Rogue Mocha Porter

My Rogue Mocha Porter has been in the fridge for a bit, so not sure if that had an impact on the overall tasting… just to let you know.  I will pick up another bottle to validate as soon as possible.  My guess at the impact, though, is <5% so I am going with the review anyhow!

Tasted this one at The Belly’s house the other night during a night of dark beer tasting prior to going to see Inglourious Basterds.  Great movie, BTW… especially awesome seeing it in high definition at the Galaxy 12 in Monroe, WA.  Tarantino is a master at the art.

Anyhow, we shared this small bottle and noted the following… nose is yeasty.. surprising on one hand and not on the other with Rogue’s signature Pacman yeast.   Body was mellow and well balanced but really lacked and distinct flavors.  No mocha and even very little chocolate flavor.  Finish was non-existent. 

Overall a bit of a meh experience… definitely had better from Rogue.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Rogue Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale

Rogue Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale… pours a dark cola color with a nice medium sized head.  The nose has a good malt kick to it but with the number and variety it is hard to pin one down.  Taste is smooth and dry with just a bit of the bittering on the back of the tongue but not much anywhere else.  Finish is simple and short.

Overall not a bad little brew and for the $6.25 I paid for it, I will buy it again. 

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Rogue Yellowstone Ale – aka Dead Guy Ale

I was very excited to see this Yellowstone Ale on our recent trip to the vast nothingness of Idaho and thought it might be something new and unique from our friends at Rogue, but alas this is just a charlatan, hiding the Dead Guy Ale from its standard dress.  So… lets hit both since we don’t have Dead Guy Aleon the blog yet…

Pours a light orange, head is small, nose is light and dodgy… a bit hard to note… a bit yeasty (hello pacman).  The body is mild, finish is mild, and overall, this one takes the epitome of mild right to the end.  Overall, the taste is near the Middle of the Road, but for the price I Would Buy Again.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Buy Again (but more cheating to the Middle of the Road if you have to pigeon hole it into one rating)

Rogue St. Rogue Red Ale

You may think this is a shameless plug for Garlic Jim’s, but it isn’t… they deserve a little recognition since our family can once again have pizza delivered to the house.  Their Garlic Jim’s Gluten Free Menu has allowed the rest of my family (all 4 of them) to enjoy really good GF pizza for the first time in over a year (I have no such restrictions, obviously, with a beer blog…).  So… we had beer and pizza the other night and it was a wonderful experience and so you get a little of Garlic Jim’s in the background for the pic… enjoy!

On to the beer… one of several tasters for the night, Rogue St. Rogue Red Ale had mixed reviews.  The peanut gallery thought this was like drinking generic soda… I, on the other hand, really didn’t mind it… not a big beer by any means, but this light red brew has a nice little head, a dusty/hoppy nose, a mild but satisfactory body, and a simple finish.  It went down super easy with the pizza and just made me happy.  A good all around mild beer for easy drinking pleasure.  Thanks Rogue!

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar

The only reason this post is going live is because Mr. Dave thinks I look like the guy on the front of the bottle… I will let you be the judge on that, but glad to get some brew anyhow… Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar.

Nose is super sweet, almost like candy. A tad bit nutty, but not overwhelming… smell toffee, really smells good, in fact, you could make the smell a candle scent and be good to go… light brown color.  Taste carries similarities from the nose, but it is lighter than it should be… it should have stayed strong like it smelled, but instead it dissappointed me.  It tastes watered down and too light. there are only hints of the flavor and the aftertaste is kind of off… So close yet so far on this one… and it was the first of the night, so I know my pallate was on target.  I will have to try this on tap somewhere and see if I can change my mind.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine Style Ale

I always love the big Rogue bottles… this one is no exception and I thank Dave for saving me some of this brew for a tasting.  Rogue Old Crustacean Barleywine Style Ale has oft been spotted by my keen eye but I have passed it buy each time… not really sure why, but I finally had a chance to taste.  This one is strong… very strong and it has a bit of a sourness to it.  The hops dominate for sure but they lay into it more like an IPA than a barleywine, in my opinion.  The pour is dark brown and cloudy near the bottom with a clean finish.  At the end, the beer wasn’t bad but it wasn’t something I will seek again.  I would definitely drink it if you put it in front of me, though.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Rogue Yellow Snow IPA

This may be one of the biggest stretches for winter beers, but I like the name and so I am keeping it in the category.  It really isn’t a traditional winter ale, but what can I say?  It has snow in the title…

Pours a golden orange, not quite as bright as the yellow snow I have seen in my history with the stuff, but not bad… I guess it would depend on what the snow painter had eaten the day before… anyhow, pours golden orange with a minimalistic head.  The nose is very hoppy, but in a very good way.  No complaints.  The body isn’t messing around.  The bottle says IPA and this beer delivers.  It isn’t trying to be anything it isn’t and just provides a very nice hop and bitter from start to a mildly complex finish.

The beer was also a good compliment to the bacon-wrapped turkey we had for dinner… (picture below)

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

 

Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale

The last of that infamous night comes to the blog in Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale.  This was one of the last beers I tasted before I decided to stop drinking the good stuff… yes, in my drunken state I knew it was futile and I gave up.

But this was a good beer to end on.  Rogue generally puts out good stuff… this is no exception.  While this one comes at you strong, it leaves you relaxed, Very strong in the body, the hops pretty much leap out at you and smack you around a bit before tucking you in for the night.  The bottle is pretty damn cool.  It is making a good addition to the neighbors Halloween decorations that include a scarecrow on a hay bail.

Anyhow, from the hoppy begining to the tangy end, this one isn’t for the faint of heart. 

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Rogue Dad’s Little Helper

I must admit… I had my reservations heading into this one.  Malt liquor simply has negative connotations where I am from and I didn’t think this was going to change my mind.  In the end, though Rogue came through… never should have doubted, and Rogue Dad’s Little Helper turned me into a fan of the style… at least when it is done like this.  That doesn’t make me want to go out and buy an OE 40oz or anything, but I think I will definitely be more open to trying it in the future.

It smells very malty, so much that it put a worried crease in my brow… but the flavor was crisp, clean, and you could really distinguis the malt… It helped that we were enjoying this on a hot summer afternoon while standing around the BBQ and watching the kids play in the water… the environment was perfect.

Thanks to Brent “The Belly” for his contribution, yet again, to the blog.  Brent, you are a gentleman and a beer drinker and we thank you for that.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Rogue Brewery Mocha Porter

My last beer at the Issaquah Brewhouse the other day… I decided to pick the Rogue Brews Mocha Porter after having a good experience with both Kona’s Pipeline Porter and the Dieu du ciel! Péché Mortel (Mortal Sin) Imperial Stout, both of which are outstanding brews.   

So, how did the Rogue Mocha Porter compare?  Well, it hung in there for a bit, but in the end it failed to impress.  It is really hard to beat the Peche… such a fine brew I have not had in a while and the coffee is definitely infused in a strong way.  The Mocha Porter was good, don’t get me wrong, but it just didn’t stand a chance.  Not to mention that Kona really nailed it with their own coffee porter. 

All in all, a great visit to this fine establishment… some good beer as always, so good company… I will be back again.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road