Beer Nuts and beer pairings

ALSO VISIT
Which came first, the nuts or the name? Beer Nuts were created years before they received their now-famous moniker, in a Bloomington, Illinois, candy store called the Caramel Crisp Shop.

Beer Nuts Brand Snacks

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.

Which came first, the nuts or the name?