Rogue Chipotle Ale

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

(22 oz bottle: $4.39 at Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido, CA) I’ve had this in the past and while the chipotle wasn’t overwhelming or unpleasant, it was still a significant distraction from an otherwise decent beer. So I decided to buy a bottle and let it sit a year to see if the aging would diminish the chipotle. Not a chance. While this beer starts out like a nice, lightly caramely amber, somewhat earthy and toasty, mildly bitter from hops with lots and lots of smoke, there is still a mild burn in the back of my throat from chipotle in the finish that builds and builds with each sip. Earth, smoke and hot peppers in the nose with little else, but I’d rather smell the hot peppers than taste them in this beer. Medium-bodied with average carbonation. Hazy amber in color with a small but persistent, off-white head. Lacing is arranged in drooping circles down the glass. I truly love the solid smokiness of this beer, but could do without the hot pepper burn. I like a little kick to my food, but I guess I feel differently about beer.

Bottle: Malty aroma with a little spice. Pours a real dark transparent amber with an off-white head that has a little staying power. Lght and malty up front with a peppery spice and nice smoke finish. The smokiness seems to linger into a moderate smoke aftertaste. A little hops in there. Definitely worth a try. Real creamy and smooth mouthfeel.

Draft sample from Beer Run in Charlottesville, VA. Pours a clear amber color with a large tan creamy head. Excellent head retention and lacing. Aroma is smoky and woody with some hickory-like notes. Taste is smoky with a light spicy burn that grows on the palate. Grows a bit too much actually. Some leafy hop notes. Medium bodied.

Re-Rate 10/06/02: Clear amber, the head is creamy, beige, the lace in sheets. Nose is malt, a tad citrus, clean and fresh. Front is sweet, the top is light, finish is dry, moderately carbonated, and a light hint of the ’Peppers’, but not a bad beer, just a bit different. Ranks #733 on my current 1000 beer master list.

Clear amber colored beer with an off-white head. Rogue yeast is penetrating in the aroma. Sweet and rather cloying with heavy toffee notes. Flavor is sweet malt and chipotle pepper. Hot on the tongue and in the throat. Again, chili and beer is not a good combination!! Rather harsh and a really bad idea!!!

12 oz bottle. Pours to a nice coppery body with a thick creamy light beige head. The aroma is lightly smoky and peppery, some basic light malts. The flavor has some smoky green peppers going on. No heat at all. WEAK! More smoky char than anything else, but there’s not much of that either. The palate is decent. Such a let down. Where’s the spice? Great Dane’s Tri Pepper Pils was much better.

From bottle. There is just a tiny whiff of smoky chipotle in the nose, masked by a bit of oxidation and sweet caramel malty character. Light diacetyl. Dark amber-orange clear with slight haze, topped with off-white foamy lacing head with a bit of orange hue in there. Medium watery body with medium carbonation - slight gush when opened. Starts pretty plain, with light caramel sweetness and oxidation and diacetyl notes. There is just a bit of smoky character in there with a faint hint of pepper at the finish and after. Carbonic acidity and light bitter finish. Maybe it was just an old bottle, but I did not find this spicy at all.

Bottle, purchased at the Rogue Pub in San Francisco by yours truly, shared at Doug’s Christmas 05. Dark orange, small white head. Odd malt, hops peppers, veggie and spice aroma - marks for originality. Odd taste - this is a classic Rogue slightly hoppy beer that decided to invite some spicy peppers to its party. I wish they stayed at home. Completely distracting, this didn’t do a thing for me. Lingering veggie peppers at the end. Wow, I knew I might not like this (I don’t care for peppers in any form), but I was anticipating how strong and overpowering the taste would be. Well crafted I suppose, just not something I’ll come near again if I can help it. I’m really wishing this were available the day I was at the pub; a sample would have been cheaper...