Dad's Little Helper Malt Liquor - Rogue Ales

JamesS

Indiana

3.83/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a nice dark yellow color with great initial head, a fair amount of carbonation, and just a bit of quickly-desolving lacing. Nice scent, very sweet and malty, if a little weak. Great taste for the style, very smooth and great malt flavors, without being too overbalanced. It goes down pretty nice, not the best Rogue beer, but probably one of the best malt liquor beers I've ever had (which fortunately is few).

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2008 12:53:43 | More by JamesS

jeffmonarch

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

1 Pint 6 Oz. bottle in a pint glass.

A - Cloudy golden yellow with a thin white head.

S - Sweet and malty. Very faint.

T - Sweet wheat and malt flavors. Crisp and clean.

M - Light bodied with good carbonation.

D - Good beer. I feel like I should pour this into a 40 and drink it out of a brown paper bag. Really good though.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2008 03:01:28 | More by jeffmonarch

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.83/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review adapted from notes taken 4/3/11

Appearance: Golden orange, pours a bit cloudy with a thin head, some lacing

Smell: Sweet malts and corn, a lot of cereal - lacks the fusel alcohol stink that most malt liquors emit, which is a nice surprise - ultimately, boring but not bad

Taste: Surprisingly good - lots of corn, but also lots of sweet caramel and pale malts - kind of grainy - kind of spicy, which is a nice surprise - kind of tastes like a sweet bread with corn

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, nicely carbonated, smooth - could be a bit more crisp

Overall: Easily the best malt liquor I've ever had

All of the easily unlikable things about malt liquor - the nasty sweetness, the overall feeling of grossness - are absent from this beer. According to my notes, "doesn't have that solvent alcohol butthole flavor." I guess that sums it up. I wish more breweries did this.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 19:34:40 | More by angrybabboon

Shaw

Florida

3.8/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I saw a bottle of this at my local Whole Foods and couldn't resist! It's probably been 10 years since I had any malt liquor -- other than Pizza Port's Brown Bag Malt Liquor.

It pours a golden yellow that a lot deeper colored than a typical malt liquor. It has a lovely puffy white head that reduces to a thin ring in my glass.

It smells sweet, almost like diacetyl? I'm not noticing any hops, which is a little strange for Rogue.

Well, this sure doesn't taste like the malt liquors I remember: This beer tastes good. It's lightly sweet (I'd almost say it has grape-like flavors) and malty with a hint of bitterness -- miles away better from any major malt liquor I've ever had. This is one of the least hoppy beers Rogue makes.

The body is good. It's got more heft than I was expecting, which I always like.

For those who think Rogue only makes hop bombs, you should try this beer. It's very approachable. I'm sure the ABV puts it out of the session beer range, but otherwise this is a really easy-drinking brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2006 05:34:53 | More by Shaw

nlmartin

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer was purchased at Jungle Jims for $4.99. The beer was served in a pub glass.

Appearance: The beer pours a clear fizzy golden yellow coloration. The head was thin and off white. The head had little staying power. No lacing to speak of on the glass.

Smell: The beer smells of malty corn bread. The alcohol and the yeast produce a bit of spicyness. The hops may also add to spicyness; however, I dont think the hops are all that involved.

Taste: The beer continues to deliver the malted corn bread experience in the taste. The beer has a bit of spicyness at the end. I am not really clear if it is hops or yeast. The beer has no off flavors. This didnt get better warmer but didnt get gross.

