Rogue beer! What's your favorite?

[darkestdays]

Hi everyone,

I have had two different kinds of Rogue beers so far, and I can't bring myself to buy anything but Deadguy ale. It's just too good!

It wasn't until about a month ago that a friend bought the Imperial Stout, and he was nice enough to share it with me. Delicious, but expensive ($19 for one bottle, but the bottle is bad ass)!

Does anyone have a recommendation for the other rogue beers?
I want to try the Imperial IPA, but again, it's pretty expensive.

Also, does anyone know if they still sell the pacman yeast?

 

[neko]

I'm a fan of their dark beers like the Imperial Stout, Shakespeare Stout, Chocolate Stout, Mocha Porter and I only get them on tap at the brewery/brewpub or at their garage sales since it's hella expensive at the grocery store. I guess being in Michigan doesn't really let you do that though.

The two LHBS near me both have pacman in the Wyeast smack packs. I don't know if this is available nationwide, or only in Oregon.

 

[z987k]

Eh they're kind of expensive for what they are. Not to mention there is a brewery out there that makes a better version of all of their beers. I guess what I'm saying is I've never had Rouge and been like, wow that's great.

 

[svudah]

If you're going to throw down on a imperial ceramic, then I'd go with the Old Crustacean Barleywine. It is still my favorite American Barleywine. Better yet, get two and put one away for a couple of years. Shakespeare Stout is another truly excellent beer and its a pretty easy way of harvesting Pacman yeast.

I don't know if these will make it out to Michigan, but Glen Ale and the new Sig's Deadliest Ale are both fantastic. Morimoto's Black Obi Buckwheat Ale is a real trip, dark and malty with a silky, light body.

 

[ifishsum]

I love me some Dead Guy Ale...and Yooper's clone recipe is pretty spot on IMO. My fourth batch is in the secondary right now, in fact.

Wyeast Labs sells Pacman yeast, it used to be a limited seasonal release but I'm told that it's part of their regular offerings now.

 

[user 30639]

Eh they're kind of expensive for what they are. Not to mention there is a brewery out there that makes a better version of all of their beers. I guess what I'm saying is I've never had Rouge and been like, wow that's great.

Yeah, that's what keeps me from buying a lot of their beers. Specs is the only store in town that routinely carries Rouge (that I know of) and its something like 11 or 12 bucks for a sixer of Dead Guy Ale. Now, don't get me wrong, I really like Dead Guy Ale, but there are plenty of beers I like more that cost less.

I do really want to try their chili pepper beer though. I've been trying to come up with a recipe for my own, and I'd like to try someone else's first.

 

[TXCrash]

Old crustacean. Hands down.

Love the deadguy ale too.

The wife is in love with their hazelnut brown.

 

[PseudoChef]

When they stop retailing $12/6-pack for mediocre beer, then maybe I'll give Rogue a try. This is the most overpriced brewery I've ever come across, methinks. ****, I can get a 6-pack of most other craft beers for about $8-$9.

You can purchase Pacman yeast through my LHBS: Rebel Brewer.

 

[MrShake]

Their Brutal Bitter is a VERY nice beer... could drink it all day... I'd be drunk, but I'd drink it all day.

 

[McKBrew]

Rogue beers are common out here, but they make so damned many that I haven't even come close to trying them all.

Liked the Double Dead Guy, but most of the other beers I've only tried once and never wrote down any tasting notes.

 

[Diablotastic]

My vote is for the Hazelnut Brown Nectar....best brown I've had IMHO

I like the Dry Hopped Red too...it think thats the name

 

[Revvy]

I love me some Rogue...Dead Guy is one of my goto beers, but I've brewed 5 batches of Yooper's clone (including the lager version I did on sunday) I also like Double DG, & Shakespeare stout. I wasn't impressed with The Hazelnut...But I'm a rogue head bigtime!

 

[Grinder12000]

Chocolate Stout and Hazelnut Brown (2nd best Brown I know (ale Asylum Madtown Nutbrown as it beat)) - I WISH I could duplicate their after taste - just amazing.

