All The Leaves are Brown and the Brown Ale is Hazelnut

It's back to school time! Tighten up your bookstraps, button your cardigans, and fill your inkwells kiddoes! For the vast majority of my life I've been in school or worked for a school. So this time of year is full of distinct feelings related to "back to school." Slight butterflies, giddiness, anxiety about the future, a strong instinct to purchase pencil boxes. The weather brings it on, and right now its 70s, grey skies, foggy mornings. Okay, not brown leaves yet, but soon, soon.

Autumn is full of fun beer what with Octoberfests and pumpkin ales and all. But what better compliment to back-to-school-jitters than this nice looking brown ale from our Rogue friends? The Hazelnut Brown Nectar is, oh, a brown ale brewed with hazelnut. Brown ales tend to be malty, nutty, and on the sweet side. Speaking of sweet, I shared a bomber of this with my dad. Aww.

It poured a murkey brown with amber highlights. Lots of visible carbonation and a small light brown head with good retention that left some lacing in the glass. The smell was mild; I picked up more spice and hops than malts. But as it warmed the hazelnut aroma came out strong. It smelled like hazelnut syrup they put in coffee. Which in my humble opinion is an awesome smell.

This was a tasty brown ale that definitely was on the sweeter side of things. Nutty, mildly fruity, malty, and with a strong hazelnut flavor. Dad thought it tasted a little like Dr. Pepper. Nice. I bet it would be a tasty accompaniment to some dessert. Chocolate-chip cookies perhaps. Hmm...One glass was enough; its a little sweet but I think this is one of the tastier brown ales I've had. And I've been for a walk on a winter's day.

B+