Mouthfeel/ Drinkability: This beer has a big old smooth malty mouthfeel. The beer has a big body. The beer is well carbonated and easy to drink. The beer was even ok as it warmed up. The novelty of upscale malt liquor is enough to purchase and try this once; however, I will not be purchasing this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2006 11:12:47 | More by nlmartin

silver0rlead

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a slightly orangish yellow with a descent white head...good for a malt liquor. The aroma has a strong corn syrup sweetness, along with some biscuity malt, slight noble hops character, and alcohol. The flavor also has a strong corn syrup presence, along with some biscuity malt, fruity esters, slight spicy hops, and alcohol. The mouthfeel is somewhat thick, and carbonation is medium. This is definately a solid malt liquor, worlds better than OE or Colt.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2006 06:40:22 | More by silver0rlead

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.8/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

"And though she's not really ill, there's a little yellow pill,
She goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper"

--The Rolling Stones

Rogue knows that dads need a little shelter too. What better way to get there than with a kick ass malt liquor? I've decided not to review this beer as part of my Malt Likkapalooza series because I expect it to be in a different league than most, if not all, versions of the style that are currently available. Is that special treatment justified? Let's find out.

I was hoping for sweet corn yellow, but the beer is actually a beautiful shade of rich amber that is as bright and as clear as the morning sunshine outside my front window. The cap is bone white rather than cotton white and has at least some of the usual Rogue magic. As expected, it lays down quite a bit of lace.

The nose's good point is that it doesn't smell like ethanol. Its bad points are that it smells like nothing other than weak pale malt and lightly musky hops. It may be refined compared to the usual malt liquor rabble, but give me something to work with guys.

Dad's Little Helper is pretty good beer... considering. It tastes like sugar cookie dough with a dash of corn meal to add a bit of flavor interest. Of course I've never had cookies that tasted like alcohol, but they could be good. Thankfully, the flaked corn adds a modest amount of sweetness without making the beer taste overwhelming corny.

What tastes like a generous Crystal hop addition gives this malt liquor much more bitterness and more hop flavor than most versions can manage. That isn't surprising since hops are probably the most expensive ingredient used in a batch of the typical 'vagrant's choice'.

Most malt liquor makes me want to grunt like an ape. This one makes me want to hold out my pinkie when I drink. Actually, with the use of a quality Belgian yeast strain, Dad's Little Helper would make a pretty fair BSPA. Don't laugh, I'm being serious.

Thankfully, the mouthfeel isn't too plush. There are limits to this refinement crap, after all. It has a perfect about of 'smack you upside the head' firmness and is well-carbonated without being overly buzzy. Do these guys know their beer or what?

I don't remember much about my bomber of Imperial Gold Malt Liquor from the now-defunct Hawks Brewing, but I do know that it's the best malt liquor that has ever graced my glass. Even though the scores are almost identical, I think I preferred that beer to this one. As far as currently available versions, Dad's Little Helper is my clear favorite... at least until I manage to acquire a bottle of Dogfish Head Liquor De Malt.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2007 13:28:55 | More by BuckeyeNation

DoubleJ

California

3.8/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Welcome back to the Brown Paper Bag Invitational! Two beers are down, two more remaining in this invite, where tonight, Rogue's version of the style takes center stage. Wait a minute...craft brewers making malt liquor?! I know, I know, it's heresy, but let's see what they can do. On to the beer:

Pale golden straw color, the head is patchy after fizzing away from the pour. Now my beer has no head. Meh. I can't say I'm jazzed by the aroma, it's musty with faded hop character in the background, a little sweet I might add.

Without a doubt, this has a good flavor to it, regardless of how you judge it as. Melted caramel in my mouth? Who knew? Very smooth flavor with the alcohol kept behind bars. Starts to get sugary in the middle, then comes a zip of fusel hitting on the palate. The crystal hops arrive late, but not too late to delever some hop flavor.

Another beer finished in the Brown Paper Bag Invitational. The final beer will participate tomorrow night, where we award the winner of this prestigious series.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2008 04:50:38 | More by DoubleJ

hustlesworth

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

one of 3 beers available at a distributing company's closeout wine tasting event.

A- clear golden amber with a chill haze (the bottles had been sitting in buckets of ice) and a creamy off-white head leaves a decent amount of lace, probably would have been more if the bottle wasn't pre-opened.

S- this doesn't smell like malt liquor but it does have that familiar "old school beer" aroma perhaps from the addition of corn? it's pale malty sweet with some butter and faint lemon citrus/wet wood hops.

