The head retention on this beer is great.  Foamy, frothy, dense and lacing.  It is egg-shell white in color as it rests atop a light hazy straw liquid with supporting bubbles.  The aroma is crisp, floral, herbal, bready, and soft.  This might sound a little contradicting, but the hops are what give it that pop while the malt adds the sweet smooth notes.  It is very aromatic like Avery’s Pils however, here, only Liberty hops are used.  One of the parent flowers is Hallertau  Mittlefruh giving Liberty that spicy, herbal component.

Initially, this beer gave a wonderful salvo of hoppy flavors that were dry at the finish.  For a sessionable Pilsner, I can see why this would be a good beer to enjoy with spicy foods as it cleanses the palate.  Towards the second glass the great bready malt and yeast notes come to the fore.  The bottle says Pacman Yest is used while their website says Czech Pils Wyeast 2278 was used.  Given the fact that the flavor was closer to that of a Czech Pils I’m going with the website.  Spicy on the sides of the palate and slightly resinous on the aftertaste, the hops do make a strong showing in this beer.  The light bready sweet flavors do well to provide a hay, straw, wheat-like base for the hops to shine.  The mouthfeel was smooth and more full bodied than most Pilsners, while retaining a refreshing quality.

When examining its appearance I found a cloudy blend of reds, browns, and burnt orange tones with a beige head that is not so significant, but lingers around. Upon my initial smell I was taken back a little. I have come to expect a big hoppy or malty beer from Rogue so when I got a large hint of cherries and yeast my mind thought, “surely this isn’t a Rogue brew?” It is and don’t call it Shirley…I jest.

There was a tartness to the smell, a pop, crisp fruitiness, some tannins, and no oak notes. The malts stayed in the background as all I got was a nose full of cherries.

Moving on the payoff, I found the same thing. It was more cherry than anything and not in a mild way…in your face sour/tart. I received nothing complimentary from the hop department except a faint glimpse at the finish. I was expecting a fresh malt and hop explosion, but the cherries overpowered and had a puckering effect.

On the other hand the yeast was very noticeable and probably the highlighting feature of this brew. It helped to usher in the tart cherry salvo with a lively barrage of funk. Towards the end of my glass I noticed the carbonation had been pretty intense the entire time which caused me to think more in terms of a kriek lambic (which makes perfect sense given the name). Not sure why I didn’t put the two together until I wrote this. In that case I used the wrong glass.

In the end I’m glad the cherries were tart and not too sweet or it would have been a big bomber to finish. Not sure I gravitate towards this style, but I can appreciate its place.

An Imperial version of the Dry Hopped Saint Rogue Red it is not (although their bottles share the same robed, Jesus-like figure), but the XS Imperial Red still pours a reddish brown color. Different malt and hop recipes set the two apart, and upon first whiff, this XS series reminds me more of Scottish Wee Heavy than a red ale. There’s a roasty, peaty caramel aroma in the nose with a heavy dose of booze. The mouthfeel is a little thinner than one might expect (although at around 8% ABV, it isn’t a very strong Imperial), with a decent bit of carbonation, but the flavors are awesome. You expect it to be sweet but are instead hit with a spicy hop bitterness and hints of chocolate and toffee. That peat-y roastiness lasts through the whole sip, and I still can’t believe this isn’t a Scotch ale. There is also a hint of fig or some other dark fruit in there. It’s all executed so flawlessly, the balance is perfect, and there are no off flavors to speak of. Alcohol lingers in the background throughout, but doesn’t sting your throat. Yum.

Perfect for a snowy day, and dangerously drinkable and refreshing for an Imperial. John Maier does it again. Grade: A

Tom: Topped with a nice tan/reddish head this deep amber brew was the cause of much excitement. I love Rogue’s Red Ales so my hops were high. The aroma was sugary, maple, toasty, caramel, and only had a light fruity hop quality. It did not have the same dry hopped aroma like the other Reds which I found disappointing. Sipping the 7 oz left a very predominate caramel taste similar to that of an Irish Red ale. There was a slight boozy quality towards the latter half of each sip, but for the most part it was fairly tame. I did notice a minor chocolate/biscuit combo mid palate and the hops never really impressed me like I had hoped. Overall, I thought this was closer to wee heavy (80 or 90 schilling). Grade: B

Displaying a British soldier wearing a pith helmet served to remind me of this styles origin during the English occupation of India. Poured into my snifter it gave off a yellowish-orangey color that was unfiltered and had a minimal head.

