I had to try another from the list of Deron’s favorite maibocks / helles bocks; specifically, his favorite of the maibocks (so good, he says, he had it at his wedding reception)… and now I understand why he loves it so much.

Rogue Dead Guy Ale poured a deep honey brown, topped with a thin head that sticks around for a bit, despite its lack of height. Its aroma held an essence of peaches, oddly enough – nothing overbearing but a hint of peaches in the nose all the same.

Dead Guy Ale sat lightly in my mouth and was well carbonated, but not overwhelmingly so. Between the mouthfeel and carbonation, I found it to be rather refreshing and very drinkable, even at 6.5% ABV. The ale is well balanced between hops and malt, but not quite as full flavored as some maibocks I’ve had, which probably feeds into its refreshing nature. It would make a great session beer, as Deron himself can attest. The sip is smooth from beginning to end, with the hint of peach emerging once again in the finish.

Will most definitely enjoy this brew again.

TAGS [ BEER REVIEW | BEER REVIEWS | MAIBOCKS | HELLES BOCKS | ROGUE BEER REVIEW | ROGUE DEAD GUY ALE | DEAD GUY ALE REVIEW | ROGUE MAIBOCK ]

As promised in a comment on Liz’s DFH 90 Minute Imperial IPA post, I would have my review of the Indian Brown Ale soon, and soon it is.

Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale pours a deep brown, nearly black, with a ½" head that disappeared quickly. Its aroma is one of floral hops and dark molasses; not often that I smell a good amount of hops in a brown ale. Of course, as it turned out, upon first sip, I found that it is the hoppiest brown ale I’ve ever tasted, but by no means unbalanced. Instead, the hops add a kick to what might otherwise be too thick or malty to enjoy.

Indian Brown Ale offers a medium body with a bit of chewiness to the mouthfeel. Swirling around in my mouth, I can distinguish bitter dark chocolate tones married with roasted brown sugar. The brew is fully carbonated, but with smaller bubbles than most beers – almost champagne like. This adds a refreshing smoothness to the otherwise bold, bold brown ale. I wouldn’t describe it as a session beer for my tastes, but I would definitely enjoy it again, next time I’m looking for a bold and balanced brew. At 7.2% ABV, too many of these would have me on the floor.

TAGS [ BEER REVIEW | BEER REVIEWS | DOGFISH HEAD | BROWN ALE | BROWN ALES | DOGFISH HEAD INDIAN BROWN ALE ]

Deliciously refreshing, especially for a brown ale.

Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar was a random choice; I walked up and down, staring at the wall of beer at Wegmans, unsure as to what I should pick up. I closed my eyes, pointed, and there it was… my next beer tasting choice. And oh, how glad I am to have grabbed this one up.

Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown Nectar pours a deep reddish brown with a nearly non-existent head and treats the nose to an aroma that’s sweet and light; nothing too fragrant. It offers a medium-light body with higher carbonation than other brown ales I’ve had, which adds a crispness that I can only describe as refreshing. This is an important point too; most of the time, I stay away from brews with higher carbonation because usually, they just don’t do it for me. But in the Hazelnut Brown Nectar, it was quite pleasurable.

Hops enter in at the beginning of the sip but smooth out to a sweet malt; an essence of butterscotch. Don’t be turned off by that though – this beer is in no way syrupy or over-sweet. When I say essence, I mean it.

This beer finishes with a rich, full flavor of nuts. Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar is very enjoyable – I could even see myself choosing it on a hot day. Definitely a sessionable brew for me, although at 6.20% ABV, it could creep up and toss me onto the floor if I’m not careful!

TAGS [ BEER REVIEW | BEER REVIEWS | ROGUE BEER REVIEW | ROGUE BEER REVIEWS | ROGUE HAZELNUT BROWN NECTAR ]