Firewater Friday - Cafe Picaro

Two things that go together well are chocolate and coffee.  So when I tasted Patron XO Cafe, a coffee flavored tequila, I thought, "Wow, this is goooooooood!"  And then I thought, "This would taste great mixed with a chocolate beer."

The first beer that came to mind was Rogue Chocolate Stout.   Which on its own is an outstanding beer and very chocolaty.  Mixed together with a dollop of Patron XO Cafe it is simply awesome.

I dub this concoction . . . 

Cafe Picaro

1 1/2 Ounces Patron XO Cafe
11 Ounces Rogue Chocolate Stout

Pour the Patron into a pint glass and top off with the chocolate stout.

Enjoy!

New Brew Thursday - Rogue XS Russian Imperial Stout

The other day we thoroughly enjoyed Rogue's 2011 XS Russian Imperial Stout.  My hubby picked this one out of our horde . . . er . . . stash of craft beers.  And it was a great choice!

First of all, I'd like to comment on the bottle.  It is quite impressive and a fitting vessel for this outstanding brew.   The bottle is a  ceramic bottle painted charcoal black with a swing top stopper.  There is no way light is penetrating this bottle to skunk this brew!  Awesome!

To add a touch my own personal style, I served this beer in a mason jar . . . I'm nothing if not classy. :/

This extra special stout pours dark as pitch with a creamy mocha head.  The aroma is an abundance of coffee and a hint of booziness; at 11% ABV this isn't unexpected.    

Not for the faint of heart nor for the meek beer drinker. This is a BIG . . . nay . . . ginormous beer.  

The first taste . . . I wasn't sure if I was drinking a beer or a coffee.  The big coffee taste is complemented by dark chocolate notes.  It has a clean finish complemented by a bitter hoppiness.  It had a bubbly mouthfeel  and not as creamy as I expect in an imperial stout.  That's not a bad thing, just different from what I anticipated.  

The flavors intensify as it warms . . . as does the burn that accompanies such a high alcohol beer.  It's all good and just gets better.

I am truly impressed.  Gotta love Rogue!

This beer is perfect for anyone who is a fan of coffee and/or stouts.    Outstanding in it's awesomeness.  I give it two thumbs up plus any extras I can find laying around!

Cheers!!

Visit Rogue's website or check them out on Facebook. 

New Brew Thursday - Rogue Double Mocha Porter

This award winning porter by Rogue doesn't disappoint.  Double Mocha Porter is exactly what I expect from a chocolate beer and the excellence I know I’m going to get from Rogue Ales.

Aesthetically, I’m a fan of Rogue’s painted bottles; and this is one of them.  Besides looking good there is a practical reason for painting the bottles . . . the less light that can penetrate the bottle to skunk the beer the better, as far as I’m concerned.

This beer pours dark as dark with a fluffy coffee-with-cream colored head.  The aroma is simply chocolate and espresso . . . drooool.  I didn’t really drool but my mouth thought about it.

The taste is all about the coffee with a wonderful dark chocolate accompaniment.  There is a bit of bitter hoppiness the co-mingles quite nicely with the less-than-sweet maltiness.

Double Mocha Porter is a very smooth and drinkable beer.  For an 8.5% ABV beer that’s a dangerous thing.  Luckily, we only had one bottle.

Overall, this is an excellent Rogue offering.  Two thumbs up.

Visit Rogue's website or check them out on Facebook.

New Brew Thursday - Rogue Voodoo Doughnut

If I've said it once I've said it a hundred times . . . Rogue is one of my favorite breweries.  They have an amazing variety of fantastic beers with creative themes and labeling.  Rogue beer simply rocks!

So, when I spotted Voodoo Doughnut in it's bright pink bottle with the creepy dark eyed fellow on the label surrounded by little piggies it required further investigation.  What did this closer inspection reveal?  Maple and . . . OH MY LORD . . . BACON! 

Bacon Maple Ale . . . I sh!t you not!  I think I just died and went to heaven.

Needless to say a snagged a bottle (or three) . . . at $15 a bottle.

The timing of the discovery of Rogue Voodoo was fortuitous.  

Hubby and I go camping every year in the fall.  A tradition for us is that after we set up camp and are all settled in we share a beer . . . preferably a really good beer.  

Voodoo was it!  Ah, but would it meet our expectations . . . bacon maple beer?  How could it not?  What's not to love.

Voodoo Doughnut pours amber with an average head.  I could clearly smell the maple and bacon and couldn't wait to take a sip.  A smoky bacon flavor is prevalent but doesn't dominate or overwhelm the ale.  The maple is more subtle which was surprsing considering how strong it is in the aroma.  Voodoo is smooth and full bodied . . . I just wanted to eat it up.

