Coronado Neptunes Nectar Hardy Pale Ale

22 oz. bottle from Mission Valley BevMo (SD) - Pours a crystal clear copper color with a large two finger thick off white head that settled fairly quick. Very light lacing. Aroma is quite malty. All I can really smell is a nutty toasted malt. Flavor is quite different. I get lots of esters and some lightly toasted caramel malt. Aftertaste is slightly cloying. Medium body. A decent beer.

bottle, dark orange color with god foam, aroma of florals, some pine, flavor is sticky marmalade, honey, plums, finishes a little thin

Bottle from South Bay Drugs: Was I ever relieved to have seen this bottled since I had finished at a beer festival I attended before I had the chance at it. Glowing orange with a haze of sediment clouds inside the liquid and the head is enormous once poured but eventually simmers down. Initial aroma is confusing because of the back and forth of floral hops and sweet oat grain style malt that plays tricks on the nose. The flavor is generally more malts then hops and really shows a sign of yeasty bread and grained wheat with only a minor sweet honey and pollen style of hops. I think it was over hyped at the San Diego brewer’s guild by the drunks who did have a chance at it.

Appearance: Pours a less than clear, dark amber body capped off with a tall, off-white head. Smell: The aroma is mainly fruity, smelling of stone fruits and pink grapefruits and backed by meager notes of pale and caramel maltiness as well as an altogether light pinch of spice. Taste: Pale and caramel malts display a taste of brown sugar sweetness and make way for fruity flavors of apricot and, though lightly, even some grapefruit. Vague touches of spice come and go. Restrained hop bitterness. Slight hint of the alcohol presence. Final taste of dried apricots on the bittersweet finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Well carbonated. Drinkability: Fair to middling and it’s a bit of an odd duck, with it’s bolstered pale ale qualities, above average alcohol content, and quasi-Belgian hints.

22oz. Bottle: Aroma of hops, caramel, spices, light fruit, light strawberry, slight toasting, and slight malts. Poured orange/amber in color with a small, rocky, off-white head that diminished but lasted throughout. Hazy. Slightly sparkling. Full of tiny particles throughout. Flavor is light to medium sweet and lightly bitter. Tastes of spices, resin, lightly toasted malts, light hops, slight nuts, and a hint of alcohol. Medium body. Chalky texture. Average carbonation. Spiced, malty, lightly nutty finish is moderately dry.

Pours orange/amber, with a large, tan head. Aroma is subtle, with malt, hops, and fruit. Flavor is malt, fruit, caramel, and hops.

Name: Neptune’s Nectar
Date: March 29, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party
Appearance: cloudy burnt orange, fine dirty white head, drippy lace
Aroma: sweet fruity aroma, touch of fruity esters, spicy hops, light phonolics
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, fruity character is offset by lots of earthyness, agressive spicy phenolics, large bitterness follows the spices
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.8/5.0
Drinkability: 5/10
Score: *4

Pours a transparent copper orange with a frothy clingy-lacing off-white head. Aroma of lightly sweet toasty pale malt with a light citrusy hop balance. Body starts with a mild pale malty sweetness and a good balance of resiny bittering and flavor hops. Very drinkable and finishes crisp and bittersweet. A nice hoppy strong ale.