Beer - #202 - Rogue - Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale

Yes it is Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale. In a bottle. It's a Sunday, it's Father's day.  It seemed appropriate that I entertain myself with this. This of course is brewed by Rogue Ales as a Smoked ale, and they do that in  Newport, Oregon 'merica.

I have other entertainment for myself with this, being  the Bailterspace LP - Strobosphere. They're an atmospheric noise rock band, I'm not an exiting fan, and I'm probably not going to end up one either, but they are a New Zealand group and so deserve a go.  I'm also dreaming of a a plate of cheese, salami, pickles and crackers.  It could happen. Probably won't though.

Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale - a whole American Pint in a pink bottle, (750ml), it's 30 IBU things - Low English bitter, or Mid Porter bitterness, At 6.5% ABV this makes it about 3.8 standard drinks. I have the foreboding that it's going to take a while to finish.

Rogue Ales has collided with Voodoo Doughnut to create Bacon Maple Ale! This unique artisan creation contains a baker’s dozen number of ingredients including bacon and maple syrup from one of Voodoo’s signature doughnuts.

I'm not sure that making a beer, just because you can,  as a reason to do so, means that the goal has been achieved. There might be a good reason that you don't buy bacon maple flavours in a beer. I've tried many beer concoctions though, and on that it's churlish to deny at least tasting this.

It's undoubtedly Smokey and Maple on opening. Pours a golden syrup type of orange and has a fair decent fluffy and fulfilling head. Aroma is of of a sweet smoke, more towards burnt wood than smoked.

This is a terribly thin tasting beer though, I'm now not sure if I've endued up with a slightly dubious bottle. It's carbonated enough, obviously gave a head, but it sits fairly flat in the glass. The smokey is all aroma though, there's not palate carry.  Likewise for any maple. I might have frowned before sipping and scowled afterwards.

Very ambiguous is how I'm wanting to describe this, I wasn't expecting that, I was expecting ambitious. The mouthfeel isn't right, the palate notes are not right, and there is no length or carry.I wanted thunderbolts and lightning and got and got a candle in the wind.

In sports parlance then, a swing with no ding. Barely making a 5 on the pdubyah-o-meter this is average by any measure and I'm not sure I won't be revisiting that number.

Ticked off my list of things to try though. All things considered though all this means is that I should get a better list.

The Bailterspace album wasn't something that you could review, I'm sure it's a style of music, but it's not for me. Might make good pub music, you know the sort of thing, it's on no one is listening.

The cheese never showed up either, I think it was wise to stay away.

Beer - #193 - Rogue - Voodoo Doughnut Chocolate Peanut Butter and Banana Ale

A most improbable beer then - Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Chocolate Peanut Butter and Banana Ale, with I hasten to add - Natural Flavours!

Brewed of course by Rogue Ales and this is in the style of a  Fruit Beer and the madness is all happening in Newport, Oregon USA.

A Collision of Crazies Rogue Ales has again collided with Voodoo Doughnut to create Chocolate, Banana & Peanut Butter Ale! This unique artisan creation contains a baker’s dozen ingredients including chocolate, banana and peanut butter to match Voodoo’s "Memphis Mafia" doughnut- a nod to Elvis’ entourage.

Conflicted by the bottle label of 5.3% ABV and the sticker advice of 6.5% ABV this 1 US pint bottle contains either 3.1 or 3.8 standard drinks. Take your pick.

I think this is going to be "sweet", and for no reason I expect it to be pale in colour. I might be 1 for 2.  I also think that it's going to be a long beer, in that it might take a while to digest and drink. After all a sweet beer might not be the thing. But in the interests of taste and experience I had to get one.

It occurs to me of course that this could be a "dessert" beer, if you're looking for a wine comparison.

Slightly sour on the opening. Pours a dark chocolate brown, with a firm light brown head. Chocolate and Banana to the fore.

Taste is like a hint of very smooth peanut butter, with a mild chocolate carry, I don't immediately get any banana.

Couple of things, not a sweet as I thought it might be, and it's a lot darker than I imagined.

Also pretty carbonation heavy and has a burp factor. Head remains firm and delivers a decent lacing too. The aroma is picking up to banana as it sits a bit, and is beginning to deliver on the palate.

And this leaves me in an odd place. For this is neuter unpleasant and at the same time neither is it pleasant. Pleasant in the sense that you've suddenly sculled the whole thing and can't remember doing it pleasant. It's pleasant in that it's not a lot of thinks that could be horrible and wasteful.

The chocolate note lends itself a lot to a stout type experience if you want to get to a point. There is also not an unpleasant bitterness to this, it's many beers in one.

The pdubyah-o-meter is aching to award arbitrary scores on this, and I think 8. I think 8 because this could be a train wreck and it isn't. There is no huge bell curve of taste, nothing at either end that makes the eyebrow arch with interest. The taste is all in the middle, all lined up.

This then is a bit clever. It's also a bit dumb. The all natural flavours lean towards disbelief and doubt, like they're potentially a little bit made-up by a man in a white coat. It's clever because it's quite outrageous.  I like the soft flavours, I like the bitterness, I like that it has a head that carries.

I find myself a bottle downed and a smile. I liked this so much more than I thought I would, but then I went in with an open mind and few expectations. Not a drink for everyone, but it sets up a nice evening in with a early goal on the board.

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