Tröegs Nugget Nectar - 12 oz cans

We're now treating Nugget Nectar like an Amber Ale?

 

Wasn't it always an amber ale? It says this on their website...

"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."

 

I've known it for 8 years as a massively hop forward beer, first and foremost. So yes, age matters.

 

It defiantly is
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/694/15881/
"Description:
Primarily a catch all for any beer less than a Dark Ale in color, ranging from amber (duh) to deep red hues. This style of beer tends to focus on the malts, but hop character can range from low to high. Expect a balanced beer, with toasted malt characters and a light fruitiness in most examples"

It looks like one, and tastes like one. One on the hoppier end of the spectrum obviously.

 

They'll be old before they hit the floor here.

 

Even in that case...yes, I'd still like it fresh. And stored cold.

 

I had a can that was about 6 days old. Very good. It didnt strike me as much different than the 4 week old bottles I grabbed last year, but it does start to drink a lot more like a typical amber (caramel malty) around 2 months from my experience.

 

That's the concern, that it's an improperly marketed beer. The previous can was a fist squeezing a hop...I don't expect aFat Tire given that label.

 

I've never had one fresh enough to be worthwhile . If they're not rolling out this beer in stages what we get will be older stock. And you get a malty Fat Tire.

 

I bought a keg which was filled on 1/26 today....it is fantastic.

 

Nugget Nectar's last packaging date was 1/29 & 2/1 for cans, bottles and draft. All NC shipments were packaged in the last 10 calendar days. You should find it fresh.

 

Yes, because that is what it is - an Imperial Amber

 

The line between certain styles is so blurred (referring to this site). Just look at Oskar Blues G'Night, the can says 'Imperial Red' but it's classified as a DIPA on this site but some variations of G'Night are listed as American Ambers/Red Ales. FWIW, to my knowledge, 'Imperial Amber' is not a recognized style.

Call it what you want but it is intended to be a hop forward beer which in my experience tastes best fresh and I treat this one like an IPA.

 

I picked up a 6-pack last night... so it's available now in the Raleigh area and surely not old by my standards. Looking forward to giving it a go.

 

I'll check at Bestway this morning, if it's in Raleigh it should be in Greensboro too, it wasn't on my last stop, but that was last week.

 

This might be my Super Bowl beer.

 

From the brewer's website - Troegs - it is and has been an "imperial Amber Ale" for a long time

http://www.troegs.com/beer/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."

end this discussion /

 

Oh please they can call it whatever they want, there are plenty of IPAs out there with similar color and malt/hop balance. When you get down to it, it's essentially what people think of when they talk about a balanced "east coast" IPA. Except malty IPAs aren't trendy so it gets rated better as an imperial amber that just happens to be pretty hoppy.