It’s Friday night and we are ready for another beer tasting! This week, we’re reviewing four beers from Ashland, Oregon’s Rogue Ales and their new mix pack, “Supply Drop”!
So, please, go get your favorite beverage, sit down, kick back and enjoy as we do our tasting!
Our first beer is…
BEER: Dreamland (American Lager)
ABV: 4.8%
MATT: 3.5/5
DANIELLE: 3.25/5
LOOK: Gold and clear
SCENT: Sweet corn, wheat, spices
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Slightly thick mouthfeel. Nice, easy taste of corn and wheat. Goes down easy and no bite.
FINAL REFLECTIONS: This is a nice crushable lager and one that would go great at any outdoor BBQ or with a plate of tacos. The problem is that it’s almost too basic and almost suffers because of that. That said, it’s an inoffensive beer and one that I’d reach for again.
BEER: Newport Daze (Hazy Pale Ale)
ABV: 5.5%
MATT: 3.75/5 (Changed from recording)
DANIELLE: 3.5/5
LOOK: Gold and hazy
SCENT: Orange citrus and pine
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Thick mouthfeel. Very fruit-forward with a lot of orange and hints of grapefruit. No real “bite”.
FINAL REFLECTIONS: This is a filling pale ale with a lot of orange fruit juice pumped into it. It also has a slight grapefruit flavor which leaves a tiny bit of bitterness on the tongue. That characteristic “bite” isn’t present which makes this a pretty easy drinker. I enjoyed this beer immensely — though my wife thought it was a touch below what I was tasting.
BEER: Batsquatch (Hazy IPA)
ABV: 6.7%
MATT: 3.75/5
DANIELLE: 3.25/5
LOOK: Gold and hazy
SCENT: A little citrus and pine
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Thick mouthfeel. This is almost identical to the last beer we had — but with a little bitterness added to it and not so much fruit this time around.
FINAL REFLECTIONS: This is an enjoyable IPA, reminiscent of Stone’s lower end “juicy hazy” beers. The bite adds dimension to things and the fruit is most welcome to counter-balance it but it’s all too familiar, especially since we just had a hazy that tastes just like it.
BEER: Dead Guy Ale
ABV: 6.8%
MATT: 2.5/5
DANIELLE: 2.75/5
LOOK: Amber and clear
SCENT: Fruit and spice with a little malt
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Very smoky and earthy and bitter, with a hint of fall spice like cinnamon. Malt is present but this feels like a beer that doesn’t know what it wants to be.
FINAL REFLECTIONS: It’s a fall beer with malt and slight caramel notes. A nice spicy — but dry — finish. The issue is that there’s a bitterness to it which throws everything off. Not a whole lot of broad flavor. Unfortunate because this beer did look promising.
FINAL OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Overall, an interesting series of flavors. The Lager was a nice start with two good ales in between. The last tasting almost weighed the entire thing down — but overall, we liked Rogue Ale’s “Supply Drop”.
HEAR OUR FINAL THOUGHTS!:
NEXT WEEK: Valentine’s Day is on the 14th, so we may try something sweet…stay tuned!