I'm not a huge fan of smoked beers but this one rules!  It's not too smoky, not too bitter, not too sweet . . . all of the flavor are really nicely balanced and the overall taste is quite remarkable.  

I would rate Rogue Voodoo as excellent.  I can't wait to pop open another bottle!

On a side note, I wish we'd had better cups  . . . i.e. a proper glass . . . to drink Voodoo from, but it was still really really delicious.  As the label says, it pairs well with doughnuts and pork . . . from my perspective it goes perfect with camping and my homemade bacon infused bourbon.  Delish!

By the way . . . I don't know what a Voodoo Doughnut is but I have friends in the Seattle area that will drive an hour for these puppies so they must be good.

(5.6% ABV)




Visit Rogue's website or check them out on Facebook.

New Brew Thursday - Rogue Single Malt Ale

Rogue is one of my favorite micro breweries.  They have variety of interesting beers with fun labels.  There's not a beer created by the brewmasters at Rogue that has disappointed me. There are, of course, one or two that I like less than others but that's not so unreasonable.


So it was with high hopes and great anticipation that I popped open a Chatoe Rogue First Growth Single Malt Ale bomber.  This ale is brewed with Dare malt, Revolution hops and Pacman yeast . . . pacman, I say! Waka waka waka


This ale is from Rogue's Chatoe series.  The beers in this group are labelled “GYO”, as in Grow Your Own.  The ingredients that go into these beers are grown by Rogue and contain one of each ingredient . . . one type of malt,  one variety of hops, and one strain of yeast.  Plus something they call "free range" water . 

I digress . . . Single Malt Ale is a fairly sessionable beer at 5.3% ABV.  It's a fairly light blonde ale that pours a cloudy amber gold with a nice creamy head.  It has a bready aroma that transitions nicely from nose to palate.   Citrus, fruit and bitter hops compliment the malt creating a smooth medium bodied beer . . . delicious.


I would recommend you grab one and give it a go.  This is a pretty darn good beer!


Make sure to visit Rogue's website and visit them on Facebook!

New Brew Thursday - Moat Mountain Iron Mike Pale Ale and Chatoe Rogue OREgasmic Ale

There are many types of ales . . . Pale ones, Brown ones and Ales that hail from Scotland and Belgium, there are Old ones and Mild ones and so on and so forth.  They all have their own special characteristics, but in general ales are brewed from malted barley and hops.  

Ales are top fermented at a warm temperature because of the variety of yeast used.  Ales tend to have a sweet, full bodied, fruity taste and, depending on the amount of hops used, the hoppy bitterness acts in concert with the sweet malt to create symphony of flavor.

One of my favorite ales is Iron Mike’s brewed by Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewery.  Moat Mountain is a small brew pub the makes micro batches of some marvelous beers.  Located in the Mount Washington Valley of the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it is one of our favorite places to stop for beer and food when we vacation there. 

Iron Mikes is a pale ale that comes in BIG 24 ounce cans . . . and like it says . . . everyone likes big cans! 

Don’t be put off by the fact that this beer comes in a can.  The can does an excellent job of protecting the beer from ultra-violet light.  Not that I don’t like bottled beer, but the cans protect the beer from skunking much better than bottles that allow the evil light in. 

Poured into a tall, cold glass Mikes flows a paled golden color with a fluffy head.  It imparts a citrusy aroma that is a mouthwatering tease to the grapefruity flavor.  It’s hoppy without being overly bitter . . . Mikes is nicely balanced and a truly refreshing brew.  A very drinkable 5.6% ABV . . . sit back, have a couple and chill.  All hail the pale ale!

For more information, check out Moat Mountain's website or visit them on Facebook

A new-to-me ale that I picked up recently was Chatoe Rogue OREgasmic Ale brewed by Rogue Brewery. Rogue is easily one of my favorite micro-breweries.  Located in the pacific northwest they are another brewery that made their start as a brew pub but have now expanded distribution so that we on the east coast may enjoy their yummy beers.

OREgasmic Ale is one of four special brews that are marketed as GYO (grow your own).  This particular beer is made with Dare malt and Revolution hops which Rogues grows on their micro farms . . . get it?  GYO?  

This ale has a golden amber color that holds it's creamy head.  Pouring this ale will release a piney/fruity aroma.  OREgasmic is a full bodied beer that tastes of hops and malt and caramel . . . 

