Leinenkugel’s Fireside Nut Brown

Leinenkugel’s Fireside Nut Brown

I usually shy away from Leine’s, which has always seemed to me to be a beer preferred mostly by those who sucked down a lot of it while going to one of the Wisconsin universities and so had some kind of emotional attachment to the stuff that I would never enjoy. Me, I can enjoy this brand on a hot summer afternoon, but I never had any that I really liked much. Last week, however, I had a bottle of Fireside Nut Brown that I thought a delightful quaff.



This beer has a distinct though not overwhelming vanilla finish that I found delicious, especially as a kind of aperitif beer, slightly sweet, with malty punch though overall light on the tongue; I had it before dinner and it was just a fine way to prepare the palate.

I believe this brew is available only during the holiday season.

David,
I shared your generally feeling on Leine's until I tried their seasonal Summer Shandy. I regret not buying more of it before it disappeared for the year.

I will definitely give this a try.


Thanks,

I like Leine's Sunset Wheat and Berry Weiss. I'm sure I would like this too...

I picked up a six pack of this last weekend and, unfortunately, I can't really share in the enthusiasm. While it has a rather pleasant nose of nuts, caramel, and vanilla -- perhaps Leinie's most fragrant beer -- the taste still has that signature Leinie's thinness with somewhat of a macro beer backbone to it. It really needs more of a malty richness to it, with a little more body for the style. It also has a candy sugar sweet note to it that's distracting. If I'm going to go for medium-large brewery winter beers, I'd much prefer a Sam Adams Brown Ale, Winter Lager, Black Lager, or Honey Porter to this. I just can't help it, but almost all Leinie's beers taste watered-down to me.

Now, Leinenkugel has (or perhaps had) a series of beers called "Big Eddy" which included an Imperial IPA and an Imperial Stout. I had the IPA on tap in Milwaukee last year, and, while not the best IIPA I've ever had, it was unbelievably good, and blew my mind that it came from Leinenkugel's. So I do know the brewery can make beers that suit my taste, but the regular line of Leinie's have never quite gotten my attention.

Binko wrote:While it has a rather pleasant nose of nuts, caramel, and vanilla -- perhaps Leinie's most fragrant beer -- the taste still has that signature Leinie's thinness with somewhat of a macro beer backbone to it.

I probably wouldn't drink this beer with dinner; I liked it before dinner (just as I might have a white wine before dinner) because it's sweet and so light. Never had a second bottle of it, and I wouldn't be surprised if more than one becomes tiring.

Ever try the Liene's Big Butt Doppelbock?

JasonM wrote:Ever try the Liene's Big Butt Doppelbock?

Yeah. Not really a fan, personally. Once again, watered-down (thin) and bland for a doppelbock. I'm not even sure how stylistically this qualifies as a doppelbock. If I want a doppelbock, I'll go for something like an Ayinger Celebrator, or the more common (in my experience) Spaten Optimator. Now, I'm not one of those people that needs their taste buds blasted with beer for it to be "good" (note that I do like many of Sam Adams' offerings), but almost all of Leinie's beers taste like the brewer took the same batch of basic pale American lager and mixed it 90-10 with a beer of the style they were shooting for.

If I want a doppelbock, I'll go for something like an Ayinger Celebrator, or the more common (in my experience) Spaten Optimator.

I've had the Optimator and really liked it, don't think I've tried the Ayinger - I'll have to watch for it.

The Ayinger Celebrator is probably my favorite doppelbock. And you have to love the free "ornament" that comes with it.

As for Leinie's new ale, I found it very drinkable but a bit artificial-tasting.