PDubyah: Rogue Ales

Showing posts with label Rogue Ales. Show all posts

Friday, July 3, 2015

Beer - #625 - Rogue - Juniper Pale Ale redux

The BeerJerkNZ beerclub beer of the week is the Rogue Juniper Pale Ale which is a beer I've previously had, but you know things change and so here we go again...

A pale ale, saffron in color with a smooth malt balance, floral aroma with a dry spicy finish from whole juniper berries

This is the smaller 12fl oz, 355ml in old money bottle, which has beer of 5.2% ABV, being about 1.5 standard drinks in NZ. Also this is 34 IBU - which is low end English Bitter, mid range porter bitter, and it comes in at 156 calories a serve size.

Brewed by Rogue Ales this is in the Style of an American Pale Ale - and they are in Newport, Oregon USA 'merica!

Juniper berries don't taste like other berries because they are not berries. They are actually a sort of fleshy pine cone. Which explains the fresh, clean, citrus, pine flavour of juniper.

This is the traditional predominant flavour in gin.

[caption id="attachment_11398" align="alignright" width="300"]

Unshaved man and a beer[/caption]

This floral, hoppy beer is infused with whole Juniper berries to give it a unique flavour. The sweet malt base and light carbonation work perfectly to support the dry resin-y flavour or the hop and juniper combo.

Different but drinkable, we are fans.

Juniper Pale Ale, like all Rogue products preserves water by using more ingredients, contains no chemicals, additives or preservatives and uses Free Range Coastal Water.

“When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading"
- Paul Hornung

What could possibly go wrong ? HA! he said, I've heard all that before, but what does a Juniper berry really taste like anyway?

It's a yeasty bready aroma on opening, pour is a hazy range golden with a small (well no) head, in either glass.

Taste is a mix of tangy bitterness, and the aroma moved to something akin to mushrooms, which is not at all what you might expect.

It is well carbonated, and that somewhat has an effect on the way you taste this, having to push through that fuzziness. It does have quite a long taste with a more middle tongue linger and finish, and then a dryness.

It's not an easy beer to drink, and it does begin to develop a gin-like flavour (from memory it's been a while since I had the Gin out) but I recognise that tartness.

Thankfully the aroma settles into something sweeter and bit more enjoyable. Don't think I'll be adding a slice and ice though, or tonic, or anything else.

So unlike any hoppy pale ale that I've ever had, even ig you persuade yourself that the front notes are hop based this is tart and not bitter where it should be, and that tartness is the predominant taste, which battles for the finish over the dryness that this has.

Possibly a clever beer, but it might just too clever for it's own good, but I say that knowing that it's a staple and regular brew from Rogue, and one of the few beers they make that I've had that I can connect with, or enjoy.

As I drink more it began to fell like an epic non-ending journey, I took a photo of how that felt too, for comedy value mostly, but you get the idea that this wasn't a beer that going down in a hurry.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 6 a of its things from the thing. I really didn't like it. But it has one feature and that is played in spades, it's not like a mystery beer, it's all on the label and in the literature . I did note that from other sources that this rates around the 7/10 based on a lot of feedback, so I'm not so far off.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? Sadly I'm not, but I wanted to, it's not the first time I had it, I thought I might have been wrong first time around. Sadly I wasn't.

Would I have another? I don't think I could

Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Not a chance.

Music for this one, well ' The Orange Humble Band ' an alternative rock band, also a bit of rock, power pop, folk, country, bluegrass. I would have said soft pop. They're from Australia. The album is ' Depressing Beauty ' you can listen on the Spotify here or most the other places I imagine.

Couldn't find a new video clip, but try this from an earlier work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obQ77g5DPtQ

AMERICAN PALE ALE

American Pale Ales are light in color, ranging from golden to a light copper color. The style of this beer is defined by the American hops used. American hops typically have high bitterness and aroma.This is a perfect beer for big fare like grilled burgers or combination pizzas, as well as lighter fare like sushi and green salads.

Beer | Rogue Juniper Pale Ale

Low-alcohol session IPA is the hot beer trend for summer

Friday, January 9, 2015

Beer- #505 - Rogue - Captain Sigs Deadliest Ale (Northwestern Ale)

Beer with a lot of letters in the name, music with a big band, big numbers and a big night on the porch.

Deep red in color, this ale starts off with a floral, slightly citrus hop nose, hop flavor soon fades into the malty backbone of this red ale.

Rogue Captain Sigs Deadliest Ale (Northwestern Ale) - Brewed by Rogue Ales
in the classic style that is India Pale Ale (IPA) and they are in Newport, Oregon USA.

This is a 650ml bottle (22 fl oz), and the beer is 80 IBU, and 6.2% ABV, and 186 calories a serve size. The bottle contains 3.18 standard drink units.

