Fireside Nut Brown ale

Reviewed by Michael Stein

In the vain of all things manly and kickass, Leinenkugel's Fireside Nut Brown Ale is a touch of brown testosterone in a bottle. So its only fitting my girlfriend's father blessed me with a case as a belated Christmas gift. I've stretched the four six packs out over the course of a couple of weeks and cherished its every drop, but this just goes to show the beer's versatility. The truly nice thing about this brew is the fact that the glass I filled one and a half times, I killed in about 6 sips. So just to juxtapose, it's a beer that tastes delicious for hours on end, beer after beer. I can attest to this personally, as I spent a good deal of Thanksgiving Day doing so. The beer has a 4.9% ABV, so it's a cut above your standard, but still lighter than most pale ales. However, as this case tends to cost around $30.00, I would recommend chipping away at the delectable "ale" at a snail's pace. But as I like to say, this beer was the best price, free ninety nine!

Upon first sip the beer has a sweet, caramel and almost hints of bitter bubblegum taste. My girlfriend would probably tell you this beer tasted like molasses. The taste is maple, definitely a strong taste of maple syrup. The irony in all of this, is that the current most-recent reviewer over @ ratebeer, writes "Notes of chocolate, nuts, hazelnut, but it seems very forced, i.e, artificial. Thin mouthfeel. Metallic finish. A strange brew that will appear to women and rubes who think they're drinking something exotic or high class." HA! And I thought I was chauvinistic!

When talking with fellow beer-guy Chris K., last week, he mentioned that he felt the Leini's Sunset Wheat was fantastically refreshing at first sip, but that the taste of orange and copper overcame the beer's appealing flavor by the end of a long night…a long night of say, playin' some bass kickin rhythm & blues and funky drums for hours whilst killin' a case. I know how he felt, but still I'd prefer a happy hour's worth of Sunset Wheat over a say, Shock Top, or Blue Moon any day. On a hot summer day, a Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy would be the only thing better!

At the Second sip, its clear; coffee, and definitive caramel, almost comparable to a Duncan doughnuts hazelnut iced coffee taste. But sometimes I like drinking those and therefore I like drinking this beer. Also of note, another similarity to Shock Top, Leinenkugel's was purchased in 1988 by Miller Brewing, although Leinenkugel's began making their "craft brews" in the 1980s. Shock Top is owned by Anheuser-Busch and was first introduced in 2006. I'm not certain, but I believe the Fireside Nut Brown ale is less than a year old, as it is a winter seasonal, only released in November and December (however you may be lucky enough to find it in October or January as well). Just like the Summer Shandy, this Leinenkugel's beer is under two year old, but you can count on it to be around to stay. So try to drink a toast to either summer or winter, year round. Prost!