| Product: |
Rogue Dead Guy Ale |
| Date: |
26.10.06 (88 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: A rich, dark, tasty, strong amber brew from along the frontier trail
Disadvantages: Intermittent supplies; you might have to search for it
I have to say that I have had quite a piratical time over the last few months, what with the re-opening of the Pirates of the Caribbean at Walt DisneyWorld, Florida; the second coming of Captain Jack Sparrow in the movie sequel and now an operatic visit from the denizens of Penzance. To celebrate I am going revisit a rather interesting brew that I first came across a couple of years ago (interesting by name and interesting by nature) and which I had the pleasure to sample on tap on a trip to Southern California last year.
This is the first of three reviews of the products of a single brewery. So I hope that you will come along with me if not in actuality, then at least in spirit (or some other ethanolic derivative) and I shall endeavour to indicate which of your local emporia will be able to supply you with a liberal supply of the daily target libation for a few coins of the local realm.
The United States of America is literally littered with ale houses and breweries right across the fifty one. This example comes from the end of the old frontiersman trail – Oregon. Forget the gruesome connotations, the piracy, the skeletal hauntings – here is a taste of the New World that will send shivers through the staid establishment of the Old One.
THE BREWERY
Rogue Ales was founded in 1988 by a trio of industrialists who set up a brewpub (a microbrewery that also has a hostelry that sells its own produce) in Ashland, Oregon. The next year another brewpub was opened in Newport. Over the following years, they diversified in beer type, strength and flavour and now they produce an impressive 25 different labels.
The brewmasters pride themselves on using only the finest hops and barley malt, free range coastal water and Pacman top fermenting proprietary yeast. They guarantee that their beers are preservative-, additive- , chemical- free. Rogue beers are not pasteurised. The ales are bottled using an oxygen absorbing cap, brown glass for better shelf life, and plenty of malted barley and hops to provide stability.
They say of Dead Guy Ale: “Gratefully dedicated to the Rogue in each of us. In the early 1990s Dead Guy Ale was created as a private tap sticker to celebrate the Mayan Day of the Dead (November 1st, All Souls Day) for Casa U Betcha in Portland, Oregon. The Dead Guy design proved popular and was incorporated into a bottled product a few years later with Maierbock as the elixir. Strangely, the association with the Grateful Dead is pure coincidence.”
In the States, the beers are available in 22 fluid ounce single bottles, 12 flouid ounce six-packs and, in selected areas, on draft.
THE BOTTLE
The Rogue brews arrive on these shores in a tall and bulky dark brown glass bottle (650ml). The bottles have front and rear labels that are “painted” onto the glass. The mainly black crown cap bears the name “Rogue” and the mantra ‘Dedicated to the rogue in each of us”.
Dead Guy Ale is decorated with a skeleton sitting atop a barrel of Rogue beer and announces that it is Oregon brewed. The colour scheme is red, black and white. It is brewed to 6% ABV (“A handcrafted micropiece by Rogue Ales, Oregon) from the simple basic ingredients (“Pacman” ale yeast, Northwest Harrington, Klages, Maier Munich and Carastan malts and Perle and Saaz hops). Your friendly importer happens to be James Clay & Sons of Elland. (I bet they have fun deciding which brew to bring in for your delight and which to keep for themselves!!)
The bottle under examination was said to be best before July 1st 2006 (or was that January 7th 2006? – depends which side of the Atlantic you happen to be reading the label!)**
THE DRINK
I stored the bottles in the fridge during the day prior to opening. You should know by now that I chill (even over chill) my beer the American way. They store their beers in huge refrigerators in Publix, Albertsons etc – particularly in Florida so you can pick up an ice cold six pack ready for the beach. I pulled the cap off (with a bottle opener – I never trust these bottle tops to come off by finger pressure) and was greeted by a gentle hissing sound. Dead Guy Ale poured a rich red amber colour that was crystal clear in the glass, leaving no sediment in the bottle. It produced a good lasting sandy red head and generous sparkle.
It has a delightful malty nose (a mixture of malt extract and crushed malted milk biscuits – I know, I tried it) and wafts of honey. It is a smooth, rich, quite full bodied brew. The first taste again is strongly laced with malt. Its alcoholic strength is immediately apparent on the tongue. It starts as a mid bitter, slightly sweet burst in the mouth. As the bitterness develops further there are also hints of flowers and delicately scented fruits. After swallowing it leaves a refreshingly lingering gentle bitterness on the palate.
I drank mine perched on a high bar stool, dipping alternatively into a bowl of mixed nuts and pretzels (freshly poured I hasten to add – you have all heard the story about bar nuts haven’t you?!) and “Extra Cheesy” nachos with a chilli tomato salsa. Spot one!
Once you have got past the somewhat threatening aura of the label, Dead Guy Ale is a delightful brew. Rich, full flavoured and strong – reminiscent in may ways of the amber German or central European ales. It’s perhaps a bit pricey in the UK (but it is a very recent immigrant) and, given the large size bottle you probably wouldn’t want to drink more than one at a sitting. Go on, go out and give it a try. This is a first class American beer – not thin, pallid, weak or insipid. The extra sales may well tempt James, or whoever else is doing the importing, to bring more New World microbrews to our shores.
AVAILABILITY
Rogue “Dead Guy Ale”. Intermittent supplies have been seen in both Sainsburys and Morrisons. Last price: 650ml bottle £2.99
(I’m staying in Oregon for the moment. Next time I’ll bring you Rogue Amber Ale.
BTW: The date reads 01/07/2006. English dates read the second digit as the month number; American dates read the second digit as the day number – hence the cause for transatlantic confusion. )
[POSTSCRIPT: Sniff! - This review has had me hankering back to the days of the old TRS-80 – my very first computer. I remember playing a D&D game – with rudimentary graphics but devilishly addictive game play – called “Rogue” in the mid 1980s. I don’t think I ever found the Amulet of Yendor. I vaguely remember Pacman too – but I didn’t realise it was a type of yeast!]
Summary: Excellent example of American brewing
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