My problem with Nugget Nectar

Due to formatting, this is all I saw:

Great the hype the conflict hops hopheads nirvana amber all intensified hops explosion citrus resin pine.

I think there was more after that, but frankly, my head hurts.

 

The people that think Nugget Nectar is an IPA must be the same people Lagunitas was worrried about with their labels. Maybe they had an argument after all...

What it is, is an outstanding beer. If someone isn't a big fan of ambers, or is expecting Sucks, Pliny, 90 Min, etc., it is going to seem like an over hyped beer. Personally I wish it was year round. I love Lagunitas Red and Great Lakes Nosferatu, but I think NN is significantly better.

 

Don't be jealous. Just shoot me your address and I will get you into the party.

 

I don't say it's like GK in actual taste as all brands differ in taste, but in style, especially the 5% ABV version we get. On the darkish side, caramel/sweetish notes, an English style nose. The NN I had was on cask and the Nugget smell and taste were very strong. Fuller ESB is another example. The first tastes this NN brought to me were English premium bitters and as I said, the original Ballantine IPA.

 

One of the reasons it is so well regarded is that it is EXTREMELY approachable. I know people who hate hop forward beers, but love Nugget Nectar. So the beer is well loved by a LOT of people. It also happens to be very hop forward. Despite being hop forward it also has some wonderful subtleties to it, which make it very different from your typical hop bomb.

When a beer is this well regarded for this long among a vast array of people, that's not hype, that's substance.

 

I don't think there's any controversy here. If you don't care for the beer, it doesn't mean there's something wrong with it (or you). It just doesn't suit your palate, that's all. Pass on it and buy up more of those IPAs that you DO like. God knows there are plenty of highly-rated beers that I don't care for (Smuttynose Maibock comes to mind).

As far as them marketing it as an IPA, if it tastes radically different than an IPA to you then you have a legitimate argument. To me (and I suspect, to a lot of people), it drinks like a typical IPA. And if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, well....

 

I have consumed way more NN this year than I have in the recent 3 years combined. For some reason it hit my palate just right this year. I hype the crap out of this as much as I personally can (to the OP's point, not that it needs any help).

 

Maybe buy a beer you like? It's and Imperial Amber beer. Hops with a malty backbone. More malt than an IPA. Enjoying my case of cans. YRMV. KBS is over hyped, I have better local. Just drink what you like. Leaves more for me.

 

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

If NN was remotely like a bitter / english pale ale / esb, nobody would talk about it and this thread wouldn't exist.

 

Not trying to threadjack, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to find out these just as good as BCBS, and cheaper, BA Stouts. You are one state over from me and I go to Conn. a lot. Please post their names. Really looking forward to picking some of these up. Thanks.

 

Everyone who is mad because they bought NN thinking it was an IPA is welcome to send it to me for disposal.

 

A well thought out and written post. I agree completely.

Their website says they use pilsner, Vienna, and Munich malts in the profile. I think you could find similar characteristics in the Marzen style. In which, the paler "Wiesn", which I imagine uses more pilsner malts, is still considered an Oktoberfest and is akin to what is served at the tents. While the "amber" Marzen is also considered an Oktoberfest, and is considerably darker. Outside of the Paulaner brand, there's no distinction made, and they're both considered Marzen/Oktoberfest beers.

Personally I find large differences between the taste of pilsner and Vienna/Munich malts. The former being sweeter to my palate (almost biscuity), the latter more bready (specifically darker breads).

Throw in 93 IBUs and make it an "imperial" and the distinction becomes less clear. There are plenty of IPAs out there that have a similar amber color to Nugget Nectar. And be honest with yourself if you're hell bent on considering it vastly different than an IPA, do you think you could pick the "imperial amber" out in a crowd of double IPAs?

Your English ale example was a great one as well. Fuller's London Pride is amber in color, but I don't know anyone that wouldn't call it a pale ale.

To me, it's a great marketing ploy regardless if that was Troegs' intention or not. I'd personally leave it labeled as an imperial amber as well. Because when a new Beeradvocate clicks on "amber/red ale" on this website, Nugget Nectar is number one by a fair margin. Couple that with a seasonal release, and I imagine you get a nice boost in sales.

Label it an IPA and make it a year-round release, and it probably gets lost in the mix of double IPAs. Barely cracking the top 50. Nugget Nectar isn't hyped or overrated. The true travesty is that Nugget Nectar is Troegs' highest rated beer, and much of their line-up is some of the best the country has to offer according to style.

 

This year was my first time having nugget nectar and I really loved it. I can care less what a beer is "considered" or labeled, as long as it is good. Amber Ale, IPA, whatever... Don't care. If it tastes good and I enjoy it, that is what matters!

I always thought based on what I read it was an IPA as well and was surprised (and even more excited) when I saw it wasn't. It didn't disappoint.

 

I really liked Laughing Dog Dogfather, New Holland Dragon's Milk to name two and I'm not saying that these are the best but with their price in consideration they equal up to Goose Island that is at least ten dollars more and a hassle to get I don't mean to thread jack but just making a point that for most whalz there are equal options that can be easier to find without the markup

 

I'd be a lot more sympathetic if I'd never been to Casper or to a few other places within an easy 400-500 mile drive from there... :-)

 

Good use of bold, italics, underlining and all-caps, chippy. Now if you'd just made your font bigger and changed the color...

 

Hype and rarity have no discernible flavors that I can taste...love NN as a seasonal treat, and move on!

 

Once again, I'm talking the general style. Lots of traditional English pales are quite unlike others in the general category (John Smith's Bitter vs. Holt's vs. Speckled Hen vs. etc.) but they are of one general style. Please understand as well that I tend to look at it historically, when (1800's) hop rates were much higher for these English beers and alcohol too even if not typically 7.5%. My example of Bally IPA is more apt perhaps simply because it lasted into the 80's pretty much in this older 1800's form. (I know it is back but the taste has changed, IMO, it is more a typical American IPA now).

Anyway, I'm good with agreeing to disagree, fair enough.

 

You could make it for literally every beer that lots of people like. Let's not, though...

 

When does the Hopslam overhyped/ overrated thread start now that we covered this one.....