The aroma was definitely floral, citrus, pungent, and spicy, but it was not a knockout blow. Contrary to the hops I thought were used John Maier utilized Cascade, Saaz, Northwest Goldings, and Rogue’s own Revolution hop to impart a very fresh and aromatic brew. I sort of got a minor hit of sunflowers and the malts did provide a sweet component. The abv also made a brief appearance.

My excitement for the beer was capped after my first sip. It tastes better than it smells. The hops come alive in a more vibrant way and carry a flavor similar to Goose Island’s IPA which tastes very much like an English style. Higher alcoholic notes of lemon, honey, and orange sweeten the dank, earthy, pungent spiciness of the hops. They are noticeable throughout the brew and leave a wonderful finish that is dry and somewhat resinous. A very enjoyable, hoppy beer true to Rogue’s style.

ABV: 8.0%

Grade: A-

Similar to the first two John John (John John Dead Guy Ale and John John Juniper Pale Ale) ales I reviewed it poured smooth and had a substantial tan head consisting of larger bubbles. The ruby-brown liquid is darker than a Marzen and lighter than a Brown ale making it appear to be a perfect Fall brew.

One hint of the aroma and I knew this would be a great beer for the fall season. Obviously, hazelnut would seem to be the prevailing aroma, but I received a much bigger hint of cinnamon or nutmeg (a la pumpkin beers). It was highlighted by a vanilla extract smell that I remembered from helping my mom make cookies as a kid. Definitely very nutty, malty, and somewhat spruce-like in nature this brew was rich in aromas (honey, caramel from Rum and beer, minor abv heat, and toffee).

The taste was very much of what I picked up in the aroma. I found that the abv acquired from the Rum barrels complimented the hazelnut, cinnamon, nutmeg flavors very well. The mouthfeel was medium bodied like a brown ale, but finished with a slight dry finish. I will add that I enjoyed this beer when it was colder than after it had warmed up. My palate is not too familiar with Rum as is not a liquor I drink. Since it is a darker liquor its flavors did pair well with this beer (granted they both had a hazelnut focus). There was also a faint grassy hop quality that came out towards the end of each sip.

After finishing my beer I looked on Rogues website to see how the Rum was made. John Couchot uses 100% pure Hawaiian cane sugar, toasted Oregon hazelnuts, bitter orange peel, Madagascar Bourbon vanilla bean, cinnamon, and clove in his recipe. I guess the vanilla and cinnamon were the stand out ingredients for me.

While this is not a pumpkin or Oktoberfest beer, I found that it is just as enjoyable and combines the best qualities of both styles along with a smooth brown ale.

ABV: 5-6%

Grade: A-

For the rest of you, it’s time to kill two birds with one bottle. Rogue Chocolate Stout. Boom. Your beer- and chocolate-craving birds just got annihilated. This brew keeps it simple and rocks your face off. I can’t be positive, but I’m fairly sure this is the process brewmaster John Maier follows:

Step 1 – Make a killer stout.

Step 2 – Import some Dutch chocolate.

Step 3 – Combine the two using magic powers.

Step 4 – Stop.

Step 5 – Drink.

Step 6 – Smile.

Step 7 – Sell.

Truly, it’s a singular experience that your eyes, nose, mouth, and stomach need to experience to believe. In my opinion, never have chocolate and beer combined so effortlessly. It pours pitch brown, it smells like freshly baked brownies … and it tastes like chocolatey beer (or, perhaps, beery chocolate) … because that’s what it is. 69 IBUs of smooth bittersweet gold, with hints of oat, coffee, and even citrus (Cascade hops). What more could you ask for? A nice tan head? Done. A low ABV? Sure thing. Pure joy? Easy. It’s delicious, it’s nutritious*, and it’s available year-round. I’m beginning to wonder why you’re still reading this, and why I’m still writing…

*This may or may not contradict the Surgeon General.

This beer however utilizes a few more hops (Willamette, Sterling, and Revolution) and malts (Dare and Risk) providing for a richer/hoppier beer. The name OREgasmic comes from the fact that all the ingredients come from Oregon and its well…damn good! While the website classifies it as a Pale Ale I would say it leans more towards a Red Ale and is similar in aroma and flavor as Captain Sig’s Northwestern Ale and St. Rogue Red.

I’ve always enjoyed pouring Rogue beers as they are always very aromatic producing a glass lacing dense head that welcomes you to yet another brewing masterpiece. What greeted me were a hazy copper/burnt orange color and a wonderful nose.

