Rogue Chipotle Ale

Brewed by Rogue Ales
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Newport, Oregon USA

This brew is a clear amber color with a thick and creamy off-white head that recedes slowly. Thin rings of lacing on the glass. Smokey aroma with prominent peppers and light hops. Medium-bodied with flavors of spicy pepper, sweet malt and citrus hops. The finish is spicy with a fresh pepper aftertaste. Maybe I am still gunshy years after my Cave Creek experience but I really want nothing to do with these types of beers.

Bottled. Pours a nice light amber with medium head. But where’s the chipotles? Overall a nice smooth beer, but only a very mild spice note. Very drinkable and tasty, but a disappointment on the chipotle front. Does get more spicy/smoky as I drank it. Would drink again.

22 ounce bottle. I was expecting that this was going to be either very spicy or very smoky in flavor, or both. It was neither, but that was good. The pour delivered a clear orange ale with a one inch thick ivory head. The head left rather quickly and left no noticeable lacing. The aroma was very light. There was a fair amount of grain and a hint of grass. But, what aroma there was consisted primarily of what a leather jacket smells like when it sits in the sun too long and then is thrown into a small enclosed area, like the backseat of a car with its windows rolled up. From its appearance and scent, it didn’t seem that Chipotle Ale held much promise. The flavor redeemed the ale, though. It began with a light sweetness of grain that became a moderately smoky flavor with a hint of peppers. The finish that followed was a long, slow burn that moved from the middle to the back of the tongue before finally settling in at the top of the throat. The texture was somewhat thin and watery, but the flavor also offset this problem. This ale was subtler and less intense in flavor than expected, but what was delivered was a sublime smokiness and burning sensation. It was as though the best part of eating jalapeños was left intact, without the intensity that can oftentimes be overwhelming. I drank this with the wife’s enchiladas, which was an excellent match. I couldn’t have dreamed a better food pairing for this ale.

This beer should be deported. I had this back when it was called Mexicali Rogue. If it had been called "Chipotle Ale" I would have passed. The name says it all. Its a Blonde Ale with the taste of Chipolte thrown in. Has an unnecessary metal taste to it, and just seem to be spicey for the sake of being spicey, not to add anything to the flavor. Unlike a lot of people I know, I actually LIKE a lot of the Rogue offerings, but stay away from this one. Far, far away.

(Bottle at Bishops Arms, Järntorget, Göteborg)
Clear copper color, small white head. Sweet, malty, fudge and hops scent. Some lemon also. Grainy and sweet taste with some malty notes. Spritzy mouthfeel. Fudge and malt aftertaste. There is a small hint of chili burning sensation on my toungue. Medium bitterness.

Bottle (50 cl) at Bishops Arms, Järntorget, Göteborg, Sweden. Clear amber with a thin off-white head. Fruity and caramelly malt aroma, quite bland, with a faint note of green pepper. Light to medium bodied. Low sweetness, low to moderate bitterness, and with an interesting hot bite that arrives late in the finish.

What a weird beer. I’m no stranger to the styles that one could attempt to pigeon hole this one into.. Amber Ale, Fruit/Vegetable Ale, Smoke beer. One thing I’m not sure that I would call it is a Golden or Blond Ale, but oh well. Poured from tap a light amber with a small and diminishing head that stuck around at the edges of the glass leaving a little lace. The scent wasn’t much in general, delicate fruitiness, a little yeast, some hops, fairly typical amber ale. The taste initially is much of the same, lightly hoppy very crisp, very enjoyable amber beer with the strangest hint of fresh red pepper. But hold on it gets more interesting about halfway into the pint. The flavor starts to take on a bit of smoky bitterness, then it just hits you. This beer is getting spicier ever sip I take, it is very pleasant but a little odd. At this point the chipolte flavors start to dominate the beer. I would only have this every now and again, but it is a very unique and tasty brew.

22 oz bottle poured a light orange. Aroma is of some sweet malt and chili spiciness. Flavor is of some malts, then the chili spiciness and slight smokiness hits. Not as strong a chili flavor as I expected, but a very good beer.