Rogue Farms GYO Beers

Rogue Farms Growing by the Glass

Rogue Farms are now producing every ingredient of their new GYO line of beers. I had the chance tonight to attend a free beer tasting and to hear more about them. It's amazing that a brewery set off to control their entire production from ground to glass as they call it. They not only grow the malt, rye, and hops but, also the spices and teas they add to their beers as well. Their mead is now made from the honey that their own bees produce. I am impressed.

The first beer we tasted tonight was Single Malt Ale. This was an excellent well balance beer for easy drinking. It was lightly floral with just a very slight hint of hops.  Good beer for a hot afternoon.

The second was Good Chit Pilsner and it really was good. In fact this might now be at the top of my list of Pilsners. It was sweet but not overly malty, almost no trace of hops, and no after taste. I can picture drinking this beer with some watermelon after mowing the lawn.

Third in line was Dirtoir Black Lager. I know they are calling this a lager but I'm going to call it a porter. Sure they used a lager yeast but if you tasted it and weren't told, you would swear that it was a excellently brewed porter. It was very malty with great hints of smoke and chocolate malts. This would be better suited for the end of a rainy day than the middle of a sunny one but good nonetheless.

The fourth beer was ORegasmic Ale, a very nicely hopped IPA. It was well balanced with a sweet malt taste, full mouthfeel, and bite of their Freedom and Liberty hops. I can see drinking this with some chips and sour cream  and chive dip. Makes me think about long hot summer days.

Fifth in line was a Mead.....it was a mead, not bad but still a mead....next

The sixth and final beer was Roguenbeir Rye Ale, my favorite of the group and the one I bought to take home. It was smoky, malty, very smooth, with a light mouthfeel. I drank this with a avocado hamburger fresh off the grill and they matched perfect. I'd suggest avoiding any smoked foods as the beer is smoky enough. Maybe a grilled chicken salad with garden fresh tomatoes and a balsamic vinaigrette  dressing.

As a quick side note, if you get a chance to attend one of their beer tastings do it, they gave us free pint glasses, bumper stickers, and wrist bands on top of sampling all the great beers.

Pinkus Organic Münster Alt ...Wolrd's First Organic Brewery

Pinkus Müller Brewery, Münster Alt : Münster Alt Style, 5.1% ABV, 1 pint 0.9 oz

Honesty First: I never heard of a Munster Alt before and had to look it up. According to gregroe.com a Munster Alt is a "regional Altbier that is brewerd in and around Münster, which is about 80 miles (128km) northwest of Düsseldorf.  Münster alt is typically lower in gravity and alcohol, slightly sour, and lighter in color than other Alts."

When I purchased this "Organic" beer I was expecting to taste something closer to a traditional Alt beer with maybe a slight dirt taste (Just kidding about the dirt taste, Organic brewers need not send complaints). But as I poured it into my glass I noticed it was lighter in color than I would have expected. With a light golden color and nice white head I was reminded of other lighter German styles. It's aroma was slight but still malty and opposite to what I have read online, the Münster Alt did not smell slightly sour to me.

When I took my first drink I was pleased. It was light and had a very smooth mouthfeel. It tasted slightly malty with a hint of citrus. I knew I chose the right snack for this beer tonight (by luck). I sat down with a bag of tortilla chips and fresh guacamole. In fact halfway through the glass I had to remind myself that this was an Alt and not a Vienna Lager from Mexico, it was gone before I knew it.

Have this beer with chips and salsa, guacamole, a tamale, or anything slightly spicy, it's light enough to wash it down without filling the belly before you finish your meal. Excellent beer to try.

If I wasn't drinking a glass of beer right now, I'd be on my way to get one -ME





Alaskan Brewing Company, WHITE

Alaskan Brewing Company, White: Wheat Ale brewed with spices, 4.8% ABV, 1 pint 6 oz

Alaskan's White Ale is brewed in the style of a Belgian Witbier which are characterized by the suspended wheat proteins creating a cloudy appearance in an unfiltered beer.         
The head on this ale is a wonderful foamy white cloud that slowly dissolves yielding a nice faint thin layer. It's aroma is malty sweet with hints of fruit and spice.

When you sit back and enjoy this beer you will be pleased by how smooth and subtle the flavors are. Like all Belgian Style beers the yeast yields a nice fruity taste while the spices compliment it perfectly. This is an excellent example of a witbier.

I'd pair this ale up with something light like a chicken salad or even some grilled veggies and fruit.

