Red Nectar

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Red Nectar

• Brewery: Nectar Ales Brewing Company (California)

• Style: Red Ale/Amber Ale

• ABV: 5.4%

• IBU: 35

• Pour Color: A clear orange color that really has little carbonation.

      On pour, this one had a nice original color that not many ales have. Orange and pretty perfectly clear. The carbonation seemed very low out the bottle, however the head raised quick. That was gone quick though and didn't leave a trace at the top. You really only get a malty caramel scent off the top of this one. No real hop presence in the smell. On taste you get a nice sweet malt up front. Caramel is there too in the taste and a nice grassyness to the light hop flavor. There also is a weird off flavor of iron in this one. Not my favorite red ale but also not one me or the face would turn down.
      This one really was a middle of the road red ale/amber ale. The balance of flavors is done well but with the weird iron flavor every few sips is off putting. The light carbonation and light body though makes this easy drinking. I would recommend it to red ale lovers but I don't think a average beer drinker will enjoy it.

Rating: ***

Humboldt Brown Hemp Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Humboldt Brown

• Brewery: Nectar Ales (California)
  

• Style: Brown Ale

• ABV: 5.7%

• IBU: 30

• Pour Color: Dark brown but lets a little light through.

     It had a sweet toffee scent off the glass. The head came up quickly and was fluffy. The taste has a slightly nutty taste. The over whelming taste though is a sweet caramel malt. On the swallow you get a nice bitter grassy taste. Maybe that's the kick of the hemp. The flavors on this one is really good but the body is actually lighter then most brown ales I've had. Light passed through this one easy and gave it almost a red ale look. 
      This one was labeled hemp ale on the side of the six of this.  The hemp factor didn't really give me much of a difference on taste then most brown ales. The did give this one a sweeter flavor then most browns I've tasted. However this is the first brown ale I've had that claimed to be all natural. Can't complain about that, and it won't be the last time I have a Nectar Ales product. Hope the face grabs another soon.

Rating: ****1/2