However Rogue call this "India Red Ale", but it might also be "American Amber" or "Red Ale".

Now the last time I had an "India Red Ale" it was defined as "Amber Ale" - that would be the 8 Wired Tall Poppy but all you get from that is the style is not well defined and even possibly includes 'American Strong Ale".

So, I'm going to go with - Red IPA "American red ale brewed at a higher strength and hopped like an IPA. Typically, redder in color than an IPA, with deep ruby hues" Sorted.

Originally a tweak of Eugene City Tracktown 100 Meter Ale, reformulated for release as Captain Sig’s Deadliest Ale

Rogue's Northwestern Ale, brewed for Captain Sig Hansen joins the Rogue family of World Class Ales, Stouts, Porters, and Lagers.

Dedicated to the Hansen Brothers--Sig, Edgar, and Norman--the Rogues of the Bering Sea.

What an adventure so far, and so I press on, what could got wrong?

A more muted aroma on opening than I would have expected from an IPA type beer, I might venture that this isn't the freshest version of the beer that you can get, transport distance and all that.

Having said that it does pour magnificently and looks very 'red' in the glass, dark deep burn chestnut, and brownish foamy head as well, it's turned itself around.

Nice grass happens at the front that is stern but also mellow, washes over the tongue and finishes slightly bitter, with a bit of linger in there too. I'm not sure that there is a lot of balance in this.

The bitterness is 'strong' and persistent in this and it leaves you feeling a little unbalanced, and thinking you are drinking an overly unnecessarily bitter beer. I don't get the warming malts in this at all.

So it's not bad, it's just not great.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7 a of its things from the thing. I think that this is interesting but not accurate or on point with any particular thing it is trying to make. The style is confused and I ended up not liking the overly bitter lingering mouthfeel in this. OR not a style that I'm comfortable with, it's too bitter at one and with no middle and a finish that is too long.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? I am odds with a yes and no on this. I like the beer, I'n not sure I'm enjoying the mouthfeel and lingering bitterness though.

Would I have another? I'm not sure that i'm that much of a fan.

Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Sure to start a debate over what it is and where it fits, it's not an IPA, and I've had other 'Red' ales that are different.

Musically, Well stop me in the street but I was listening to Bjork, and the Biophilia Live thing. The album, composed during the 2008–11 Icelandic financial crisis, is considered a concept album, with references to the linking points between nature, musicand technology.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDSzBs-lOYI

It's a bunch of jangles and performance art with lyrics not understood. The Audience is enthusiastic though, so I go with the crowd, or against it.

INDIA PALE ALE & IPA

India Pale Ale gets its name and unique style from British brewers who were making beer for export to India. This style has an intense hop flavor which was used to preserve the beer for the long voyage. India Pale Ale has a golden to copper color with a medium maltiness and body. The aroma is moderate to very strong. IPAs work especially well at cutting the heat of chili, vindaloo or Sichuan cuisine.

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Sunday, December 7, 2014

Beer - #499 - Rogue - Double Chocolate Stout

A beer I've been looking forward to so much, it's been in the fridge ages, this is the Rogue - Double Chocolate Stout. Beer #499. So Great beer, Great Music, Great scores and Great Nights out.

Double Chocolate Stout is an evolution of Rogue Chocolate Stout.

"Double the legend."

This is Brewed by Rogue Ales in the style that is an Imperial Stout and they are Newport, Oregon USA

The big red painted bottle could have beer that is 50, 68 or 72 IBU, depending where you read, I can affirm the bottle I have is 50*, and at the 750ml in size, the bottle, containing beer that is 9% ABV, is 271 calories a serve, and 5.33 standard drink units. A big night in! *50 IBU things is high for a Stout, and it's less than a low IPA.

[caption id="attachment_9941" align="alignleft" width="300"]

Big and Red and #499 !!![/caption]

Double Chocolate Stout is an evolution of Rogue Chocolate Stout, which is flavored with imported Dutch bittersweet chocolate.

The winner of three World Beer Championships Gold Medals.

In 2010, Double Chocolate Stour received a Gold Medal at the World Beer Championships.

That was then, this is now, what could possibly go wrong!

A beer that appears to be liked by a wide range of people, it rates 100/99 on Ratebeer and has 4 stars on Untappd where people are harsher because it's easier to mark from 5 than to mark 5 categories for an overall score I think.

Bitter bitter chocolate on opening, and it sounded well carbonated, The aroma is like a bar of dark dark chocolate, if you like that sort of thing this is the thing!

That is a thick pour, and it develops a fantastic foamy and thick head that is chocolate tan colour. Followed by a party going on in my mouth!

