Beer Tasting: Nugget Nectar

Tröegs Nugget Nectar makes a fresh appearance about this time of the year, and I'm always happy to see this Imperial Amber stock the shelves.  For when Nugget Nectar is available, spring is not far behind.  Troeg's brewery was founded by John and Chris Trogner in 1996.  So where does the name Tröegs come from?  The name Tröegs is a combination of a nickname derived from the surname Trogner and the Dutch word kroeg, meaning "pub".  The brewery was founded in 1996 in Harrisburg, PA, and moved to their current location of Hershey, PA, in the fall of 2011.  Tröegs is known for making "scratch" beers, experimental beers that focus on new techniques and non-traditional ingredients.  Here is a picture of their tasting area.

Nugget Nectar is ranked as the #1 overall beer in the category American Amber/Red Ale, and #240 in the top 250 list at Beeradvocate.com.  Nugget Nectar is by far the most popular and most ranked beer by Tröegs at Beeradvocate.com, with 7,429 reviews.  This beer is classified as an Amber/Red Ale, but Nugget Nectar might very well be classified as an IPA.  Nugget Nectar does a fine job blurring the line between IPA and amber, and is packed with flavors, as the logo suggests.

Here is a picture of my Nugget Nectar.

Tröegs Brewing Company: Nugget Nectar

ABV: 7.5%

Style: American Amber/Red Ale

Rating: #1 in style and #240 in top 250 overall

Nugget Nectar pours with a orange color, and a 1-finger tan foam recedes with some substantial lacing left behind.  The smell is sweet amber malt and floral hops.  The taste is sweet on the tongue at first, then packed with hops on the swallow, and followed by a substantial bitterness.  There is also a sweet caramel aftertaste in Nugget Nectar as well.  The carbonation is light and the mouthfeel is medium and resiny.  Weighing in at 7.5%, Nugget Nectar packs quite a punch in alcohol as well, and that ABV can certainly be detected after a few sips.

As the logo suggests, there are quite a bit of hops squeezed into every glass of Nugget Nectar.  The Tröegs web site lists nugget, warrior, tomahawk, simcoe, and palisade hops as ingredients in this cornucopia of lupulin.  You might not guess Nugget Nectar is quite so high in alcohol due to the enormity of flavors present, and the tastes are complex and sophisticated enough to leave you wanting another one.

Nugget Nectar is packed with hops and will certainly help you pass some time through February and March until the arrival of spring.