Rant alert! I hate it when I buy a nut beer and it doesn’t taste like nuts. That’s pretty common; in my experience it’s hard to impart the subtle nutty flavors over into beer, despite the fact that many beers brewed with toasted malts often achieve nutty flavors. Maybe I’ve just been drinking the wrong beers brewed with nuts (well, except for Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale, which packs plenty of pecan flavor).
You’ll forgive me then for trying a sample of Coastal Empire Southern Delight Praline Amber before buying. Actually, this was one of several great beers that I had to choose from at Stout’s Growlers here in Canton, but I enjoyed the sample so much that I bought a growler. It was a great American beer from this Savannah brewer that I enjoyed on the Fourth of July.
Here’s what the brewery says about the beer:
Our Praline Amber Ale is brewed with a generous addition of Georgia Pecans and Madagascar vanilla. We also add lactose to accentuate the natural caramel flavors from the malt. These additions combine to produce a flavor reminiscent of a traditional Southern candy, the praline.
Coastal Empire Southern Delight Praline Amber has an alcohol content of 5.2% by volume with 19 IBUs. I paid a very reasonable $6.75 for a 32-ounce pour at Stout’s.
Coastal Empire Southern Delight Praline Amber pours to really more of a medium brown than amber color with a thick foamy head formation and an absolutely divine nose of toasted pecans, butter and toffee. Taking a sip, the beer offers up more of the chewy toffee that the nose promised followed by handfuls of toasty pecan flavor, molasses, rich vanilla, and a subtle grassy hop bite to balance in the finish.
This seems more of a brown ale than an amber to me in flavor and body as well as in color, but however you peg it, you’re going to get toasty pecan flavor in every sip. That’s what I’m looking for here, and I have to say I enjoyed every bit of my growler on the 4th. It was a lip-smacking American craft beer that should not be missed.
Dare I say I’m nuts about it?
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft