HAZELNUT BROWN NECTAR ~ ROGUE 

RED, WHITE & BREW ~ Rogue has finally had the opportunity to redeem itself to me. Previous to this the only Rogue I’d had had been a Voodoo Doughnut creation, and that went down the sink. Sampled on draught, this beer poured a slightly opaque reddish dark brown with an off white head. There was little retention and lacing. Hazelnuts dominate the aroma, but there are also notes of coffee, caramel, cocoa and sweet malts (kind of like Nutella in a beer). Huge syrupy hazel-nutty flavours hit you right off the bat. I found this brew very sweet, as praline, caramel, sweet malts and chocolate follow the nuttiness. A slight hop presence finishes the beer, but the aftertaste is all sweet hazelnut. The carbonation was in the medium low range and the body medium. The mouthfeel was smooth but seemed to coat the palette giving it a stickiness. This definitely was not a sink pour but not a session beer for me either. I felt like I was drinking dessert – a little too sweet for me.

11 Ingredients: Great Western 2-Row, Brown, Carastan 13/17, Crystal 70/80, Crystal 135/165, Beeston Pale, Chocolate Malts; Perle & Sterling Hops; Hazelnut Extract, Free Range Coastal Water & Pacman Yeast.

6.2 % from Newport, Oregon 33 IBU

VOODOO DOUGHNUT LEMON CHIFFON CRUELLER ~ ROGUE ALES

OK, I often like the ‘out-there beers’ – the more experimental brews, the one offs…but I have finally met a beer I did not like, and I am putting that mildly. Brewed only once is not necessarily a bad thing. Brewed as a Doughnut Ale, to match Voodoo Doughnuts Lemon Chiffon Crueller, this is a crazy concoction brewed with a plethora of ingredients, including lemon juice, marshmallow, and vanilla beans.
The beer poured an off brown colour. The nose contained lots as astringent synthetic lemon, resembling a mix of cologne and lemon cleaner. I took the first sip, hops, lemon pledge, and bubble gum with a strange marshmallow after taste. I though it may grow on me after a few sips. I tried. The flavour didn’t grow on me, quite the opposite. This one was a pricey sink pour. YUK!

HOPS: 2-Row, Munich, & Rogue Farms Dare™ and Risk™ Malts; Perle and Sterling Hops

YEAST: Pacman Yeast

OTHER: Lemon Juice, Lemon Extract, Vanilla Beans, Vanilla Extract, Marshmallows & Free Range Coastal Water

6.9% from Newport, Oregon, USA