T- butterscotch, caramel, toffee, pale malt, wet dog, acorn/grains and a little lemony hops but not very bitter at all, i guess that's true to style cuz all the malt liquor I've ever had has been like drinking a thick malt syrup of yuck. this isn't that bad though. i mean hell, look where it came from.

MF- kinda sugary and cloying but still pleasant compared to high school memories of things like steel reserve, king cobra, and schlitz... gets kinda syrupy as it warms.

D- i know one thing, my dad woulda loved it. i'm not a fan of the addition of corn to any beer, but if that's what makes the style, maybe i'm not a fair judge. all things considered, rogue is on one, and after drinkin half the bomber, i was making my way over to the snack table for some saltines and brie.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2008 19:25:17 | More by hustlesworth

prototypic

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: It pours a hazy, light golden color. There's a slight orange color there as well. Head is foamy white and a minimal one finger. It receded quickly and left a very light lacing on the glass.

Smell: The nose is very average. There's some pale and caramel malts that give it a very sweet smell. Slightly sugary. There's a bit light hops and earthiness to it. That's about all this nose is detecting. Moving on.

Taste: This is surprisingly good. Most of my malt liquor experiences have been painful and bring back bad memories. This is a huge step up. It's sugary sweet up front. Pale and caramel malts give it a nice base. There's a touch of floral hops that give it a bit of an earthy flavor. The bitter flavor is a very welcome surprise. It's pretty straight forward, but does have a good flavor. Surprise, surprise.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability: It's light bodied knocking on medium's door. It's got a nice feel given the style. It's not exactly creamy, but relatively smooth. Carbonation is active and makes it somewhat crisp. Drinkability is pretty good. I can't say I'd drink more than a bomber on any given occasion. But, it is smooth and easy drinking.

I guess I shouldn't be that surprised that Rogue's developed a malt liquor that's actually good. I had nearly resigned myself to the fact that malt liquors were damned. Kudos to Rogue for a malt liquor gem. Easily the best one I've ever tried.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2008 01:53:16 | More by prototypic

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: bright yellow in color, 1/2 inch head, moderate carbonation, clear

Smell: toasted malt, grass, and honey

Taste: grass, honey, small amount of hops, toasted malt, and a touch of alcohol

Mouthfeel: light bodied, high carbonation, sweet with a small touch of bitter hops

Drinkability: I find the honey malt combo to be very tasty. The alcohol is there, but not as overpowering as some in the style. I will have this again, but will not rush out for it. It is good for the style. This is one of the better beers from Rogue that I have had lately. Normally I am disappointed with them having a grand idea and not executing. Here I had mixed feelings about the idea, but execution was very good.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2010 16:30:53 | More by tigg924

JesseP09

Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Damn, son! Let's get drunk fast and cheap! What do we buy? Malt liquor of course! But what kind? Is it Colt 45? King Cobra? Hell no, we're going with a classy (and slightly more expensive) brew to get us snookered. We're going with Dad's Little Helper, one of Rogue's best offerings. This beer is delectable in every way, and its name is both cool and clever. Drink up.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2010 04:47:32 | More by JesseP09

atsprings

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served a crisp pale yellow with a decent head that slowly diminished. The aroma had a surprising amount of hops. The taste was mostly of a typical lager, but the hoppiness almost reminds me of a pilsner. The beer is light and somewhat refreshing. I can always rely on Rogue to provide an interesting brew, even if its nothing spectacular, and this one certainly holds to that.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2007 03:33:42 | More by atsprings

gmcfarre

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber poured into Imperial pint glass

A - Pours a straw golden color with about 3/4 inch white head. Head fades quickly, while lacing is moderate when tipped.

S - Strong grainy malt with a bit if acidity and a good corn scent (perhaps the added "flaked corn" is the cause here?). Just a touch of noble-es ue hop scent. Pleasant without being complex and certainly without any preservative additives.

T - Intense malty grains with corn flavor. Little hops evident except for aftertaste is is ever so slightly bitter. Not much more to say.

