More effective crafting fine ales than pale lagers, Rogue’s moderate-bodied German-style pils lacks aggressive nature. Toasted wheat bread base upholds lemony peach souring, nutty hop bitterness, and earthen grass-hay leathering, but unassuming finish gets bland.
All posts by John Fortunato
ROGUE SMOKE A RAUCH STYLE ALE
Wonderful charcoal-charred tawny amber ale (updated as less audacious Rogue Smoke Ale) with thick grain post, smoked salami insurgence, seared beech wood char, and mild creaminess perfect for seafood complement and boat cruises. Though carbonation fades and burnt hop bitterness dissipates, remains absolutely delicious!
ROGUE SMOKE ALE
Lacking the breadth of Rogue’s Smoke A Rauch and less audacious than Rogue’s XL, this sweet beechwood aged ale boasts smoked chipotle-hickory torrent strengthened by earthen hops and white pepper tinge. Herbal residue daubs cured meat illusion at backend.
ROGUE SHARK TOOTH ALE
Middling amber yellow-hazed medium-bodied pale ale (special 2001 bottling of Rogue’s Oregon Golden Ale) offers plain wheat biscuit frontage to embittered Cascade-hopped citric zest. Tangy orange-peach-grapefruit briskness enlivens grassy-bottomed toasted barley finish.
ROGUE SHAKESPEARE STOUT
Blessed award winning stout with creamy coffee-stained signature, thick doughy yeast permeation and outstanding grain-sugared malt combination perfectly suited for such a wonderful ebony-bodied treasure. Roasted barley crispness, toasted oats sweetness, black chocolate richness, and black cherry scurry increase unforgettable resilience while crustacean earthiness underscores burnt molasses sinew. Nitro version allows creamy molasses sapping to deepen hop-charred roasted coffee bittering and supple black chocolate rampage.
ROGUE SEAHORSE PALE ALE
Bright golden glowed pale body integrates wheat-honeyed Graham Cracker sweetness with comely peach-grapefruit-melon briskness. Peppery hop fizz jolts citric adjuncts.
ROGUE SCHWARTZBIER
Coarse brown-hued tan-headed German-styled ‘black beer’ mutates from sourly dried fig-prune frontage to chocolate-coffee-influenced finish, as dark fruited midst and laid-back mocha remnant beckon. Roasted barley-hop undercurrent sweetens the deal.
ROGUE SANTA’S PRIVATE RESERVE ALE
Santa Claus has come to town with this wintry red ale! But it’s unspectacular, as fig-dried tangerine-cranberry tartness, dryer green-hopped oiling and resinous grapefruit pining never command attention. IPA-like smoked bark singe overwhelms latent gingerbread-nutmeg spicing as well as peat-tobacco-basil niche and cola-walnut sear. Needs naughtier alcohol strength at precarious spruce-toned finish.
ROGUE OREGON GOLDEN ALE
Noticeably richer, creamier, and bitterer than any golden or amber-hued ale that comes to mind. Deep-grained malting rubs up against nutty fruited backdrop, avoiding stylistic limitations plaguing less filling, lighter competition. Earthy herbal sentiment picks up acetous lemony grapefruit bittering in deep recess.
ROGUE OREGON BREWED RED ALE (a.k.a. ST. ROGUE RED ALE)
Rich copper-hued sweet-scented red ale peculiarity retains lots of natural organic sediment and carbolic fizz. Roasted barleymalt sweetness seduces spruce-hopped finish. Brewed to perfection and possessing more character than danged Killian’s Red.
ROGUE OLD CRUSTACEAN BARLEYWINE
In teensy 7-ounce bottle, rapturous well-aged crustacean meshes syrupy yeast sugaring, brown-sugared black molasses malts, and spiced hops for thick resilience closer to Ipswich Dark Ale than typical barleywine. Mouth-watering caramelized barley sweetness, musty port-like fruitiness and light vanilla creaming strengthen full-bodied alcoholic fervor. Delicate red grape, raisin, plum and date illusions fill the backdrop. On tap, kirsch-whiskeyed cherry jubilee finish emboldens perfect winter warmer nightcap.
ROGUE ROGUE-N-BERRY ALE
Tangy cranberry funk and vinous Lambic cherry pucker confront unobtrusive fermented marionberry sweetness. Creamed wheat backend and light chocolate malting mellowed by watery texture. Perfect for dessert or pouring over cheesecake.