Robin Shepard
Does Nutella, the sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread, really make everything taste better? Karben4 Brewmaster Ryan Koga thinks so. “Who doesn’t love the taste of it?” says Koga, admitting that he eats it with a spoon directly from the jar. His latest beer doesn’t contain Nutella, but has enough hazelnut and chocolate flavor that it’s easy to think it does. Karben4’s Notella stout is being released this week.
What is it? Notella from Karben4 Brewing of Madison.
Style: Notella is a sweet stout, a style known for black color and lots of maltiness from dark roasted malts that can offer a range of chocolate, caramel and toffee flavors. The sweet stout is often medium- to full-bodied. Hoppiness is low, mostly lending a bit of balance next to the malts. They range in strength from 3.2 to 6.3 percent ABV.
Background: Notella first appeared about a year ago as a small pilot brew in Karben4’s taproom. Koga was intrigued with the flavor of Nutella and thought a dark malty ale would be a good style to complement its particular sweetness. To achieve such assertive hazelnut and chocolate character, Koga expanded upon the dark roasted grain bill that forms the backbone of a good stout. Notella is created with a solid core of chocolate, caramel and toffee notes common to a sweet stout, plus a blend of specialty malts, hazelnut extract and liquid cocoa. Koga has created depth to the nutty flavor and aroma that sweet stout fans should appreciate. Actually using the creamy hazelnut and chocolate spread in beer would be technically challenging and very expensive.
Notella comes in at 5 percent ABV. It sells in the Karben4 taproom for $6/glass. Six-packs in local liquor stores will range from $8-$10.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: Assertive hazelnut aroma.
- Appearance: Black color with a medium bubbly brown head.
- Texture: Medium- to full-bodied. Round, with some softness.
- Taste: Distinctive sweet hints of chocolate and caramel, with solid hazelnut character throughout. That nuttiness gets even more noticeable as the beer warms.
- Finish/Aftertaste: Nutty and dry. A soft sweetness lingers.
Glassware: Karben4 serves Notella in the basic bar pint. If you take home a six-pack, the snifter is a much better glass because it will focus the hazelnut and chocolate aroma directly under the nose, and that maximizes this beer’s special qualities.
Pairs well with: chocolate chip banana bread muffins from the Karben4 kitchen. On my recent stop at the brewery, a fresh batch came out of the kitchen and were placed on the bar, still warm with the sweet bready aroma drifting throughout the taproom. Those muffins are a decadent companion to Karben4’s Notella stout.
The Verdict: This is a nutty twist on the sweet stout. Notella is full of hazelnut aroma and flavor. That assertive sweet creamy flavor melds nicely with the chocolate and toffee notes of the dark malts. While this is a sweet beer with lots of soft mouthfeel, it stops short of becoming too sticky or cloying. Despite its dark, thick appearance, robust flavor and the impression of being a big beer, its strength is reasonable at 5 percent ABV, and that makes having more than one quite enjoyable. With its color and sweetness, this is a nice malty beer for fall drinking.
