Tröegs Nugget Nectar - 2021 Release

I feel that way about Perpetual and agree about the use of nugget. Always considered it more of a bittering hop. I think the name lends itself to clever branding (NN of course and TG’s Golden Nugget come to mind) and maybe that’s why breweries and beer drinkers are drawn to it? Both of the above beers listed have “supporting” hops that I think really make the hop flavor/aroma what they are (Golden Nugget with Simcoe and Amarillo). I thought I remembered NN having just warrior, Apollo and CTZ but looking at their website they also have simcoe and palisade listed but no Apollo. Am I mistaken or did they change the recipe at some point?

 

"Freshest by
042121
201221-301
05:33"

 

Thanks

need to find a single with that date and see how it is.

Enjoy

 

If it helps this pack was bought at the Weis market in Ephrata; a good-sized stack of bottles and cans. And if you find that batch anywhere I'd be interested in your opinion of the flavor.

 

I was reading this post this morning so on the way home from work I decided to stop at my Wegmans and see if any arrived.

They had a mountain of 12pk 12 ounce cans, 16 ounce cans, and 6 pack bottles. I’ve been buying this beer for many years and like everyone else notice variation. So I decided to buy a 6 pk of bottles and a 4 pk of cans. I open a 16 ounce can “freshest by 4/29.” The beer has excellent aroma right on point, favorable, the whole nine yards. This is a beer I would recommend to others.

Then I open the bottle “freshest by 4/28” no aroma and the flavor is bland. Nothing wrong with it, just not that good either.

When we all talk about batch to batch variation with different beers and different seasonal releases, I often wonder if it’s the beer that’s different or our memory that’s different. In this case it’s definitely the beer. If this was a blind taste test I don’t think I would even say it’s the same beer. Pretty crazy really.

 

Thanks for sharing @daleyke I too think it’s usually memory/experience thats different. So it is very interesting to read what you posted. It seems very strange to me because I know they have a nice QA lab. I guess it all has to come down to hop variety? Anyway I look forward to be able to buy some as always when it arrives here.

 

And that has been the case for many years with Nugget Nectar and why the brewery can't produce reliable product here is indeed dumbfounding.

Your luck, so far this year is 50/50 with this brand.

A few years ago I purchased two six-packs and I too was 50/50. The first batch (which just happened to be bottled) was very tasty but the second batch (which happened to be canned) had zero aroma.

If people are gamblers they may want to buy Nugget Nectar and hope that they get lucky. Or they could instead purchase beer from a brewery that is capable of producing consistent product.

Cheers!

 

Do you think this applies to just nugget nectar or do you feel this way about all troegs beer?

 

It’s so strange to me that this beer always seems to vary so much, especially when I think Troegs generally produces quality products and is remarkably consistent across all their other brands. I will always try a new Troegs beer, and I know exactly what I’m going to get with the old standbys.

And I love Nugget Nectar when it’s on, I always purchase multiple batches In different formats chasing a good batch. I remember bomber bottles with the old logo that had hop aroma that was just out of this world. Last year, I had bottles that were great and cans that were average. It’s frustrating.

 

See the post by @hillind above.

Cheers!

 

How is it that a consistent brewery just can’t brew this one beer consistently then? I wonder what their response would be. It can’t be as simple as hop crop variations if a bottle and can from the same year can be so different can it? I would guess they’re all coming from the same lot, I’m no expert I’m just guessing here.

 

If you 'crack that code' please share this information with the rest of us.

No, it can't be that simple. I absolutely refuse to believe that the above referenced batches in post #45 (best by 4/28 and 4/29) that the difference between these two batches is differing hop crops.

Cheers!

 

Is the "freshest by" date derived from the date it's packaged or from some step at the end of the brewing process?

 

IIRC, it’s the packaged date.

 

Thanks. I figured that was the case. So now I'm wondering- knowing nothing about how Tröegs brews their beer- if a batch can be split between bottles and cans and if something happens during that process which would cause varied results.

 

"First can drank, I would say the aroma was just "okay"."

The value of BA is that we can provide scouting reports.

If I see Nugget Nectar in the singles section of my local Wegmans and there are other beers there I want (to build a mix-a-six) I may buy a single can/bottle of Nugget Nectar this year, maybe.

Non-cheers to Troegs for inconsistency here!!

 

I don’t see it listed on the Bestway site, either Rodger didn’t order it or its NA. Didn’t see any last year either, and that includes Total Wine which I generally avoid except for seasonal releases. They can’t goof them up.

 

My PA friend sent me a mix pack box, which included 3 16oz cans of Nugget Nectar. I had one last night and absolutely loved it. It tastes to me, like a big brother to Celebration ale. I don't know of a readily available beer in this area that is remotely similar to taste/feel/aroma as that can was last night.