes malt, caramel and pineapple.

Medium body with light carbonation. Smooth dry mouthfeel.

This beer is an enjoyable mash up of a Wee Heavy and a West Coast IPA. Scotch IPA?

 

 

 

One of those beers I drink plenty of and then surprised that I haven't rated it yet. So anyway, an attractive appearance; clear copper, nice size head, good lacing. Aroma is equally appealing, earthy and herbal with subtle notes of citrus. Resinous quality on the palate along with the herbal influence. Finishes a bit spicy. Bitterness adds depth and balance. Best by date of 5/11/22

Beautiful pour with one finger foam. Smell is pine and malt. The taste is very much on the edge of IPA…..almost too close. I don’t have much experience with this style but if you told me it was an IPA I wouldn’t bat an eye. Keep that in mind before you try …. This is hoppier than your average Red.

Poured a very pleasing amber color with active carbonation and a manila folder (Google it if you've never seen one) colored head that left plenty of lacing.
Aroma, even to my chemical damaged nose, was very nice. Obvious malts and hops play parts in the dance; I can't say I got the "pine, resin and mango" that the can states are prominent but it is very pleasant.
The taste, found it hard not to think of this as an IPA, it's just on that cusp. Likely the hoppiest red ale I've ever had, but that's not a bad thing at all; it's delicious!
The feel falters only in that it's way to drinkable for it's ABV. I could quaff this down by the liter if given the opportunity.
OA, Seriously good beer, all the way around. The denizens of Hershey, PA are fortunate to have this on tap.

Clear and bright body, medium amber colored; excellent carbonation, fine bubbles and gently rising; huge, white head, sculpted and densely creamy. Strong scent of pine resin offset with gentle caramel notes. Outstanding taste, well-balanced and complex; light malt base with a moderate to bold hop bitterness; some peppery spiciness. Medium-heavy body; softly abrasive; light sweetness countered with a moderate overall dryness.

A most extraordinary ale, well-crafted and bursting with balance, flavor, and immensely pleasurable appearance.

Pouring temperature: 45 °F; canning data: FRESHEST BY 05/11/2022

 

 

On tap in the pine room in a frosty pint glass. Perfectly balanced. Hoppy but not too. A hint of sweetness. Nice soft head.

Hard to stop pouring this beer and at 7.5 …. My current fav!

Can into pint glass; freshest by 4/28/2022.

L: Orangey-copper, crystal clear, with a substantial head and good retention/lacing. I hate to drink it because it looks so nice.
S: Mostly hop bitterness, a few citrus notes.
T: Just nailed-on balance between the malt and hops, slightly resinous finish
F: Very smooth, a little sticky.
O: Worth the hype, the highlight of the Tröegs lineup for me. Almost by itself makes PA winter tolerable.

I suppose I'll contradict myself and say that I'm not overly enthusiastic about beers with ramped up ABV scores. Too often, I find that the pleasure of the mouthfeel is compromised when the main thing you taste is the octane. With that said, I'm always impressed by beers that are a little stronger but bring the complex flavor into the foreground. Seems like that's the kind of thing "craft" is all about. I do love the Tröegs company and their creativity and sensibility, but I don't love all their beers (which is no knock on them at all). But for my money, Nugget Nectar is some of their finest work. It's such a pleasurable beer to drink; flavorful with a kind of well-earned sweetness, beautiful balance of the different hop notes and malt, and a stunning color in the glass. Over the years, I've cycled through a number of Tröegs beers, giving many a try, but I'm finally prepared to say that this is my favorite of all I've tried. This is the one I wait for every year and buy whenever it comes to my beer store.

 

The hop flavor is excellent I honestly thought this was an IPA. I really enjoyed this and would absolutely have again