The hop that stuck out to me was Revolution which was familiar to me from the last GYO brew. I’ve found that Sterling is more of an herbal pungent hop and Willamette is a floral variety so combined the three produced an earthy, dank blend that had hits of pear and a definite spicy pine note. The malts refused to be ignored as they yelled at me with loud toffee and caramel toasted notes.

I found the taste balanced between a really hoppy amber or spicy red ale. I’m not sure how Rogue harvests the raw materials, dries the hops, and kilns the grain, but you can tell there is a freshness to the brew. The hops cast a mild bittering at first which then open up into a piney resinous finish. All the while the malt coats your palate with a creamy caramel body. The aftertaste is clean with no one ingredient overpowering the other. I’d say this is a well balanced, full body beer.

ABV: 6.0%

Grade: B+

Anyway, I digress. On the menu this evening: Rogue’s XS Imperial Younger’s Special Bitter. English Bitters have always been a love of mine (due mostly in part to Goose Island’s Honker’s Ale), and John Maier’s reputation always precedes him…so needless to say I’m excited. Here’s hoping this is one of the better liquid investments I’ve made over the past few months.

As Bitters go, you can definitely tell this is “Imperial” right off the bat. The sharp tinge of alcohol is really what dominates the olfactories, with hints of sweet biscuity malt in the background. Thankfully, though, the “bitter” takes more of a forefront during sippage, with a healthy dose of hops providing balance to the extra malt and alcohol. It’s a unique bitterness for an English-style Bitter…probably because on top of the more traditional Willamette and Kent Golding hops used, My Man Maier has thrown Amarillo in the mix. Most likely this adds to the sharp spiciness in the nose of the beer, but there’s a slight citrusy bitterness at the end of each sip that’s a telltale sign as well. You wouldn’t think it would work in this application…but it does. Mouthfeel is fairly crisp, with a generous amount of carbonation that dissipates a bit as the beer warms. It’s definitely best enjoyed around the 50-55∫ range, where the malts punch through a bit more and really mellow things out. Not overpoweringly strong for an Imperial ale, but definitely a step above what I’m used to in Honker’s Ale.

All in all, I’m impressed but not enthralled. It’s a much more traditional interpretation of a style than I’m used to seeing from Rogue (which isn’t necessarily a negative). But I can’t classify it as top-shelf. Maybe the fact that John Maier was commissioned to develop this as a house beer for a pub in Portland rather than pursuing its creation on his own dime has something to do with it. Still, I can’t knock his brewing genius; this is yet another solid, flavorful creation. Grade: B+

Tom: At first glance this copper golden-honey color beer lacked any sort of head after a quick pour. It did offer up sweet pale, toffee, toasted and biscuit malt aromas that were complimented by an abv kick and a moderate floral hopping which expressed minor herbal and citrus layers. If you have tried Fullers ESB the taste will be familiar. A great malt accented beer, it has a sweet honeyed and toasted flavor throughout. The roasted grains and abv are up front followed by a sessionable English-style malt profile in the middle. The finish carried a lively bitterness that gave a crisp citrus floral orange component. While savoring the aftertaste the hops come through well paired with a Dead Guy-like malt profile. It was not as smooth and had a more pronounced toastiness. Grade: B+

ABV: 7.1%

Final Grade: B+

Before I go into the taste let me say that I appreciate the few Rogue beers I’ve had. I know my brother who resides on the West coast and also writes for the PHM thoroughly enjoys many Rogue offerings. If you are new to Rogue, you absolutely must have their Dead Guy Ale. It ranks up there among the more solid American craft beers, a consistent staple for many. See review HERE.

American Amber is clearly related in flavor to Dead Guy, likely due to Rogue’s Pacman yeast strain which they were kind enough to mass distribute to the public earlier in 2010 under a partnership with Wyeast, one of the major yeast suppliers in the market. Again, I have not had a wide range of Rogue beers but I can taste similarities between Amber and Dead Guy. In my opinion, Pacman imparts a very tasty flavor.

American Amber is well balanced between malty, toasty sweetness, medium mouthfeel and hop bitterness and flavor. A very well rounded beer- one I could drink anytime, anywhere. People new to craft beer should find this beer quite tolerable and approachable. Bear in mind, my judgment and taste buds may be so adjusted that the previous statement may not ring true for all people, but I’ll stand by it. The carbonation, mouthfeel and perfect balance make this beer quite drinkable. The ABV comes in at 5.3% making this a beer you can easily have more than one of, and enjoy every sip.

In my opinion, this is a great representation of the fairly wide range of style that is American Amber ale. If anything, it may lean slightly toward the hoppy side of the style, but not over the top by any means.

ABV: 5.3%

Grade: A-