1001 Beers: Rogue Ales

1001 Beers: Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Shakespeare Stout, XS Imperial India Pale Ale, & New Crustacean

Not a brewery I was looking forward to but they have quite a few beers on the list... probably not true, but I think they have the most from any single brewery in the whole book... I would have to check that fact...



Beer Number 85: Dead Guy Ale

With one foot in the orthodox world of German lagers, Dead Guy started as a straigh-up Maibock called Maierbock, named for brewmaster John Maier, "We were brewing it at out Bayfront brewpub, and of course we didn't have a lot of tank space," says Maier, referring to the extended aging time that ties up tanks with conventional lagers, "so we thought we'd give it a try with our Pac-Man yeast. People like it."

I think it is funny I always compared this beer to Arrogant Bastard... I had no idea this was a Maibock, but whatever. Just throwing that out there.

I really didn't like this one and did not write good notes on the sample I had there, but I have never liked it ever since I first had it as I was getting into craft. Rogue is one of the breweries that I picked up a few of when I was first tasting beer. There was quite a bit of sweetness, I was expecting a big hop punch, but nothing... I guess it is just because of my expectations... I don't know, but this one is a pass.

Beer Number 86: Shakespeare Stout

Shakespeare Stout is an imperial stout that is one of Rogue's original beers. It is named to recognize the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which takes place annually over several months in the small, arty community of Ashland, where Rogue was originally located.

This one actually surprised me. I enjoyed it a bit and thought it was nicely made. The chocolate and dark malts really came together and made this an enjoyable taster. I might have tried this one in a bottle but I've had it now and it did not wow me enough to make it a "regular". Maybe one day I will try it again.

Beer Number 87: XS Imperial India Pale Ale

I2PA is the brainchild of Nate Lindquist, who worked as a brewer at Rogue in the early years. His first imperial IPA was slightly different to the current commercial version. "I tasted it and told him there weren't enough hops; it needed more 'oomph," Maier says. "We doubled the hops and changed some of them to American hops for that Cascade aroma."

So, I like IPAs, and IIPA's but this one was so malty, hop flavor but not insanely bitter like I was expecting, but it was hard to get passed the straight alcohol that was leaping out of the glass and everywhere you could imagine. This will get you drunk during your "session".

Beer Number 88: New Crustacean

This is one that used to go by another name and now it is called a different name. Old Crustacean will, for now anyway, be known as New Crustacean Barleywineish Imperial IPA Sorta... I guess I get the point because a lot of American "Barley Wines" are referred to as IPA's. I don't agree with this, but I understand where it came from. Everyone has their own take on everything but there are some things written in stone... or at least history so changing things around sucks.

Old Crustacean is a hefty brew, weighing in at 11.5 percent alcohol content and verified as having 120 IBUs by the Siebel Institute of Technology. The recipe comes from a barleywine-style ale that was first brewed in 1986 by Rogue's long-time brewmaster John Maier, when he was still a home-brewer.

This new recipe comes in at 9.8%. I was not really big into this one either. I clocked it in at 2.5 Crowns on Untappd. Maybe it being so fresh was an issue. They say it changes a lot over time but who knows. It was the Imperial IPA Sorta type beer right now. So, if you pick this one up, give it time. I can't say how long because I did not, but that is my suggestion with all Barley Wines... Except Horn Dog. Drink that fresh! You can age some though, I heard it is amazing aged.



913 Bottles Of Beer To Go!

Cheers!

1001 Beer: Ninkasi

1001 Beers: Ninkasi Oatis Oatmeal Stout & Tricerahops Double IPA



I loved my last trip to Ninkasi and I had wanted to make the voyage again in order to knock out the two beer from this brewery on the list, but like quite a few of my original plans, we just did not go the distance.

I had the Vanilla Oatis while I was at the brewery and I think that it is a mighty fine beer. I actually enjoy it more than the regular Oatis and I almost thought about subbing it... but for ones that are still around, I will be true to the book.

Ninkasi Brewing was named to honor the ancient Sumerian goddess of beer. The Sumerians gave up their nomadic way of life when they began to grown barley, making them among the first known brewers. Their beer is documented in a hymn to Ninkasi that is considered the first beer recipe.

I always pray to Ninkasi on my brewdays, but I have never thought about tracking down the "first" recipe... I should do that and brew it... hmmm...

Beer Number 78: Oatis Oatmeal Stout

Oatis is a beer with a massive dose of oatmeal added to each batch. "I love oatmeal stout. It is my favorite of the stout styles. And there are not a lot of commercial examples of the style in the marketplace." says brewer Jamie Floyd.