Warsteiner Premium Verum, EINE KÖNIGIN UNTER DEN BIEREN

Warsteiner, Premium Verum: Pilsner, 4.8% ABV, 1 pint 6.3 oz

The label tells us exactly what to expect: "EINE KÖNIGIN UNTER DEN BIEREN" which translated to English means "A Queen Among Beers." This pilsner really is that good.

When you first pour her golden liquid into your glass you will notice a nice white head that is nit very foamy. The head retention is not long and nor would you expect this light of a beer to hold its head for long. The aroma is a nice gentle brush of malt, not over powering at all. As far as appearance and aroma goes this Pilsner presents it self like royalty.

From the first taste I became a fan. It is crisp, smooth, and dry. With no lingering aftertaste I found myself very pleased and wanting more.

I found that it agreed perfectly with pizza. In fact I will make a point of picking some this pilsner up for my next pizza night. I also plan on trying this Pilsner out with popcorn, yes popcorn, on our next movie night.

Widmer Brothers: Green & Gold (107ist and Timber Army)

Widmer Brothers, Green & Gold:  Kölsch Style Ale, 5.2% ABV, 1pint 6 oz

"We are RCTID (Rose City Til I Die) Each year the Timbers Army & the 107ist host a homebrew competition, bringing out the best in what makes the Rose City great: craft beer, creativity and a passion for the green and white. Timbers Army homebrewer Abram Goldman-Armstrong’s recipe was chosen and brewed by Widmer Brothers for you to enjoy as you cheer on your Timbers. Pints up Portland." -according to the bottle's label

OK first off, this is just one of the many things I love about Oregon. The breweries really appreciate the home brewers and do what they can to support their town. This is just one example out of many.

At first pour you get a skunky aroma that soon disappears and becomes a very faint aroma. The head
on this Ale is a nice fluffy white foam that unfortunately dissipates quickly. It has a very lightly hopped malty mouth feel with hints of citrus and/or lemon grass. The finish is dry with a biscuit after taste.

This is a perfect example of an American Style Kölsch; light, dry, and excellent on a warm spring day. I can picture sitting back after mowing the lawn enjoying one or a few of these while grilling up brats.

I wouldn't pair this beer up with anything to hearty. It's dry finish might actually make it perfect to have with Grilled Trout, Smoked Salmon, or better yet some Sushi.

 

Enjoy your next beer, hopefully it's not your last.....

Portland Brewing: ZigZag Lager



Portland Brewing, ZigZag Lager: Lager (American Domestic),5.1% ABV, 1pint 6 oz

Let me just start this off by stating that I have been a big fan of Portland Brewing since my first MacTarnahan's...and with Pyramid ownership of them I was happy since I love their hefeweizen. So writing this isn't easy but I have to be honest....here it goes.

The nose on this beer is very light with very little hint of any hops.
From the first mouthful I realized that this beer was lacking something, in fact it lacked balance and depth. It was watery and reminded me of something, I couldn't figure out what. So after making my wife taste it, she hit it on the nose and it came to me as well, "taste like a Coors". Sadly she was right. The warmer the lager got the harder it was to drink, it reminded me of everything I dislike about so called Domestic Beers. I was sadly disappointed and have to admit, I did not finish it.

This may be the perfect transition beer, that is often talked about, that will get domestic drinkers to move from Bud, Miller, or Coors to craft beers but, as for myself....I have to say sadly, "Don't Taste This Beer".

If you already have and disagree with me then tell me why I'm wrong. 



Brown Shugga

Lagunitas Brown Shugga 2012: Winter Ale, 9.9% ABV, 12 oz

This might just be the best year for Brown Shugga to date.... Ok so about 7 years ago my friend Justin offered me one, I accepted seeing how excited he was about them, but to my disappointment I didn't like it at all. That years tasted like cold medicine filtered through used coffee grounds. I never thought this product would last. I was wrong, really wrong. Being the beer-venturist I am, I continued to try Brown Shugga every year since. With that said I profess that with every year they have improved the recipe and in 2012 they perfected it. In fact after tasting it I bought 2 cases (wholesale of coarse). So as I sit down and enjoy the last of my stock I felt inspired to start writing on my Beer Blog again.

Back to the beer: Brown Shugga has a nice rich malt taste that lingers in your mouth while warming your stomach with it's high alcohol content. It's roasted caramel flavor and slight hop character make it a perfect after dinner drink. This beer was to be enjoyed slowly and not pounded down. As far a it's nose holds, well you'd expect that it would be over powering since 9.9% is pretty high but it is surprisingly mild for it's weight.

Ok I know it may be a little late to run out and grab a six pack but if you happen to see one in the back of your friends fridge, bypass the spring beers and tell them you'll be celibrating the winter that passed. And definitely add Brown Shugga to your late year shopping list.