22. Tröeg’s Nugget Nectar Imperial Amber

Tröeg’s Brewery is located in Harrisburg, PA, and began brewing in 1997. I do like that there is a close attention to language on the website—just in case you were wondering, they’re perfectly happy to tell you what their name means:

TRÖEGS (tr?gs) *v-tröeged, -tröeg'in The act of tröeg'in, i.e. “I tröeged it” or {slang} “that boy is tröeg'in” -adj. An aura of complete enjoyment and contentment, i.e. “My you look Tröegy this morning” -n. a new tradition of Pennsylvania specialty ales {from the brewers of Tröegs}, i.e. “I'll have a Tröegs!”

Nugget Nectar has a hazy rich coppery orange color with an off white head. The slightly malty nose balances well with the piney and resiny hop notes, and the beer has a chewy substantive mouthfeel. Nugget Nectar opens with light malt flavor that is chewy and a bit bready before moving into a hop bouquet of flavors in the middle of the beer—the bitterness is balanced with resin, pine, and some slight floral flavors. Beer closes with a nice bitterness and some slightly astringent and resin flavors that stick to the middle of the tongue. Overall, there is a nice balance between malt & hops, with the hops predominating...as they should. As well, there is a nice carbonation bite, but it works well within the overall beer profile—it doesn’t get in the way and helps round out the mouthfeel in an effective manner.

From Troeg’s website: “Squeeze those hops for all they’re worth and prepare to pucker up: Nugget Nectar Ale, will take hopheads to nirvana with a heady collection of Nugget, Warrior and Tomahawk hops. Starting with the same base ingredients of our flagship HopBack Amber Ale, Nugget Nectar intensifies the malt and hop flavors to create an explosive hop experience.

ABV: 7.5%
IBU: 93ish
SRM: Straw/ Orange
Malts: Pilsner, Vienna, Munich
Hops: Nugget, Warrior, Tomahawk, Simcoe, Palisade
HopBack Hops: Whole leaf Nugget
Dry Hops: Nugget, Warrior

More umlauts!

(7/22/2009)