Rogue Chipotle Ale

Rogue Chipotle Ale

Rogue Ales

IBUs: 35

Alcohol: 5.5%

Recently I reviewed Rogue's Brutal IPA, which was delicious, yes, but did not live up to its name.  Today, I'm reviewing Rogue's Chipotle Ale, an ale brewed with smoked jalapenos (aka. chipotles).  

When I purchased this bottle, I really had high hopes.  Like I've said before, Rogue makes some great beer so I was expecting this to not disappoint.  I had heard of chipotle and other pepper, or chile/hot beer in the past, but had yet to try one.  

Rogue's Chipotle Ale pours a hazy, amber red.  It actually smells quite good: moderate malts, some pepper notes, and hints of holiday spices.  Too bad it didn't taste as good as it smelled.  The taste was very, well, lackluster.  It had a mild maltiness, no discernible hops, and only a vague chipotle taste, which was presence mostly in the form of an odd bitter aftertaste.  If I had not known this was a chipotle ale, I probably wouldn't have guessed it.  Minus the weird ending bitterness, it's really quite an average ale.  Perhaps I had my hopes too high and expected upfront, in-your-face chipotle flavor with lingering cayenne-like heat.  That's too bad, because it had lots of potential, and from Rogue I was expecting more.  Maybe they will make an amped up version sometime; now that would likely be worth drinking.  For now I must search out a better chile/hot beer...

Drink This: if you want to waste some money on a beer you think is going to be flavorful.  Personally, I'd rather drink Rogue's Dead Guy Ale any day, even though that is still quite average by my standards.
Don't Drink This: if like me, you are hoping for a peppery, spicy, flavorful brew.                 

Rogue Brutal IPA

Rogue Brutal IPA

India Pale Ale

IBUs: 59 

Alcohol: 5.8%

Every once in awhile, a person wants something that they can sip on while they ponder the mysteries of the universe and life, itself.  These special times require something special, something one can sip slowly over a prolonged period of time, something strong and with amazing depth.  

I picked up the Rogue Brutal IPA thinking this would be such a beer since I had a couple hours to read a book and sit outside a cabin as the sun went down in Montana.  I have had many of the beers from Rogue Ales, a brewery out of Newport, Oregon, and most have been great brews.  So, I had high hopes for this beer, especially with "Brutal" on the label and the Rogue guy's glasses on crooked as if this beer just blew his mind.  

It poured a cloudy medium orange color and smelled of grapefruit with a moderate amount of hops.  I took a sip expecting my tongue to be blown-up by the sheer brutality of this hoppy nectar.  But no... it wasn't.  When I think of the word "brutal," I expect something, well, brutal, like Slayer, Pantera, tanks, and cage fighting.  

This beer was clearly not brutal.  
It was, however, delicious and tasted mostly of grapefruit and orange peel, with background notes of honey and bread.  It was actually very well-balanced between the hops and sweetness, and really quite easy-drinking, especially for an IPA.  This beer used to be called "Brutal Bitter," and they have only recently changed the name to "Brutal IPA," perhaps with the new rise in IPA fans, I'm not sure.  For the "brutal" label to fit, it really needs to be considerably hoppier than it is and perhaps less sweet.  

So, all in all, this was a delicious beer.  Was it "brutal?" No.  Was it yummy and well-balanced? Hell yes.  Apparently the "brutal" label threw me for a loop.  I was expecting something to rip my jaw off and force me to take small sips and ponder its depths.  Don't get me wrong, it is a great beer and I will probably buy it again, but it was just not what I was expecting from the deceiving label.