Rogue Somer Orange Honey Ale

Brewed by Rogue Ales
Style: Fruit Beer
Newport, Oregon USA

Bomber. Poured bright golden with a quickly-receding cap of white head. The aroma picked up floral notes and orange zest over honey, bananas, and vanilla.. seemed a bit empty. The flavor found dry honey and wheaty character at the core, with orange peel, floral, and pine bitterness around.. weak finish with orange bitterness and zesty wheat. Light-bodied and scratchy on the palate.. thin feel.. just not a lot to this. Nothing to get even remotely excited about here.

In short: An extremely boring mix of fruity flavours, honey and wildflower juice.
How: Bottle, consumed fresh soon after purchase on the west-coast. Tasting session with Montreal crew.
The look: Cloudy dark yellow body topped by a small white head
In long: Weird nose that blends camomile (!?), orange and honey. Smells like some kind of weird fruity shooter. Taste is not much better. The advertised oranges and honey are there and joined by bananas. There was that wildflower juice flavour that bothered me and was about as strong as the fruity flavours. Weak wheaty body. The boring juicy body was rather lifeless. Sweeter and with a fizzy carbonation this could be a “girly beer”. But as it is I don’t see what’s the demographic for that mega-boring offering. I see that it used to be called Eugene City Tracktown Honey Orange Wheat. Trying to start over under a different name? I can change my name to Johnny Handsome, but people will still call me Puke Face.

Bottle: Pours a gold color with light head. The nose is zesty with a fruity orange not and some regular hops. The wheat is a bit husky though and flat. A thin flavor and body with a snap of honey and orange in the tail. Fizzy and light, I don’t get this one.

The bomber poured slightly hazy, bright yellow gold with fluffy white head. It smelled of oranges, some alcohol and wheat, honey. The flavor is pretty sweet when cold, softly carbonated, but then it seems a bit thin as it warms and some spiciness comes through, finishing with a bit sour.

A great standy, now made by Eugene. Great honey orange wheat beer, one of a few that have a real orange flavor not too much not too little. A craft product.

Lightly hazy yellow-orange, puffy white head. Aroma is oranges, a bit of honeyed malt. Taste is again navel oranges, grainy malt, light honey.

OK, $7.50 for a frikin’ bomber of Rogue honey ale? COME ON! Pours clear gold with weak white head. The aroma has pretty bold notes of orange wedges and orange peel to go along with spices and honey. The taste begins smooth and near neutral before heading into spices, fresh ripe orange wedges, orange peel, grainy malts, honey and a sense of orange sherbet ice cream. This is a nice tasting summer brew with enough balance to require repeated quaffs under the hot summer sun. The second pour dropped a load of yeast into my glass that pulled the flavor slightly in the direction of tart.

Bottled as Somer Orange Honey Ale: Aroma of orange blossoms. Hazy yellow, thick frothy head. Flavor is honey and tangy lemon with a complementary grassy hop. Clover finish. Refreshing decent lawnmower beer. Nice flavors and decent balance could use a bit more intensity.