Rogue Ales
Newport, OR
Available: nationally
Originally designed by Rogue brewer Nate Lindquist and revised by head brewer John Maier, this scotch ale is returning to the market after a near-decade absence.
ABV: 7.9
ABW: 6.3
Color: 28
Bitterness: 45
Original gravity: 1029
It’s nice to have another visit from Rogue’s Scotch Ale, and even nicer that Rogue’s XS series returns in the perfect single-sized seven-ounce bottles. McRogue starts out sweet, with toffee and caramel making themselves known right away and a bit of alcohol, butterscotch and brown sugar sneaking up behind before the toffee makes a strong finish. There’s just a hint of hops, and a subtle hand with smoke in the background to keep the sweetness in check. This beer will be even better after cellaring, so enjoy one now, but lay several down for a typically Scottish rainy day.
As suggested by the nip bottles, this beer is a strong Scotch ale, a style that tends to be richly malty, offering sweetness to the fore and a warming glow of alcohol behind. Rogue’s take certainly delivers in these respects, and also piles on the fruit, with suggestions of strawberry popsicle in both aroma and taste. Already, it is not too heavy or sweet, but I reckon it would benefit from time in the bottle to dry a little and find some depth. “Best aged for one year,” declares the label and that advice is probably spot on.
Lisa Morrison, aka The Beer Goddess, writes about beer whenever she can and also gets to talk about it on a weekly radio show in her hometown of Portland, OR.
Author of the Good Bottled Beer Guide and The Book of Beer Knowledge, Jeff Evans is an eight-time editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and one of Britain's best-known beer writers.