M - Moderately low carbonation with a smooth and medium body. Finish is slightly drying and bit sticky.
D - Well, its a malt liquor, but what more could you ask for out of this category? Easy drinking and never cloying. Worth a try to see what an accomplished brewery can do with a lackluster style.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2007 01:59:44 | More by gmcfarre

goodbyeohio

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

what's with the bashing here?

pours like vitamin-enriched piss, clear and fizzy. head hangs around a bit, but the beer mostly sits limp like a macro/malt liquor is known to do. nothing fazes me here.

smell is a precocious mix of butterscotch luxury and grainy malt sweetness, but not too metallic or harsh. make no mistake, this is a fresh beer regardless of ingredients used. corn doesn't play a big part despite being ceremoniously listed on the bottle as a main ingredient. yeah, this smells like a maibock. if you called it that, some people on this piece might be ratin' it higher.. and stuff.

smooth with no harshness. big honey-laced malt flavor with no real hop punch. finishes with a bit of corn (ok, so what?) and a sweet cake batter flavor lingers. sugar cookie madness in a sea of crazy horse. all kidding aside, this is just as good as dogfish's effort, and a clear winner over any other macro american example of said style.

people! quit the crap speak and give this beer the base respect it deserves. solid and deserving of my american blue collar kudos.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2006 02:45:13 | More by goodbyeohio

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

It's been years since I've had a 'malt liquor', so I thought I'd give this one a try.

A: Clear gold with a white head, very little retention, slight leg/lace.

S: Earthy mineral, grassy, floral, corn.

T: Cornbread, grass & a hint of citrus.

M: Moderate body is smooth with a dry finish.

D: It is what it is. I'm sure it would "get the job done" easier than say an Olde English!

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2008 02:31:47 | More by Derek

fitzy84

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bomber. Dark yellow appearance with a bubbly head that dissipates rather quickly. No lacing. The aromas are mostly chilled and icy sugars with some fruitish dimensions (raspberries perhaps). The taste was great with a not too sweet but sweet punch and a mild dryness. Crispness helps the sugary aspects of the drink a lot as well. Overall, a sugary, relaxing treat for father's day.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2008 00:34:37 | More by fitzy84

Brad007

Vermont

3.73/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Color: Pours a nice golden color with a decent head that recedes. Looks like a standard malt liquor.

Aroma: Malty with some alcohol burn in the nose. Somewhat smooth as well.

Taste: Strong and malty upfront with sweetness in the middle and some hop bitterness. Corn makes its' presence known but it's not overdone. Smooth. Goes down well. Lots of alcohol burn.

Mouthfeel: Dry and sweet with alcohol hotness. Lingering hop bitterness as well.

Drinkability: Well, it's a Rogue interpretation of the style. Not as "adjunct-y" as other malt liquors. Smooth and drinkable. Should be served cold and if you like, straight from the bomber in a brown paper bag (I drank it from a glass).

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2008 19:56:13 | More by Brad007

UncleFlip

Alabama

3.7/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

First beer of the week as I spend a few days with good friends...lets hope that's a good sign. ;)

Nice strong yellow colour,slight orangy tint. Thin white head.

Smell is srt of like a swet malt liquor with a hint of wet towel (or as a friend said, wet dog).

Flavour is better than expected- a little woody and slightly spicy, with a thick strong maltiness.

I'd like the hearty body on this one, were it not for the turbocharged carbonation.

Overall, nice and drinkable- but with some shortcomings. Good lawnmower beer.

Be well
-UF

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2006 04:22:25 | More by UncleFlip

orbitalr0x

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up this bomber awhile back and ended up drinking it with my dad yesterday! Into my glass a golden yellow pour with a thin light bubbly head and fast moving bubbles. Head falls quickly on this one. Light grain and cooked corn aroma. Slightly fruity with a light spiciness, green apple comes to mind for me a bit. Alcohol becomes apparent in the nose as well. Interesting, yet not really inspiring.

First sip brings a grainy maltiness with some light cooked corn highlights. Mellow fruitiness on the way down with a nice spicy, herbal hoppiness in the finish. A bit of alcohol peeks through as well. Not too sweet and not too bitter with a crisp, clean flavor.

