Review: Is This Salted Nut Roll Ale The Most ‘Minnesota’ Beer Ever?

Yep, you read that right. Salted Nut Roll Golden Ale. Yes. A beer that is actually brewed with Minnesota's own Pearson's Salted Nut Rolls. But does it live up to the name?

I stopped in at the local liquor store for something completely unrelated, but I always enjoy walking through the craft beer aisle to see what sort of wild creations regional brewers have concocted.

I am a big fan of Salted Nut Rolls. It's one of my top candy bar options, and the fact that they're made in Minnesota is a fun little added bonus. When I saw a (Minnesota-made) beer that actually uses Pearson's iconic sweet-and-salty treat, I had to grab a 4-pack.

The liquor store employee at the counter saw that I was buying a pack of this beer, and his eyes lit up. He said he had been meaning to try some, and he was curious how it was. So, here's my takeaways after cracking open one of these bad boys.

Who makes the Salted Nut Roll Golden Ale?

This beer is made by Twin Cities brewery Invictus Brewing Company in Blaine, Minnesota.

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Invictus has some pretty wild craft brews, including a hard root beer, smoked pineapple cream ale, and a Pearson's Nut Goodie Milk Stout. Yep, this golden ale isn't their only Pearson's creation.

How's the Salted Nut Roll Golden Ale taste?

My very first sip, I'll admit, I was a little underwhelmed. But that did change quickly!

The bold contrast of salted, roasted peanuts and the sweetness of the caramel and nougat when you eat a Salted Nut Roll is a rich and dynamic flavor. As I took my first swig of the beer, I braced myself for that same robust flavor. The taste felt more subtle at first approach, but as I drank a little more of it, the flavor really came through more.

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Even though the flavor of the beer is more subdued when compared to the candy bar, you do get all of the notes of flavor you'd expect. The roasted peanut flavor, combined with caramel and vanilla from the nougat, are all present.

The more I drank the can and thought about it, I am actually glad it isn't quite as bold as I was expecting it to be. I feel like if it were, it would be hard to drink a whole beer without feeling like it is "too much”.

RATING: 4/5 

What else is there to know about this Salted Nut Roll beer?

It is packaged in 4-packs of 16-ounce cans. It has an IBU of 10, and an alcohol-by-volume of 5.2%.

It is made in collaboration with Pearson's, using their Salted Nut Rolls in the brewing recipe.

This is not something that the brewery makes all year long. They shared on Instagram in April of this year that they had brought the popular beer back, both on tap at their taphouse and available in cans at liquor stores.

It isn't available everywhere, but be on the lookout if you want to try it. I found mine at 27 Liquor in Duluth.