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Rogue Ales
 scrapes in
 decent
 good
 excellent
 sublime
Rogue Ales, American Amber Ale (USA) 
This beer, like all the beers in Rogue's range, is strikingly packaged in a screen-printed large brown bottle. It is an ale made with a combination of various malts and hops that must help give it some of its complexity. It pours a dark amber/red colour with a moderate off-white head. The nose is immediately dark, sweet and figgy, like stewed fruit compote with notes of caramel and roasted fruits and nuts. On the palate there is more sweet caramel and lovely chewy red fruit mid-palate. The bitterness of the hops really kicks in, with a leafy, endive and chicory bite, and that underlying malt sweetness just hovers around the edges in a very satisfying drink. A fine beer this. 5.3% ABV, 65cl. |  |
Rogue Ales, Dead Guy Ale (USA)
Brewed to celebrate the Mayan Day of the Dead (otherwise known as All Souls Day), this is a German-style "Maibock". It pours a slightly hazy light orange/gold, with quite a thick off-white head. On the nose it is not unlike the company's Amber Ale, with a rich, figgy and malty caramel character, that seems smooth and quite luxurious. On the palate it is quite full and thick, but has a clarity about it with crisp, fresh fruit flavours before a battle commences between sweet, quite syrupy malt and bittering hops. It is powerful, heady stuff, with a big, quite alcoholic finish. 6.5% ABV, 65cl. |  |
Rogue Ales, Mocha Porter (USA)
Brewed with a touch of chocolate, this beer pours a very dark, almost black tan colour with a moderate cappuccino-coloured head. The nose has a subtle hint of cooking chocolate, with softly malty, nutty tones that are smooth but not very distinctive. On the palate this is most un-Porter-like, with a foaming, quite crisp character that is fruity and bright, with just that little hint of chocolate, but in a breezy surprisingly foamy and light style. This is a very nice beer, but it somehow doesn't live up to the richness and depth suggested by its name. 5.1% ABV, 65cl, �2.99, Sainsbury's.  |  |
Rogue Ales, Smoke Ale (USA)
In the style of a German Rauchbier, Alder wood and Beech is used to smoke the malt, giving this mid-gold beer a distinctively smoky bacon and charry, toasty nose. There are nice leafy hop notes, and a touch of clove too. On the palate the smokiness is quite subdued - more so than in a beer like the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier from Heller-Trum in Germany - but it still has than lingering smoky bacon flavour with a nutty, chestnut and herbal core. There isn't huge length here, with a clean-finishing, crisp end to the beer, but it has lots of personality. 6.0% ABV, 65cl, �2.99, Sainsbury's. |  |
Rogue Ales, XS Imperial Stout (USA)
According to the label this is brewed in the style of a "Russian Imperial Stout", and, given it's 11.0% ABV, thankfully it comes in 35.5cls - about half the size of Rogue's usual giant bottles. Pouring pitch black with a moderate coffee-coloured head, this is extremely aromatic, with something vividly sweet and floral, like Parma violet, and masses of chicory, liquorice and bitumen-like tarry darkness. Dark-roasted espressso beans add a smoky depth. On the palate the fireworks continue, with a searingly sweet component that initially dominates, quickly butting up to those dark, roasted, dramatically bitter malts and a huge hit of bittering hops that together are pretty immovable. This finishes slightly short given the hurricane force aromas and initial flavours, with a lingering sweetness and soy-sauce, salty, bitter character. A singular beer that you will probably love or loathe with an equal passion. 11.0% ABV, 35.5cl, �1.99, Sainsbury's. |  |
Rogue Ales, Younger's Special Bitter (USA)
An hommage to English bitter, this beer is named after Bill Younger of the Horse Brass Pub in Oregon, rather than the old William Younger of Edinburgh. It pours a nice medium-deep gold, with a moderate off-white head. The nose has a very appealing biscuitty richness, with some grass and nettle aromas (Kent Golding hops are used). There's a little hint of honey and dried apricot in a very attractive aromatic profile. On the palate this is smooth and quite full-bodied, with rich, rounded, biscuitty and golden, oaty flavours, before a crisp, citruss and nettly hop finish. Long and beautifully balanced, this is a superb beer from Rogue. 4.8% ABV, 65cl, �2.99, Sainsbury's.  |  |
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