. . . an amazing blend of flavors that are very well balanced.  It finishes clean with little to no after taste.  Quite delicious!  6.0% ABV

Visit Rogue at their website  or on Facebook 

New Brew Thursday - Double Tap . . . Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar and Lagunita Wilco Tango Foxtrot

Various and strange the long-winded tale;

And halls, and knights, and feats of arms, display'd;

Or merry swains, who quaff the nut-brown ale,

And sing, enamour'd of the nut-brown maid;

                                       James Beattie, The Minstrel (1771)

 . . . and so I sing the praises of Rogue's Hazelnut Brown Nectar.  My first sip of this beer was reminiscent of the first home-brew my husband endeavored to make.  The likeness was remarkable . . . and that's a good thing.  

This Rogue brew is, as the name would suggest, a brown ale.  It poured with a light, fluffy head that quickly dissipated.  I was immediately stuck by wonderful nutty aroma and its inviting warm brown color.  The taste was rich and flavorful; hazelnut dominates this malty ale that finishes with a hint of sweetness.

Unlike lighter tasting beers that beg to be guzzled, this is a nice beer to sit back and relax with.  Wonderful after a meal to be sipped, savored and simply enjoyed.   Quite delicious.  6.2% alcohol by volume.

Rogue, located in Oregon, is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries; with its amazing variety of craft beers.  

Visit Rogue at their website  or on Facebook 

Lagunita Wilco Tango Foxtrot  . . . a malty, robust, jobless recovery ale . . . WTF indeed.  

What’s in a name?  If you know your military letter call signs, then you’ll know.  If not, well, I’m not going to spell it out for you.

And the subtitle?  A beer the jests about the current economy and the policies that have put us where we are . . . you know, $4 for a gallon of gasoline? 

A beer with a sense of humor; well, that only adds to the appeal.

It pours a rich reddish brown color with small head.  It has a malty aroma with mild hoppy undertones.   It’s slightly bitter upfront but not over powering and then finishes with almost chocolaty.  WTF is medium bodied, full flavored brown ale. It goes down smooth and easy . . . and that’s pretty dangerous for a beer that is nearly 8% alcohol by volume. 

The Lagunitas Brewing Company is a brewery located near Lagunitas, California.  They are known as much for their unorthodox approach to traditional beer styles as for their unique packaging.

Visit Rogue at their website  or on Facebook  

New Brew Thursday - Double Tap . . . Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA and Rogue Yellow Snow IPA

If you had asked me a month ago if I was a fan of India Pale Ales I would have responded with a resounding ‘no’.  If you asked me today I’d say I’ve got a hankerin’ for some of that bitter, citrusy goodness!  Really!  I think I just drooled a little simply thinking about one. Mmmm.

Why the sudden turn about?  I don’t know.  Maybe IPA’s, like beer in general, are an acquired taste and perhaps I’ve acquired the taste.  Or, maybe I never had a good IPA and I’ve recently had a few very good ones.  Perhaps, it’s a combination of the two. Whatever the case I thinking I’m liking IPA’s. 

Let me introduce you to a pair of IPA’s that have reversed my opinion of the hoppy brew.

The first is Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA.  Dogfish Head Brewery is based in Milton, Delaware and gets its name from Dogfish Head, Maine where the brewery’s founder spent his childhood summers.

 

As the beer poured into the glass the bright golden color really caught my attention . . . it was very rich looking . . . very appealing.  The grapefruity aroma as I took my first whiff of the 60 minute was mouthwatering.  

The first taste was equally lip smacking.  The beer is citrusy and as hoppy as I would expect an IPA to be with a bitter finish.  Overall I didn’t think the hoppiness was overpowering and the tart fruit flavors were refreshing.  A very drinkable and yummy beer. 

6% alcohol by volume.

Visit Dogfish Head at their website  or on Facebook 

The second is Yellow Snow IPA by Rogue Ales.  Frankly, I picked it because of the fun label and a name that couldn’t be denied.  The fact that I’m not (or wasn’t) and IPA drinker didn’t matter . . . I had to try it!   All I can say is the Yellow Snow was gooooood and didn’t not disappoint.

 

Rogue started out as a brewpub and is headquartered in Newport, Oregon.  It is a small but growing brewery with a variety of craft beers that are distributed throughout the United States.  I know this because I live all the way on the other side of the country and it seems like there’s a new Rogue beer to try every time I visit my local package store.

Unlike its namesake, Yellow Snow is immediately inviting . . . it is a deep gold color with bright fruity aroma of grapefruit with a hint of pine.    The beer has a cloudy, unfiltered appearance and pours a big head.   It’s hoppy, but not in-your-face or over the top.   It rolls over the tongue with a hint of caramel and spiciness that fully compliments the citrusy, bitter goodness.  Yellow Snow is truly a good brew . . .two thumbs up! 

6.2% alcohol by volume.

Visit Rogue at their website  or on Facebook 

I still aver that I am not a hophead, but I appreciate these citrusy bitter beers more and more as I have better and better ones.  Bring on the IPA!