Delightfully but not overly sweet, which is nice balance to the underlying bitterness with each mouthful, the chocolate aroma moves to more of those raisin type sugar things, and in turn they begin to show through as this warms in the glass.

I would like though for this to have more body, more punch in the middle, and I do think that it finishes towards a slight sourness that I found distracting.

Second pour was just as much fun as the first, it has a thickness of pour and delivered up the same decent head. I'm now getting a bit of palate fatigue though, the finish is moving from sour to dry, the chocolate aroma has also tailed off.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8.5 of its unknowable things from the thing. I wanted something thick, punchy, but soft, and full in the mouth, and with a sweetish finish. I got most of them. I could be being picky, as I wanted this to be the home-run the out-of-the-park experience. Be careful for what you wish.

This has been in my fridge for a while and I have been building towards my own exciting and self imposed 500 celebration that is just another number, and I'm glad this was the beer that gets me to the brink, as it were. Thanks the nice people at Liquorland Forrest Hill @LiquorlandFH and those clever people at @RogueAles.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? It's like I'm not but after I got over that let-down feeling I actually am enjoying it, although differently to what I wanted or expected to.

Would I have another? I might, I built up my hopes for this, and I might have made a rod for my own back.

Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes of course, this has some real experience and engagement going on, but it's also a beer that you can have and not be distracted by it that it becomes intrusive in your thinking.

I'm listening to what is a very good album of music that surprised me with the way that I engaged with with, the band Mono Town, this track "Peacemaker" from the Album "In the eye of the storm." Mono Town is an Icelandic musical band from Reykjavík with alternative pop and ambient influences formed in 2012 by brothers Börkur and Daði Birgisson (earlier from the Icelandic funk band Jagúar) and singer/guitarist Bjarki Sigurdsson on lead vocals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxUjQRoE0aQ

They're on Spotify, Pandora, iTunes and all the usual places probably.

IMPERIAL STOUT

Imperial stouts are usually extremely dark brown to black in color with flavors that are intensely malty, deeply roasted and sometimes with accents of dark fruit (raisin, fig) or milk sourness. The bitterness is typically medium and often the low sie of that. Imperial stouts are strong and often exceed 8% by volume.

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Monday, September 8, 2014

Beer - #456 - Rogue - Chocolate Stout

I was called out on not having had the Rogue Chocolate Stout, or to be exact the Double Stout version, which I do have in the fridge and was hoping would make it to the 500 mark. I decided though to test the water first with the tame version.

HISTORY
The recipe for Rogue Chocolate Stout was created several years ago for export to Japan. The exported twelve ounce Chocolate Bear Beer bottle label is in Kanji and features a teddy bear with a pink heart on his belly. Chocolate Stout was released for Valentine’s Day in 2001 in a twenty-two ounce bottle for the US market. The label features a Roguester (Sebbie Buhler) on the label

Brewed by Rogue Ales in the style defined as a Sweet Stout and they are in coastal Newport, Oregon USA

This might be higher in IBU than the double version at 69, and this is a 22 OZ or 650ml bottle that has beer of 6.3% ABV, which means 189 calories a serve, and 3.2 standard drink units in the bottle in NZ.

Ebony in color with a rich creamy head. The mellow flavor of oats, chocolate malts, and real chocolate are balanced perfectly with the right amount of hops for a bittersweet finish. Chocolate Stout is brewed with 10 ingredients: Northwest Harrington and Klages, Crystal 135-165 and Beeston Chocolate Malts, Cascade Hops, Rolled Oats and Roasted Barley, Natural Chocolate Flavor, Free Range Coastal Waters and PacMan Yeast.

So it also says... An earthy flavor of oats and hops that gives way to a rich chocolate truffle finish.

Truffles!

Beer - #433 - Rogue - New Crustacean Barleywineish Imperial IPA Sorta

Beer with the longest name - Rogue New Crustacean Barleywineish Imperial IPA Sorta -

"Dedicated to Crustaceans"

Brewed by Rogue Ales and this one is in the style that is best described as Barley Wine, and they are still in Newport, Oregon USA

750ml bottle, or 1 Pint 9.4 Fl Oz, (wine bottle size) of a beer that is 11.6% ABV and 384 calories a serve, and that makes it 6.86 standard drinks, and this is 88 IBU, so bitterish.

[caption id="attachment_9183" align="alignleft" width="300"]

Beer with a long name[/caption]

The name sort of says it all.

John Maier, our Brewmaster, wanted to create a beer that defied traditional style definitions. The result was a remarkably hoppy yet balanced and malty ale that quickly became a cult favorite in our Newport brewpub.

But what was it? It was not quite a barley wine and not quite a double or imperial IPA. Who really cares about putting beers into narrow categories? Great beer is great beer - just drink it and enjoy!

