Goose Island Hex Nut Brown Ale

Here's the description from an on line beer retailer:

Brewed in the English tradition, Hex Nut Brown Ale combines the finest domestic and imported malts to produce a chestnut-hued ale of unusual complexity. Subtle notes of chocolate, honey and fine tobacco give this world champion ale an enjoyable and satisfying "nutty" finish.

Tobacco???? Is this accurate?????

Best regards, Bill

"Bill Becker" wrote in news:bge35r$njcol$1@ID-

Probably. Haven't had that one, but tobacco notes are noticeable in a number of beers. Kind of a woody, smoky, er, tobacco-ish flavor, I guess.

I get some tobacco in some imperial stouts but I don't recall any in the hex nut.

eh, sort of, maybe in the sense of Swisher Sweets or sweeter pipe tobaccos--I'd look on it as just a fancy way of saying "smoky", which HNBA isn't, particularly. (It _is_ a decent brown ale, however.) If you wanted a better range of descriptors, I'd point you to RateBeer, but they're on the fritz again.

--NPD

Thanks, Dan. I guess my taste buds haven't progressed enough to pick out any tobacco-ish flavour to date. Mmm...wonder if it's present in the Alaskan Smoked Porter? Well, I've been smoke free since April of this year and I really don't want to notice that taste in any beer I drink, eh?

Best regards, Bill

Thanks, Nicholas. I think your description is good enough for me to get it.

Best regards, Bill

"Bill Becker" wrote in news:bgee0o$nickc$ snipped-for-privacy@ID-128382.news.uni-berlin.de:

Hmm. Just did a search through my ratings for "tobacco", found it in a winter ale, a stout, a porter, a Brit-style IPA, and a scottish ale. The flavor is either at somewhat prevalent in various styles, or I just think it's cool to use the word "tobacco" in beer ratings. Probably a bit of both.

I don't recall ever finding anything vaugely tobacco-ish in Stone Smoked Porter or any rauchbier (they're more like sucking on liquid mesquite), always get it as a bit of a side flavor that sort of sneaks in. Doubt anyone's actually tried to brew a tobacco flavor into a beer. Try our new Nic-Fit Ale, now with half the tar!

Yeah, I'd say it's pretty close. I noticed everyone was on the tobacco bit. Saying it has tobacco notes is about like saying it has meat notes - which variety? All tobaccos are not created equal.

That said, it's not a flavor I've ever associated with the Hexnut or any other beer. Just may be something I'm not particularly receptive to. The nuttiness could be perceived that way, I guess; I get nutty notes out of some cigars.

Regardless, it's a very nice brown ale. And if you're in the mood for a brown, it's definitely well worth it. I like this one over many others because it is more akin to English examples of the style, and therefore presents more of a balanced sweetness rather than just an excuse to make the regular hoppy beer dark and therefore "brown."

-Steve

I've tried Hex Nut Brown. I like it, but I never noticed a tobacco taste to it.

Orchard Street Porter - I've tasted tobacco in that beer.

I heard, FIW, that snuff has been used in Bell's Eccentric Ale.