Name: Rogue Ales
Location: Multiple locations, started in Ashland, Oregon, now multiple pubs/alehouses mostly centered in Oregon, but there are California and Washington state locations. The main brewery is in Newport, Oregon.
Type: Production brewery/brewpub
Available in DC Market: Yes
What you need to know: Started as a brewpub in 1988, Rogue Ales has since expanded to a number of locations and enjoys a wide distribution in the United States. It is arguably one of the most recognizable craft beer brands in the U.S. In 2011, Rogue will produce over 25 varieties of beer, of which they are perhaps most famous for the Dead Guy ale, a very flavorful Maibock. Rogue is guided by a creed that helps it to carry out its “small revolution, which expresses itself through handcrafted Ales, Porters, Stouts, Lagers and Spirits.” One of Rogue’s goal is to save the Oregon terroir by planting their own barley and hops acre by acre.
Beer #1: Chatoe Rogue OREgasmic Ale
Notes: Brewed entirely with Oregon ingredients, this beer is a pale ale with a spicy hop kick. This beer is representative of so much of what is important to Rogue; using fresh local ingredients to make a great product with a backstory. This beer has a nice malty backbone with an assertive (but not overly bitter) hop finish. It is being paired with herb roasted mushrooms on toast, which should be very nice. The hops will cut through the richness of the mushrooms.
Beer Advocate: B+ (91 reviews)
Rate Beer: 92 overall, 95 style
Beer #2: Rogue Creamery 75th Anniversary Ale
Notes: This beer will be making its debut at SAVOR. It honors the 75th Anniversary of the Rogue Creamery. More information on the beer can be found here, but this is not the first time that the two Oregon Rogues have collaborated (in the past they have collaborated on the Morimoto Soba Ale Cheddar and Chocolate Stout Cheddar). This beer will be paired with a Rogue Creamery “hop cheese,” which is infused with hand-picked hop leaves. This combination is the ultimate in Oregon terroir. It looks like this beer will be an amber to brown ale based on the grain bill, and you will definitely not want to miss this combination. Hop cheese? Awesome.
Beer Advocate: N/A
Rate Beer: N/A
Summary: Seriously. Two words. Hop cheese. How could you not want to taste the anniversary offering from a place like Rogue Creamery, especially when it’s been paired specifically with a beer from a brewer with so much history like Rogue Ales? This should be a very popular combination at SAVOR and one that a lot of people are going to want to jump on. Am I a little concerned about the texture of having hop leaves in my cheese? A bit, yes, but it won’t keep me from making a beeline for this.
This profile is a part of the DCBEER.COM SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2011 SAVOR participants.
Beer Review Disclaimer: The beer reviews found on Beer Advocate and Rate Beer do not represent the opinions of this site. We provide these in the hope that they will serve as a resource showing what some craft beer fans have thought of the beers. These reviews can be a helpful guideline, but are not the be-all end-all about a beer’s strengths or weaknesses.