I'm a Rogue head

 

[hopsalot]

Any think out otf John's Locker Stock, had one called Glen Ale once, delicious. Or the XS imperial IPA

 

[farmbrewernw]

I like the Hazelnut Brown and the Shakespeare Stout, as many others have said they are really expensive for what they put out, I mean yeah their packaging is cool but ultimately I just want to drink the beer. I can commonly buy bombers of far better beers here for a few dollars less than Rogue. Rogue is kind of like the Nike of beers, it's all about the image really, sure they make a good product but put a Ninkasi IPA up against a Rogue IPA and I'll always choose the Ninkasi even though there labels are nothing to talk about.

 

[ArcaneXor]

I don't particularly care for their "house flavor", which probably comes from the yeast they use. I put them in the same category as Dogfish Head - they make some interesting, but very expensive beers that are nice to drink every once in a while, but I'll look elsewhere for everyday drinking beers.

 

[HoppyDaze]

nothing like a dead guy from the tap at the brewery...

 

[944play]

I like Shakespeare Stout.
Mocha Porter is meh.
Can't stand Dead Guy.
XS IIPA is overpriced sugary bile.

 

[Diablotastic]

Chocolate Stout and Hazelnut Brown (2nd best Brown I know (ale Asylum Madtown Nutbrown as it beat)) - I WISH I could duplicate their after taste - just amazing.

I'm a Rogue head

I'll have to give that brown a shot

 

[remilard]

I like brutal bitter, shakespeare stout, and santa's private reserve a lot.

It is really popular right now to hate on Rogue. Five years ago it was Sierra Nevada that everyone hated, then Dogfish Head, now Rogue. It will probably be Stone next and then Russian River. Just wait, all breweries will make overpriced mediocre beer when their turn comes.

 

[brewt00l]

JLS Porter from a couple years back was fantastic...Brutal Bitter is nice, 10,000 Brew was very tasty, Yellow Snow was good this year. Haven't had the Hazel Nut Brown in a while but I remember enjoying that. Shakespeare and chocolate stout are solid.

Pseudo, Rogue is actually pretty reasonably priced in my neck of the woods compared to the typical craft brew.

 

[remilard]

I still get Rogue bombers for $4-$5

Since that is only a few dollars I assume those buying other bombers for a few dollars less are simply paying more for Rogue than me. It sounds like the unfair markup is occurring at retail.

 

[farmbrewernw]

It is really popular to hate on Rogue but hopefully they hear us, if living "Rogue" means meh overpriced beer than they've gone that way. I bet at some point they'll turn around, Dogfish on the other hand I think is always going to be hated on by some they just get too much hype for what they put out, they are very creative though I have to give them that.

 

[jmo88]

independence fresh-hopped is awesome. $4 is pretty reasonable for a bomber of good beer.
I don't get the DFH comparison; Rogue isn't doing anything incredibly over-the-top. Plus the hops they use don't taste like a cat pissed in the beer

 

[remilard]

Those who think it is overpriced, what are you paying for a bomber?

I mean if it is really a few dollars more than others, unless "others" are a dollar per bomber you are paying more than me.

You can't blame Rogue for your liquor store bending you over, can you?

 

[McGarnigle]

I pay over $6 a bomber for Rogue here on the other side of the country. I think all craft beer costs a bit more far way from home. Maybe not Rogue's fault, but it still discourages us from buying it more often.

That being said, I like Rogue. I even like the oft maligned Dad's Little Helper as a summer seasonal.

 

[van]

I had a Rogue Smoked Ale last night and uhh, I made my coffee too strong this morning and it brought back that oversmoked taste to my mouth.
I do enjoy a Dead Guy or four now and then but for my money I'd rather save a couple of bucks and buy some Stone Pail Ale.

 

[Beernip]

Old Crustacean Barelywine (can't beat $18 for a growler of this stuff)
Hazelnut Brown
John Locker Stock: Paul's Black Lager (wish I could get in bottles)

Just picked up a case of there new Imperial Porter that is great. 6 -750mil ceramic bottles for $30 at the warehouse sales.

Love me some Rogue..