I think I shall give it a go..

Beer - #367 - Rogue - Mocha Porter (a redux)

I'm revisiting the Rogue - Mocha Porter - I had this yolks ago - review is here - This of course brewed by the people at Rogue Ales and it's a style of a Porter, and they are in Newport, Oregon USA

This is a 330ml bottle of a 5.1 ABV beer, that has 153 calories, 54 IBU things which is high for a porter style, and in total 1.4 standard drinks.

Ruddy brown in colour, a bittersweet balance of malt and hops with a light cream finish. Mocha Porter is made from Northwest Harrington and Klages; 135-165, 95-115, and 70-80 Crystal; Beeston Chocolate, Black, Munich and Carastan malts. Perle and Centennial hops.

So last time I rested this as 7 arbitrary things, and not outstanding. Lets see if the intervening 18 months has done anything.

Chocolate aroma on opening. Dark pour with a decent fluffy and persistent head. Still more chocolate aroma than anything. But it's not big.

Porter burst of sweet fruits, and a tang of coffee/mocha but there isn't a lot of body in this, it's not a full mouth experience.

So much hasn't changed. It's decent without being really good. It's easy drinking but it's also disappointing because I really wanted more fullness and body.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7 a of its things from the thing. I though this was thin, more fruity and bitter than full and rich.

It's not that I'm not liking it, I really want to like it more than I am.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? I'm not not enjoying it

Would I have another? Not this time.

Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? It's more fruity bitter than coffee bitter, it might work.

Listening to Eric Clapton, something called the "Essential" album, it's cruisy for a Sunday.

PORTER

Black or chocolate malt gives the porter its dark brown color. Porters are well hopped and heavily malted. This is a medium-bodied beer. Porters can be sweet. Hoppiness can range from bitter to mild. Porters are often confused with stouts.

Rogue Mocha Porter

Porter: The Most Misunderstood Style of Beer

Friday, May 2, 2014

Beer - #362 - Rogue - Juniper Pale Ale

Following a theme then of fruit beer I have this a Rogue Juniper Pale Ale

Brewed by Rogue Ales this is in the Style of an American Pale Ale - and they are in Newport, Oregon USA 'merica!

Juniper Pale Ale: the new package for Yellow Snow Ale (winter 2004/2005). While the recipe (a pale ale infused with whole juniper berries) on the label remain the same, the name and label are new for 2005. Juniper Pale Ale is available in the classic 22-ounce bottle and on draft. Also known as Pale Rain. Measurements: 13 degrees Plato, IBU 34, Apparent Attenuation 77, Lovibond 3.2.

12fl oz, 355ml in old money, 5.2%ABV, being about 1.5 standard drinks, 34 IBU - which is low end English Bitter, mid range porter bitter, and 156 calories.

A pale ale, saffron in color with a smooth malt balance, floral aroma with a dry spicy finish from whole juniper berries.

The Turkey was named the official bird of the Rogue Nation in August 2007. To commemorate the momentous occasion, Rogue Juniper Pale Ale was dedicated to “the turkey in each of us.” An axe and the dedication have been added to the serigraphed 22oz bottle and Juniper Pale Ale tap stickers.

The Pilgrims were ale drinkers and most likely enjoyed beer at the first Thanksgiving. Juniper Pale Ale, like all Rogue products preserves water by using more ingredients, contains no chemicals, additives or preservatives and uses Free Range Coastal Water.

“When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading"
- Paul Hornung

HA! he said, I've heard all that before, what does a Juniper berry taste like anyway.

Stale pub aroma :-) sticky sweet, mostly yeasty on opening.

Pours really pale yellow, but cloudy with a reasonable head, aroma does not move so much, its bait earthy almost mushrooms. I might be hallucinating though.

For me it's not pleasant, I'm not sure why.

And it's very sour in a sour way, not in a way that is designed, surely? Conflicted much?

It's unusual for me not to like a Rogue Ale, and I've drunk enough Pale Ale types to know if I like it as a style. or not, so I feel at odds over this. I couldn't get over the 'shroom aroma that plagued me, once I had it in my head it was all over rover.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7 a of its things from the thing. Just. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with this, it's refreshing, looks ok, carries a flavour and has a decent length in the palate. This time and in this place it's not for me.

The double dip review (perhaps this should be the double-sip review)

Am I enjoying it? Sadly I'm not, but I want to.
Would I have another? Not Tonight, as someone once famously may noir had said to Josephine
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Not Tonight, oh wait I've already used that.

MrsPdubyah moaned about the last musics so I put this on - Paloma Faith - and this is "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" - trust me you should be able to shimmy and sing along quite easily kit's very catchy.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oqRXI1Ck7k&w=560&h=315]