Rogue Monk Madness

Knoxville Brewers’ Jam 2006. Pours mahogany with a tan head. The aroma is hops, licorice, dark cocoa, and some sweet malt. The flavor is caramel, chocolate, and tons of hop bitterness. Very weird, but good.

I had this beer from the beer engine at Roman’s in Milwaukee, and despite being disappointed by my previous experience with Rogue beers, thought it excellent. I think that the "American" in "American Brown Ale," gives you a pretty wide berth style-wise, and this beer is attractive to look at, hoppy in the mouth, and (at least from the beer engine) wonderfully smooth in the mouth. Appearance is a deep mahogany red, with a silky-smooth head imparted by the hand pump. Aroma is of Cascade hops, which I didn’t expect from a brown ale (but American Brown Ale is a pretty wide category, I think). Not much caramel malt in the smell, but the flavor is fairly malty, and not representative of the hop in the aroma. Flavor is (oddly) the weakest component of this beer, but is still above average, with some plum and raisin notes. Mouthfeel is great (beer engine) and I thought this beer quite drinkable.

Pours dark brown into a trappist glass. Off-white micro head quickly subsides to hug rim. Sour candy and alcohol aromas. Creamy and full with upfront sour/bitter flavors fighting it out. Lasting bitter (slightly metallic) finish.

22oz in Trappist Glass. Pours a murky amber-brown with a creamy tan cratered head that has a nice thick webbed lacing. Scent is an eclectic combination of citrus, heavy maltiness, and light notes of yeasty mustiness combined with a light bitter hop complement. Taste is wide ranged and very complex... Initially very sweet in the mouth with a malty palate. This gives way to a medium bodied belgian character with a quick decline into sharp hoppiness and grain... Surprisingly smooth with a light bitter residue. A very unique beer- almost a tribute to opposites in attrraction. Has the character of an aggressive US Northwestern beer intermixed with the complexity and subtelty of a well crafted Belgian...

Aroma of pine and some weak tea scents as well. Dark reddish brown in appearance with a medium palate. Lots of tea flavor with a nice hop presence. Easy to drink and enjoyable.

22 oz bottle. Poured into a standard pint glass. The first thing I noticed was that the head was very fizzy but diminished very quickly. Medium body, very strong, bitter and hoppy which I appreciate in a beer. Very, very drinkable but very little stands out. But another solid beer from Rogue.

Sweet aroma, balanced nicely with the waves of hop flavors. Rich, complex, and hints of plum. Finishes sweet, strong, and satisfying.

Deep amber with a frothy head. Toasty nose. Assertive flavors. First sip is loaded with toasty-woody-nutty caramel. Woody nuts follow through. Sharp grass. Tart fruit. Plant-like bitterness. Pinch of sugar daddy sweetness in the background; but mostly bitter-tart. Good, but perhaps a bit too much Chinook; that’s some harsh stuff.