Sometimes you have a brand in your portfolio that is loved, but an idea of a similar brand sparks the thought process of creating something that is just as good but you don’t want it to stand on its own.
Recently Tröegs announced the release of Double Nugget Nectar, a bigger ABV spin on its once-a-year Imperial Amber Ale, Nugget Nectar. Using the brand name like that, a popular release in its own right can help give name recognition and help create an immediate buzz and sales pull-through.
It’s not the first time that the Pennsylvania veterans have done this. Jeff Herb, the Marketing and Communication Manager for the brewery shared with Brewer that they first dabbled with this through its Scratch Series with a few batches of Double Blizzard of Hops.
“We liked the results very much and decided to put it out in the world,” he said. “We got great feedback from our fans, so eventually our brewing team said, ‘What if we take Nugget and double it?’
“Again, we played around with a recipe and loved what we were tasting.”
Touted as a Double Imperial Amber Ale, Double Nugget is built around one of Nugget Nectar’s key ingredients – Simcoe hops – to deliver notes of apricot, peach rings, and bright citrus. Azacca hops add hints of juicy orchard fruit, while Columbus and Nugget introduce a layer of dank pine.
READ MORE: How Tröegs Disconnects Creativity From Sales Needs
The main difference between the two beers is the focus on Simcoe hops for Double Nugget. Flavor-wise, they are pretty similar, Herb said.
“Although Double Nugget has more of a stone fruit — especially peach — flavor component, whereas Nugget is more defined by mango,” Herb said. “Both have notes of creamsicle and pine, but we really wanted to let the mango and creamsicle notes of that hop variety shine through.
“We also wanted the double version to be balanced like the original. Nugget is indeed hoppy, but it’s got a huge malt backbone to temper the aggressive hop bite.”
To balance the assertive hop bill, the beer’s recipe calls for Munich, Pilsner, and Vienna malts to lend a bready sweetness while contributing a deep amber-orange color.
“The malt base is the same except for the addition of flaked oats, which we included to soften the mouthfeel and texture a bit,” Herb said.
Originally, Double Nugget Nectar came out as a brewery-only release, but Herb said it was an immediate hit
“It was received so well that it was a no-brainer to put it out in the world,” he said. “Nugget Nectar was one of the beers that helped put Tröegs on the map, and it’s great to see that customers still get excited about it 20 years after it first was released.”
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