I looked at the draught list, and thought to myself "Had it, had it, had it, oh gross, Canadian", etc. Then, I came across the Uber Nutter Imperial Nut Brown Ale (9% ABV, 22 IBU) by Dead Frog Brewery. I had no idea at the time that it was 9% -- I just wanted to drink something that didn't taste like corn fountain pop (these econo-lager jokes never get old).
So my glass arrived, and I took a deep whiff, and it really didn't seem like too complex of a nose. I got malt, and it sort of smelled like a black death of malt, with some cocoa / nutty scent.
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| Uber Nutter Imperial Nut Brown Ale by Dead Frog Brewing @ Hops A Northwest Pub, New Westminster BC Photo courtesy of Danny |
The first sip was much different than I anticipated. It was overwhelmingly malty, as I expected more of a nutty palate, but it wasn't overwhelming to the point of disappointment. After that first sip, the taste really grew on me. The mouth-feel is textured almost like a stout, except it tastes like a burnt roasted nut ale. There isn't really much nutty flavour to it until the end-taste, but you can get a hint of dark cocoa-like espresso notes as well.
Overall, this is definitely worth a taste if you're into darker brews, or if you'd like to get into the "Imperial" side of things. This is quite an amazing tasting beer for 9%. However, I don't know if I'd jump for joy just by seeing it on a menu. Definitely on my recommended "must-try" list, but not something I'd rave too much about.
Food pairings? Gee, something to soak up that 9% ABV. How about a fresh cinnamon bun with delicious frosting? Yeah, I think that would actually go pretty well with this brew.
The Uber Nutter Imperial Nut Brown Ale gets an uberly-nutty 8.0 / 10
