Category Archives: Rogue

For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Rogue Brutal IPA brewed by Rogue Ales located in Newport, Oregon.

I love me some Rogue brews and this is one that I’ve never tried before, so I’m really ready to see how it tastes.

From the website, rogue.com, I found this description of the Brutal IPA.

An Imperial bitter with exotic traditional floor malts, citrusy, hoppy flavor, stupendous hop aroma.

Let’s pour.

This beer comes in a 22 oz. bottle and it has an ABV of 5.8%.

The Brutal IPA poured a fairly deep orange color that was quite hazy.  It had a huge, off white head that was very billowy and kind of soapy.  The retention time was outstanding and the lacing seemed pretty darn good too.  An excellent looking beer I thought.

The aroma brought forth a very nice dose of grapefruit and orange citrus.  Piny notes and flowery overtones added a touch more vigor.  Some light caramel malts and pleasantly fresh biscuits and freshly baked breads contributed a bit of a backbone.  After the brew warmed a bit it began to expose some grassy hops as well.  A real sturdy and proper bouquet with this one.

The taste divulged an excellent amount of juicy and fresh grapefruit citrus.  Clean and fresh bready notes.  A light caramel sweetness peeked through at the beginning, but it quickly dissipated to let the citrusy hops dominate the taste.  Again, some pine and grassy savors pushed the flavor along and aided in a lively and suitable bitterness.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied.  It was smooth, dry, sticky and slightly chewy.  The carbonation was good and a solid amount of flavor was left behind on the palate.  As I made my way through the beer it became a touch snappy, crisp and dang near thirst quenching.

I tell ya.  I really liked this beer.  It was kind of straight forward, but extensive enough to exemplify a superbly hoppy profile.  The citrus stayed consistent throughout.  It was super easy to drink also.  From time to time I found myself taking huge gulps and with the relatively low ABV, I didn’t worry about it too much.  For me, the Brutal IPA was just a great all around brew.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind having another one.  I would highly recommend giving it a try if you favor IPA’s.  I, personally, think it packs enough punch to satisfy most any hophead.  Well….. it satisfied me anyway.   

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  I really appreciate it.

Until next time.  Cheers.

Score:  4.15 out of 5
Grade:  A-     

Hello again.  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Rogue Mocha Porter brewed by Rogue Ales in Newport, Oregon.

I have always loved a good Porter, so I’m really eager about tasting this one.

The website, rogue.com, has this small description of the Mocha Porter.

Ruddy brown in color, a bittersweet balance of malt and hops with a light cream finish.

Simple and easy description right there.

This brew comes in a 22 oz. bottle and it has an ABV of 5.3%.

The beer poured a very dark brown color with both burnt orange and ruby highlights adorning the bottom of the glass.  The cap was tan colored and of great size.  It was very creamy, smooth, soft and fluffy in texture.  The retention time was satisfactory and the lacing looked very nice.

The aroma of the Mocha Porter started with some bittersweet chocolate followed by hints of coffee bean.  It was nicely roasted and toasted and it presented a slight fragrance of grain.  I was also picking up on some semblance of soft, dark fruits in there.  The hop profile was noticeably earthy, agreeable and very well balanced with the other attributes.  As the brew began to warm I started to detect the slightest indication of “smoke”.  Overall, a very good nose on this beer.

The taste brought forth more of the roasted and toasted malt.  Toasted grains and espresso notes too.  The bittersweet chocolate was picked up on again and I also found a light “creamed” wheat savor.  The hop profile was easily noticed and the bitterness was fitting and welcomed.  It got a bit chalky toward the end I thought, which added even more enjoyment and a touch more complexity.  Not too bad on the flavor I didn’t think.

The mouthfeel was medium to medium/thin.  It was soft, gentle and creamy.  It wasn’t quite as dry as I was hoping and not a whole lot of flavor was left behind on the palate after the swallow.  Hmm.  Oh well.

Actually, I think Rogue has made a pretty decent beer here.  It’s not quite the best Porter I’ve ever had, but it still paired well with the cold night on which I tried it.  It’s very, very easy to drink and not overly complicated or elaborate, but it still represents the style well.  It’s basically just an easy going, fun and enjoyable drink that has enough character to generate some discussion.  I would have no problem downing another bottle if it was offered to me that’s for sure.  I definitely think it’s worth a try if you see it.

Do you guys have a favorite Porter?  Which would be your choice to have on a cool night?

Thanks for reading everyone.  Don’t be afraid to leave a comment if you wish either.

Until next time.  Cheers.

Score:  3.75 out of 5
Grade:  B    

For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be sampling another brew from the Rogue Brewing Company located in Newport, Oregon called the Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout. 

It’s been awhile since I last had a beer from Rogue, so I’m eager to get this in a glass and give it a whirl.

First, let’s see if we can find any information about the beer on the website, rogueales.com.

Ebony in color with a rich creamy head, earthy flavor and a mellow, chocolate finish. 

Short and to the point.

This beer came in a 22 oz. bottle and it has an ABV of 6.1%.

The appearance on the Shakespeare Stout was almost straight black.  Most Stouts tend to have some ruby colored highlights, however this beer had light brown highlights.  This was maybe the darkest beer I have ever seen.  The head was of a tan color, smooth and creamy.  It wasn’t real large, but it did have great retention and left some worthwhile lacing behind.

The aroma was very similar to other Oatmeal Stouts I’ve had.  Tons of dark roasted malt with hints of cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate.  It had some coffee notes, but they were not very forward or protrusive.  It seemed to have a very “earthy” fragrance along with subtle hints of yeast also.  I didn’t find much by way of dark fruit, however the chocolate more than made up for any lack of sweetness in the smell.  Overall, it was fairly well balanced and fitting for the style.

The taste brought forth more of the roasted malt.  It actually became somewhat “smokey” as I sipped.  The coffee flavors were significantly more forward in the taste and they blended with the chocolate most admirably.  I even detected a dry walnut type of flavor.  Hmm, that’s different.  A small bit of the yeast and earthiness hid underneath to provide a touch of bitterness on the sides of the tongue to finish off the savor.

The mouthfeel was medium to full, very dry and mostly smooth (a little bit of sharpness was felt from the coffee).  It wasn’t as creamy as I thought it might be, but it did have some slightly chewy aspects.  The palate was covered with a wash of flavors that hung around for a great long while.

Overall, I thought this beer was more than solid.  It’s good all around.  It was super easy to drink, which made it darn near sessionable.  I think it would be perfect for a chilly afternoon, evening or as a night cap.  Rogue always makes a great brew and they have always been one of my favorite brewers, so I don’t think I would have any trouble drinking this again.  I would recommend giving it a try if you happen to see it sitting on a shelf somewhere.  It’s not quite the best Oatmeal Stout I’ve ever had, but it’s definitely not one to be taken lightly. 

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  I hope that you are still finding the reviews enjoyable and entertaining.  Until next time.

Cheers.

Score:  4.15 out of 5
Grade:  A-