We had our annual Halloween party this past weekend, and as usual, we bought a bunch of beers that related to the holiday, including this one. As I was cracking open this beer tonight, I wondered if I had taken the time to review this beer yet. I was a bit surprised that I had not, because I think it was one of the first craft beers I’d had, and was my introduction to the flavorful beers brewed by Rogue.
Location: Poured into a pint glass at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 6.8% ABV, 40 IBUs, 16 SRM, ~200 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s a deep copper color and is fairly clear with a thin, bright white head that dissipated after a minute or two to become just a thin ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass. It has a malty aroma with some earthy hops mixed in.
Taste & Feel: The body is light-medium and the mouthfeel is crisp from the carbonation in the beer. The flavor up front follows the aroma, with maltiness and some earthy hop flavors mixed in. In the middle, the earthy hop flavors rise above the maltiness, but the flavors flip again in the finish, with the maltiness really opening up. However, the earthy hop flavor is still very present, and both flavors last for a minute or two in the aftertaste.
Food Pairing: This beer has a fair amount of malty and earthy hop flavors and is the perfect pairing for a mushroom and swiss burger. The maltiness perfectly complements the toasty bun and contrasts the savoriness of the burger, while the earthy flavors complement the mushrooms and contrast the swiss cheese.
Overall Impression: This was a great bridge for me between macro lagers and craft beer because it’s a lighter craft beer, but is still full of flavor. Especially for the fall, the malty and earthy flavors are approachable and enjoyable. Especially with the malt flavors that come out in this beer, it tastes like a beer made from quality ingredients. Overall, this is a good beer, and I’ll continue to pick them up for our Halloween parties, since it’s both a good beer and a seasonally appropriate flavor, name and label.
My Rating: 
Recent Comments