 

[Whisler85]

both the chipotle and smoked ales are decent, but pretty much taste exactly the same

hazelnut brown is the best buy of all the bombers in my opinion, although juniper pale ale will surprise you pleasantly, i bet

in general, overpriced and not that special- someone earlier mentioned not liking the 'house' taste, from the pacman yeast- i couldnt agree more

st rogue dry-hopped red is a great beer to try and clone and play with, though

forget the big bottles- way overpriced, i only spend that kinda money on belgians and dogfishead, period

ps- everyone from oregon loves to tell me its sooooooo much better in oregon- well congrats rogue, you can't bottle beers

 

[mmb]

Dead Guy. Very nice in the growler.

Shakespeare stout is the only other one I've bought multiple times. Tasty, but expensive for what it is.

I get bombers of Rouge around here for $9 - $12. Way too pricey.

 

[svudah]

I, too, am a fan of the Dad's Little Helper. I just wish they'd bottle it in some kind of cool 40 oz bottles. Paul's Black Lager, or PBL as we all call it, is one of my new favs, but we blow through kegs of it so fast at our bar we can never keep it consistently on tap. They made a one-off (that's what I've been told) batch of an Imperial Chocolate Stout for the Japanese market that was also delicious, like a bar of hershey's melted in a 10% stout.

Unfortunately, I don't think Rogue will lower prices anytime soon. The demand is just too high.

 

[velotech]

Not a big fan of Rogue. Their beers are just soso in flavor to me. There are so many other much better beers out there IMO.

 

[remilard]

I pay over $6 a bomber for Rogue here on the other side of the country. I think all craft beer costs a bit more far way from home. Maybe not Rogue's fault, but it still discourages us from buying it more often.

That being said, I like Rogue. I even like the oft maligned Dad's Little Helper as a summer seasonal.

I pay $4-$5 in Missouri, exactly what I paid in Portland.

I'm a Rogue apologist for sure but even I will admit their beers don't travel particularly well. I can name some other well loved breweries for which the same is true though.

I don't see their beer as mediocre or uninteresting though and I certainly don't suffer for a lack of exposure to beer. I've had beer at scores of west coast brewpubs, on several continents etc. Rogue has always been a standout, in a good way, to me. I wish the criticisms were a little more specific than "expensive for what it is" because I see people hating on Rogue here day in and day out but I have not read one actual description of what was wrong with any of their beers.

The only brewery I can think of whose hoppy beers travel well is Sierra Nevada. I have always thought this was the most convincing argument George Fix made for the notion that HSA was damaging, that Sierra Nevada's beers do remarkably well in the trade and they are very advanced in terms of HSA. It could be some other part of their process though.

 

[zoebisch01]

I dunno, in spite of some of the negative comments I think the Nutbrown and the Mocha Porter are very very good. Not everything I've tried from them was stellar, but in general they make some solid beer. As for case prices, they are pretty much in the ballpark with equally good or even lower quality beer.

 

[zoebisch01]

When they stop retailing $12/6-pack for mediocre beer, then maybe I'll give Rogue a try. This is the most overpriced brewery I've ever come across, methinks. ****, I can get a 6-pack of most other craft beers for about $8-$9.

We pretty much pay around $10-$11 bucks a six for most beer here including Rogue. Not sure why though.

 

[svudah]

That's one thing about Rogue: I pay the same (and sometimes more) here in Oregon that I was paying in Upstate New York. I guess it's a little different in the middle of the country, though.

 

[brewthunda]

It's a shock seeing a six pack of Dead Guy for $12 . . . but when you do the math, that works out to $3.67 for 22 oz . . so the six packs are a bargain compared to the bombers. Just something to keep in mind when you're out shopping for fancy beers.

 

[PseudoChef]

I will make a trip to the store tonight to do some price comparison so that I get my numbers right. I know the Santa's Private Reserve was $12/6-pack and around $6-7 for a 22oz bomber because they were on the endcap next to the register last time I went to a particular store.

 

[silvervan83]

Gotta have the American Amber Ale..... because this is the freakin UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The greatest nation on God's green earth. ............. And cause its pretty tasty.

 

[tfries]

To me the most interesting beers are the Locker beers. Mogal Madness, Latona, Independence, Brewer, Glen, Blackend Brutal Bitter, Double Dead Guy.