Beer Nuts tasting notes
Several things distinguish Beer Nuts from pretenders to the snack nut throne. One is the delicate use
of seasoning, a subtle blend of sweetness and saltiness that, unlike, say, honey-roasted glaze,
doesn't mask the nuts' natural flavor. Another is that the Beer Nuts manufacturing process
involves keeping the skin on the peanuts and almonds, rather than blanching them. (Cashews,
of course, have no skin.) The skin adds a slightly bitter taste that complements the
sweetness and saltiness. "We've done taste tests with blanched nuts, and they don't taste the same," Jim Tipton said.
A one-ounce serving of Beer Nuts Peanuts contains 170 calories; 14 grams fat, 3 of which
are saturated fat; 80 milligrams sodium; 7 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 2 grams
sugars; 7 grams protein. It provides 2 percent of the minimum daily requirement of calcium,
10 percent of iron. Beer Nuts are also a source of B vitamins, Vitamin E and trace minerals,
such as manganese and magnesium.
Tasting notes on Beer Nuts.
Beer Nuts Peanuts
Appearance: Reddish-brown with crystalline specks, sparkly and shiny.
Aroma: Sweet, salty, reminiscent of Cracker Jacks.
Taste: Lightly sweet upfront and throughout, salty in finish. Slightly bitter, especially in finish.
Mouthfeel: Slightly chalky, muddy, gritty, skins crunch and squeak on teeth.
Beer Nuts Cashews
Appearance: Tan with crystalline specks, less shiny than peanuts, color of lightly baked muffin.
Aroma: Slightly sour. Reminiscent of circuses, county fairs.
Taste: Very sweet. Glaze enhances sweetness of nut without overpowering its natural sweetness. Sweetness dissipates slightly, gives way to slight sourness in finish.
Mouthfeel: Buttery, creamy, less muddy than peanuts.
Beer Nuts Almonds
Appearance: Reddish-brown (more orange-y than peanuts) with crystalline specks, shiny.
Aroma: Strong, roasty, slightly sour. Reminiscent of an urban street after a summer rain.
Taste: Roasted sweetness throughout, smoky, slightly sour, slightly milky. A nut that will stand up to cigars.
Mouthfeel: Light on tongue, chewy, satisfying crunch.
Certain beers work better with Beer Nuts than others do. Members of the ABNormal Brewers homebrewers club,
which meets in Beer Nuts' hometown, Bloomington, offered some of these tasting suggestions during
a recent nut-and-beer pairing. Others are suggested by the author.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, a hoppy American pale ale: Peanuts and cashews both work well,
nuts don't detract from beer's flavor or vice-versa. Almonds overpower the taste of the beer.
Avery Brewing Redpoint Ale, a hoppy red ale: Most tasters preferred peanuts, though a
few favored almonds. Rick Nafzinger: "The sweetness of the almonds cuts the hoppiness of the beer."
Chicago Brewing Legacy Red Ale, a roasted, malty red ale: Most voted for the smoky almonds
to complement this roasty beer; others thought the cashews provided a nice contrast.
Tony McCauley: "Peanuts, because you don't get as much smokiness."
Rolling Rock Lager, an American lager: Peanuts by far. Mike Harrington: "A lighter-bodied
beer for a lighter peanut. Neither has much of a distinct flavor." Dave Beedle: "The drier,
sharper flavor of the peanuts goes with the sharpness of the beer."
Abita Andygator, an English-style barley wine, not very hoppy: Flavor of the peanuts is
lost. Cashews match well, as you get sweetness from the malt and sweetness from the cashews.
Almonds bring out the hop character of the beer.
Erdinger Pikantus Weizenbock: Cashews proved best. Bavarian yeast flavor in the beer is
retained, as is sweetness of the nuts.
Ayinger Maibock: Cashews proved best, with the sweetness of the beer and the sweetness
of the nut pairing nicely.
EKU Kulminator 28, a strong doppelbock: Some preferred the cashews, the pairing of sweet
with sweet. Others liked the almonds, because the beer enhances the nuts' roasted flavor,
while the almonds cut some of the sweetness.
Coors Blue Moon Abbey Ale, a Belgian-style ale: Peanuts pair well. Still get the yeast/candi
sugar sweetness, but the beer doesn't overpower the nuts. Almonds detract from the taste of the
beer. The beer removes the cashews' sweetness, and vice-versa.
Chicago Brewing Big Shoulders Porter: Close race between peanuts and almonds. Rick Nafzinger:
"The dryness of the peanuts, the dry bitterness of the skins, goes well with the dryness
of the porter." Don Davidshofer: "The almonds complement the porter." Tony McCauley: "The peanuts get lost in the roastiness."
Redhook Double Black Stout: An example of how food can change the taste of beer. Sweet
cashews bring out the sweetness in the stout, making it taste like an imperial stout.
Others preferred the almonds, which bring out more of the beer's roasted barley character.
Dave Beedle: "The cashews cut the roasted flavor." Tony McCauley: "The almonds are a very
good complement; the peanuts get lost." Rick Nafzinger: "The cashews are too sweet, too buttery."
Gray Brewing Oatmeal Stout: Don Davidshofer spoke for the group when he voted "Pretzels."
The consensus was that none of the nuts worked especially well with this dry stout.
What the tasting session proved, was that pairing food and beer is largely a matter of
personal preference. But in general, it appears that:
Beer Nuts Peanuts go best with lagers and lighter beers; clovy, German-style wheat
beers; and the yeasty sweetness of Belgian ales; and tend to get lost with stronger-flavored,
malty or roasty beers.
Beer Nuts Cashews work well with sweet beers, such as English-style barley wine and
bock, and provide a nice contrast to hoppy beers, such as American pale ales, but don't
work well with beers that pick up a sweetness from their yeast, such as Belgians and some
wheat beers, or with drier beers, such as porter.
Beer Nuts Almonds work well with strong, malty beers, such as winter ales, and
complement roasted beers, such as porters and stouts, but overpower lagers and some hoppy ales.
Beer Nuts: Two words say it all.
This story originally appeared in All About Beer magazine. It was a second place winner
(for food) in the 1998 writing competition conducted by the North American Guild of Beer Writers.
Click here to read Daria's gold medal story.
