Rogue John John Dead Guy

My affinity for bourbon barrel aged beers continues with Rouge's John John Dead Guy Ale. This is their standard, and quite good, Dead Guy Ale aged in their own whiskey barrels.

Pours a deep, cloudy honey with a wisp of white head atop. Very floral nose with honey and vanilla in the back. Of all the bourbon barrel aged beers I've had, this is easily one of the most bourbony. A bit of a bitter alcohol punch in front followed by vanilla, smooth butteryness, and wood in the finish. It has quite a bit more of a hop kick than most beers with this much bourbon, and it works as a nice counterpoint. The finish isn't long and smooth like other barrel aged, it's short, bitter, and dry.

Overall, very complex and delicious!

Grade: A

Rogue Mocha Porter

Rogue's Mocha Porter certainly has a lot of promise. I love porters, I love mocha, and while my experience with Rogue is limited, I have really enjoyed everything so far.

I feel like the name is a little misleading, though. I think it would be better classified as a mocha stout. It has more of the roasted and bitter flavors that I associate with a stout rather than a porter. And while the mocha flavors and creamy texture are there, it's all in the finish.

Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying this, but I don't feel like it lives up to the title. Honestly, I would like it a lot more if it had a different name that didn't mention mocha or porter.

Grade : B

P.S. I do appreciate the irony of drinking a beer like this from a Budweiser glass

Rogue Buckwheat Ale

A lot on complex things going on here with Rogue's Buckwheat Ale. First, it's not on their website. However, it appears to be the same at Morimoto Soba Ale. Yes, Iron Chef fans, that Morimoto. The bottle for me was interesting, too, as it's in Japanese. I couldn't find the translation anywhere.

Onto the beer. It pours a hazy orange with flecks of buckwheat floating in it. It's extremely light without being watery. Tastes of buckwheat, and a little bit of citrus sweetness. I don't get much hops, but there is almost a chemical taste to it. Kind of like a club soda. It's very interesting, but I wouldn't call it a favorite. However, I would certainly reach for this the next time I cook with soba noodles.

Grade: B