Rogue Brewer

Brewed by Rogue Ales
Style: American Strong Ale
Newport, Oregon USA

tap at Rogue’s Portland brewpub - The ratings surprise me for this one. The beer I had, labeled "Brewer Strong Ale" on the chalkboard, which I assume is this one, was not impressive. Other than lots of malt, there wasn’t much going on the flavor and it had too much alcohol in both the taste and the finish. Maybe I’ll get a chance to rerate it sometime.

Resiny, hoppy, sweetness in the aroma. Pours a cloudy brown, with a rich tan head. Hoppy but there’s a huge malt flavor to balance it out. It has a sticky feeling. This would be a great winter warmer if i wasn’t in florida and it wasn’t 90 degrees still! but all in all a great beer!

2006 John’s Locker stock edition. Cloudy, murky brown, with a red tint. Virtually no head. Resiny, almost smoky aroma. Fruity bitterness up front, then a resiny, sticky bitterness in the finish. As it warms, some coffee notes emerge. On tap at Barley’s, Knoxville

Sample at Brew Kettle: Dark brown color with a thin off-white head and spotty lacing. Toasted malt, toffee and hops aroma. Full-bodied with lots of different sweet flavors like caramel malt, maple and toffee, offset by hops and a touch of coffee. The finish is strong hops and spices, with a lingering bitter finish. Well done.

Draught. ’06 recipe. Pours a really dark brown red with a whispy head. The aroma is very juicy, reminiscent of blackberry, pine, grapefruit, some chocolate brownies. Taking a sip washes my mouth with grapefruit which fades to a very spicy finish with a variety of vinous and bready notes. This has a slick mouthfeel. This is a very bold American ale which has a distinct idenitity. A fine example of Rogue’s brewing habits.
[August 4, 2008]
On tap at Barley’s. This is the 2008 stuff. Pours a murky blood red with a nice head. Taking a whiff reveals much pineapple, caramel, biscuits. Yeah, the hop aroma is rounded and full. This is tasty beer. It’s kind of sticky with more juicy pineapple. Again I pick up biscuits, a bit of toffee. The mouthfeel is medium heavy but I find the juicy flavor profile to be quite drinkable.

What a TREAT! Pours almost black, with a medium offwhite head. Smells strongly of caramel and coffee malts with floral and piney hop smell equally prevelant. Taste is fierce with malts and hops both being prominent. Caramel, chocolate, coffee, pine, flower, citrus and alcohol are all present in the taste. Intense long lasting aftertatse that continue the malt and pine duality. Wonderful beer.

Tap @ Summits: Hazy brown color with a thin off-white head. Big fresh hop aroma. Resiny, piney and grassy. It smells like a just opened bag of hop pellets. Some sweet caramel malt pokes out from underneath. Huge hop flavor hits you first. Mostly pine and citrus rinds. A moderate bitterness then joins in. Long semi-dry bitter finish. Malt in the flavoris almost completely covered up.

2006 version, draught at Barley’s in Knoxville. Pours a very dark garnet with fast-receding khaki head. The aroma is sweet chocolate, grapefruit, orange, pine, and some sweet wood notes. The first sip is like taking a bite of grapefruit, but the hop profile kind of evolves in the mouth, and is more piney by the finish. Otherwise there is some baker’s chocolate, toasty malts, a very faint coffee note, and some occasional earthiness. The finish is warm and bitter. Decent brew, if a bit aggressive.