The inspiration behind Oatis is pretty straight forward and Ninkasi does it well. They have always been a favorite brewery of mine being on the West Coast and I am disappointed I can't get them any longer.

I feel that Oatis is very big and chocolaty. Almost like that chocolate syrup flavor. It has a nice roast on it and a very sharp bite. A nice warming alcohol presence into the finish dark, stone fruits make a unique appearance. A great, full body and a hint of creaminess to blend it all together.

Beer Number 79: Tricerahops Double IPA

Tricerahops is a beer I did not care for when I first started drinking craft beer. Though, I was not crazy about IPAs then, either. I totally hated them. So, let's see how things go this time around.

Floyd says his other, unofficial name for the massive Tricerahops beer is Sleepytime. "This beer has had a common effect of letting people become extremely familiar with the shape of any chair that they are sitting in while drinking it," he says. "Two pints and it's often nap time."

Thinking about this beer, I can totally see that. I mean, it is only 8.8% alcohol by volume... What is the worst that can happen?



This time around, I had a far better experience with Tricerahops. The citrus and deep pine scents and flavors were fantastic. The harsh bitterness that I experienced before was rounded out by a nice malt sweetness, almost honey or nectar like but not quite syrupy. I found a lot of balance to the flavors in this go around and it drank relatively smooth. I can totally see how Tricerahops would send you into "Sleepytime".

922 Bottles Of Beer To Go!

Cheers!

Beer Camp

The time has come once again to release the beers of Beer Camp. Sierra Nevada is even offering up the contest again... will I make another video... hmmm... Check out mine from last year. It would be a great escape from work. Though, I cannot wait until They open the new location out here in Asheville. I guess only time, and if an idea comes to mind, will tell. Especially since I only have until the end of the month!



The first beer of this go around will be the Imperial Pilsner. The beer is described as,

Packing a big hop-forward punch and bright crisp finish, this golden pilsner features a hearty dose of "sticky," resinous Crystal and Pacifica dry hops, which balance the light-bodied yet complex malt backbone.

Would I agree? Yes. HAH! This was a very tasty pilsner. Though, a pilsner for sure. It took the things that I could never really get my head around and flipped it completely. The hops blended really well even though this was an "Imperial" version... not that I really know what that means in this style...





This next beer I am expecting big things from just because of the reputation Sierra Nevada has. Floral IPA. They are pretty much just as big as Stone, (even though they are bigger than Stone), of a name when it comes to IPA's. I expect nothing but the best.

This unique take on the traditional IPA style pairs the bold and intense aromas of whole-cone hop "flowers" with aromatic natural rose hips and petals for complex aromas and unexpected flavors.

Upon opening the bottle you get that deep, big floral nose immediately. The scent pretty much fills the whole room. Now that is what I call quality. I was expecting a really bitter beer just from my experiences with Sierra Nevada but flavor is what runs the show here. A nice caramel and bready background with the sweet juicy hops lying over it. Like I said, I was expecting big things and look what I got. A masterpiece.



Maybe the Oatmeal Stout was not the next best to go with, but lets call it a palate cleanser.

This big oatmeal stout is midnight black in color-with a big, roasty, mocha-like aroma. It has a silky body from the use of rolled oats, and a round and lasting finish. Perfect as an after dinner treat.

Very good advice there about after dinner. I had it before dinner so I guess I don't listen to things that I am told but it was a damn fine oatmeal stout. Alcoholic on the nose and in the flavor but very mellow and full bodied malt profile. It has some nice stout crispness but the oatmeal really helps to balance this one. Sweet and yeah. I know right lol.

This Imperial red Ale takes the intense hop profile found in a traditional double IPA and turns up the malt. It has big aromatic hop notes of grapefruit, peach, and melon-balanced by smooth and surprisingly robust malt body.

The fruity flavors are the major production of flavor in this brew. It does just as it says. This was probably a perfect written description. This beer is not about the bitterness of a double IPA. It is all about the flavor and that is what I love. So many people ignore that when they throw IPAs together. Seriously, another great brew. Point blank.

This pack has actually impressed me a lot more than the one released last year. And I loved the Weizenbock they released. All of the beers in this pack seemed to flow together and not really just try to stand on their own... maybe they wanted to attract more customers by using a similar flavor profile, or maybe they just decided to pull out the big guns this year... either way, Beer Camp did well.

Cheers!