The Hazelnut Battle is Ovah!
Written: Dec 20 '03 (Updated Dec 20 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: It's a great beer. Truly delicious.
Cons: It's the same as Hazelnut Brown Nectar, and $1 more.
The Bottom Line: A great beer, but lower rating because of the higher price.
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| Bruguru's Full Review: Morimoto Hazelnut Ale |
Has there ever been a hazelnut battle on Iron Chef? I’ve never seen one. Iron Chef, of course, is that wonderful Japanese television program that airs Saturdays on Food Network. It features a regular panel of masters of various cuisines, known as the Iron Chefs. They face off against a steady stream of challengers in Kitchen Arena. A theme ingredient is introduced to both chefs and the one who creates dishes that best accentuate it is the winner.
One of the iron Chefs is Masaharu Morimoto, who served as Iron Chef Japanese for a time. In a hazelnut battle, he just might come up with a hazelnut brown ale if given the time. But wait! It seems he did. The beer is Morimoto Hazelnut Ale (one of three Morimoto ales released as a Rogue Signature Ale). Rogue calls this beer a Morimoto twist on a traditional brown ale. The chef’s own website says this: Morimoto Hazelnut Ale takes the traditional European Brown Ale to another level. .
Umm, but wait. Doesn’t Rogue already brew a hazelnut brown ale? They do. Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar. A truly delicious beer. Maybe they’re a little different. Let’s look at the ingredients from Rogue’s website:
Morimoto Hazelnut
Morimoto Hazelnut Ale is a blend of Great Western 2-row Pale, Munich, Hugh Baird Brown, Crystal 80 and Crystal 135, Carastan, and Beeston Pale Chocolate malts; hazelnut extract; Perle and Saaz hops.
Hazelnut Brown Nectar
Hazelnut Brown Nectar Ale is a blend of Great Western 2-row Pale, Munich, Hugh Baird Brown, Crystal 80 and Crystal 135, Carastan, and Beeston Pale Chocolate malts; hazelnut extract; Perle and Saaz hops.
Well that looks pretty much the same to me. The specs seem to be the same too; same IBUs, same gravity, same attenuation, ummm, same beer?
Rogue has had a history of bottling the same beers under different labels, and that’s fine. Of course, the store I bought this beer from sold it for $3.99, while Hazelnut Brown Nectar was only $2.99. Are they the same beer though?
Morimoto Hazelnut Ale pours to a dark brown color with a light creamy head and a chocolaty, nutty nose. The palate is rich and lightly roasty, chocolaty, and full of wonderful notes of hazelnut and caramel. There’s a touch of molasses flavor and brown sugar to boot. The finish is intense with hazelnut flavor and a hint of grassy Saaz hops. In short, this strikes me as being just like Hazelnut Brown Nectar.
The battle between Morimoto Hazelnut and Hazelnut Brown Nectar is a tie.
I love Hazelnut Brown Nectar. And I love Iron Chef. But I don’t love paying $1 extra a bottle to have Chef Morimoto on a painted label.
Recommended:
No
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