Rogue Artisan Lager

Formerly brewed at Rogue Ales
Style: Vienna
Newport, Oregon USA

Top notch! This is a superb Vienna lager on par with the world-class Great Lakes Eliot Ness. It's lightly hopped and has a hint of bockishness. Though I'm concerned my bottle is a bit old, I can still see why so many people loved this brew while it was still made.

Never been a fan of this style but this brew is certainly an exception. Rogue manages to add its own twists especially complexity in this beer. The first thing that takes me by surprise is the barley wine-like maltiness that rushes up the nose when you first open the bottle. The palate is equally surprising, very malty with an almost caramel/toffeish ale like weight as well as a wonderful toasted and spicy hop finish. Pyramid brews a wonderfully complex Vienna for my restaurant (Palomino) that’s still top of my list but this Rogue is right up there.

big malt front, and a very crisp clean lager taste that is very appealing. Adequate hops, and a top notch Lager in my book.

Malt upfront in the nose. Veinna and Crystal malts show through. The bottle says they used Saaz, but I really don’t detect any in the aroma, although it may be very slight. The bottle has some yeast haze, which Rogue tends to have if you are not careful pouring. Nice color, amber to copper in color. Toasteness from the malts is nice. I like Vienna malts! Bitterness is in the background. There is some yeasty flavor, due to how the beer was poured. Nice creaminess in the mouth feel. Not over carbonated like some Vienna beers. I like this beer much better than the south of the boarder Vienna beers like Dos Equies, and Niegra Modelo. This is one the better versions of the style. This beer almost boardes an Octoberfest/Marzen. I would like to see an OG on the bottle. Since Rogue is good about that.

An excellent example of the Vienna style.

Saw it in the store and had to get it because I knew it was retired. Looks like cider, no head. Aroma has hints of spice and apples. Flavor is sweet malt with just-right grassy/floral hops. Why is this retired??? Update: Bought the last two bottles and one tasted pretty old. I would still recommend buying one in the hope of getting a good one.

In general I’m not a big Rogue fan, but this stuff is special - big toasty malts, silk in the mouth, a bitter nuttiness on close. Yum.

The best of the Rogue beers that I have tasted. Rich and smooth. I tasted the hops, but the malt balanced it out perfectly. I also like the statue and fireworks design on the 22 oz. bottle. I think i'll save the bottle.