Coronado Neptunes Nectar Hardy Pale Ale

Brewed by Coronado Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Coronado, California USA

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.

Bottle: Effervescent deep copper with a dense, thick and well retained off-white head. Nice spicy fruity Belgian character in the aroma- light fig, anise, light sweet phenolic notes, apple skin and a touch of caramel/sweet pastry-like malt. Warming on the palate. Flavor isn’t very complex- but it’s pretty balanced. A cohesive blend of creamy sweet malts and a mild peppery bitterness. Caramelized and pastry like malt sweetness give of light vanilla, a spicier note of anise and a touch of fig. Toward the back the malt gives off more toasted notes to round out the body which is followed by a peppery noble hop bitterness, that’s very mild and brief. A bit on the sweet side for me, and not very complex, but has a solid yeast profile.

On tap at Stone. Thick white head settles to gooey lace. Clear orange amber. Taste is bitter, round, and mouth-filling. I really cannot describe the overall flavor. It moved a lot. Hints of chocolate and licorice.

Bottle thanks to Bman1113VR. The smell is fruity, citrus, flowers, hops, malts, and caramel. The look is cloudy, copper to amber color. The taste is flowers, malts, caramel, low bitterness, and good balance.

(22oz. bottle, courtesy of BMan1113VR) Pours a lightly hazy orange body with a small off-white head. Aroma of florals, orange peel, and yeast. Flavor of Belgian yeast, hops (floral, grassy, citrus), caramel malt, and candi sugar. Should be listed as a Belgian Strong Ale.

Bottle. Pours a cloudy orange hued gold with a large frothy head. Sweet apricot, brown sugar, and yeast nose. Flavors of caramel, apricot, pineapple, and a bit of a bite. Mouth leaves a sticky after taste. An ok beer.

Pours with a small, foamy, off-white head and a hazy golden orange body with good lace left behind by the head. Aroma of orange, citrus and a decent amount of alcohol. Taste is brown sugar, orange hops, apricots and light alcohol. Lively carbonation and a water like mouthfeel.