Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale

Brewed by Rogue Ales
Style: American Strong Ale
Newport, Oregon USA

On tap. Pours a dark copper and has quite the head. I’m skeptical going in to this given my disdain for Dead Guy Ale, but a refreshing blast of grapefruity hops in the aroma give me hope. I pick up some biscuits and caramel as well. This is pretty decent after all with suggestions of brown sugar, stinging grapefruit, and toffee. My enthusiasm waned after a pint when more buttery flavors began to surface.

Bottle from Village Wine and Spirits (Tampa, FL). Pours a clear reddish brown with one finger off-white head. Good retention and lacing. Aroma is wet sweet malt, cooked veggies (especially an aroma of peas), slight candy sugar and maybe just a hint f ripe fruit. Flavor is sweet and malty with strong hoppy and bitter notes, grass, hay, and maybe some spice. Light to medium body with a bitter finish.

Draught at Tyler’s. Pours a deep reddish copper with a small white lace that fades. Nose is hoppy and roasty with a solid caramel malt base. Flavor is equally bitter and hoppy, with more sweet malts and again, a bit of roast in the finish. Not a huge fan of dead guy but I liked this one a little more.

750ml bottle (courtesy of Hopscotch at the CU/WVU throwdown 9/17/08)-Pours a medium amber with a small head. Aroma of malt, caramel, and a little hops. Taste of malt, hops, and alcohol. This medium bodied brew is not bad and I think better than the original.

Arrrr, I wore a cheesy eye patch with the Great Lakes logo to get this one on talk like a Pirate day… Clear amber with a medium creamy tan head. Aroma of toffee, grains, alcohol and moderate hops. Taste of toffee, alcohol, citrus and caramel. Palate is pretty smooth and it finishes up mildly bitter.

Pours orangish amber with a mostly receding off-white head. Aroma is musky and mildly citric. Tastes of musky hops, citrus, toffee, pale malt and cookie. Mouthfeel is full bodied with moderate carbonation, lightly resinous.

I should preface this by saying that Dead Guy, especially fresh DG is one of my favourites, but this "doubling" doesn’t carry over. Too much hops in this one and it is much booz-ier. The alcohol is very upfront.

Capped 750 ml. red ceramic bottle, 2008 release, the ABV is listed as 9% in front center of the bottle, list of ingredients in the back upper left, sampled in a seidel glass. Double Dead Guy Ale (nicknamed D2 by the brewers at Rogue) is first I’ve tried in a heretofore unknown style, the Imperial/Double Maibock. Before now, I believe the highest ABV I’ve seen in a Maibock has been 8%. L: Slightly hazy sunburnt orangey amber with a tall beige head of creamy fluffed foam, excellent retention and a solid swiss cheese-like lace curtain that completely circles the brim of the stein. I have to say, D2 is one fine looking Maibock. S: Sweet aromatic malts first hit the nose, caramel, toffee and floral honey, then comes a lightly wafting scent of fruity apricots. On the back end is nutty baked bread and earthy spiced hops. A touch herbal too. The alcohol is nearly undetectable. I like the smell of D2, traditional with a small Rogue twist. F: Plushly soft and medium bodied, the body has a nice fully rounded feel in the mouth. D2 has a creamy mouth feel with a slight warming alcohol burn at the end, made sticky by the oily hops. Everything here in the mouth feel sings of a well crafted brew. T: In most Maibocks the hops play a significant role and D2 is no exception. It is easy to pick out the Cascade and Crystal hops, oily orange peels, the zest of white grapefruits and a herbal spiciness. The hops also have a good green bitterness. The hops are balanced out by sweetly caramelized malts, sugary with tastes of toffee and chocolate covered nuts. Mid palate is fruity apricots, honey and a hint of maple syrup. The alcohol, while providing a low glowing warmth, is well concealed, blends with the sweet malts before turning peppery in the end. The finish has a long, slow fade, baguettes, toasted caramel, grapefruit juice and herbal, earthy spices. I love the way the Crystal hops dance around in the aftertaste. D: I was impressed by Double Dead Guy Ale, a smooth sipper that you need to be cautious with. I actually prefer D2 to the regular Dead Guy. D2 is a bit a expensive, my bottle cost $10.55, but if you see it on the shelve of one of your favorite liquor stores, especially if you appreciate Maibocks, I would recommend picking it up.