Mouthfeel is rather light with a somewhat punchy carbonation. Goes down smooth. A pretty tasty malt liquor that's way ahead of the 40's I used to throw back in college. Still, it's more of a buy it once to try it kinda beer for me, as opposed to something I'd seek out on any regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2006 17:40:48 | More by orbitalr0x

jwc215

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours golden with a thin white head that fades.

The smell is of a fruitiness that is quite different (and better) than your typical malt liquor. Closer to a macro lager, maybe, but there's certainly a "craft" beer touch to it.

The taste is of a candyish sweetness with a crackery biscuity balance. Some corn and rawish alcohol lets you know that they were going for a malt liquor. A tough one to rate, because I wonder what malt liquor drinkers would think of it. (Put it in a bag, drink it straight out of bottle...)Still, on it's own, it has a nice sweetness if you're in the mood for that, with a controlled alcohol bite. Sweetish, abrupt finish.

Smoother, and with more of a body, than your typical malt liquor.

Drinks pretty quickly - gimmicky, and this wouldn't be a staple in my fridge, but I enjoyed it for what it is. Would have been interesting to compare it to DFH's interpretation (which I had awhile ago). In a different class than the typical of style, for sure. Try pairing the second half with some fatty pork. The sweet malt will cut through the greasy fat and not interfere with the pork taste. An interesting, and drinkable for the 22 ounces, brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2008 03:22:12 | More by jwc215

emmasdad

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a medium golden color, with just a little bit of off white head. Aroma is all classic malt liquor, except somehow more refined. On the palate, I'm not getting a whole lot, just a bit of sweet malt and maybe a kiss of hops. This one doesn't have a whole lot going on, but it does have a great mouthfeel and it is very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2010 05:12:31 | More by emmasdad

jwilli7122

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

sweet in taste, but not sickly like your average malt liquor. little bit of hop pop. this is actually drinkable less than ice-cold. tastes fine at 50-60 degrees.

i enjoyed this and am glad they gave it a shot. sometimes you just feel like a blue-collar beer - and to me, this is more enjoyable than a high-life or bud. obviously though, it costs quite a bit more- if you're going to pay, why not get something really good? i like a colt 45 now and then, and this is definitely better...but per ounce, it costs, what 250% more?

try it once for fun

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2007 01:59:35 | More by jwilli7122

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wow, what a refreshing change! And here I thought all malt-liquors had to contain fusel alcohols and an extra label warning you not to light up a smoke while drinking one! ;) Kidding...

Dad's Little Helper is hazy and deep golden in color with a creamy but fairly short-lived head. It does leaves some very nice lace at the outset, however, and continues with some wide splotchy streaks as you go.

The nose is mainly malty, mostly cereal-like, with a very light touch of hops in the background. Clean and pleasant with no noticeable alcohols.

The flavor follows suit, and it's malty with an edge of both acohol and hops. As a fan of crystal hops, I really enjoy them here, and find it has a refreshing edge that's just lightly floral and works well with the sweetness of the malt. It's not overly sweet though, and there's some distinct graininess going on. Adjunct is, however, obvious - but you need it in a beer that's this big with so little hops hops! Bitterness is just balancing given the girth of the malt. Still, it's not out of bounds in any way, and it finishes pretty clean and dry with just some mild residual ceral-like maltiness in the mouth.

Not unlike most American malt liquors, it's sweetish, and tasty, and somewhat rounded at first, but as you progress it warms to reveal it's true nature. But this is cleaner, and fuller in maltiness and flavor. It's actually not unlike some of the better-made strong eastern European lagers on the market (from Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, etc.). Interesting and enjoyable!

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2006 00:36:42 | More by NeroFiddled

tzieser

Arizona

3.65/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Rogue malt liquor?? how could you pass that up? despite the $7 price tag i got it anyway...

pours a clear pale yellow color with a decent head that simmers into a very small lacing around the glass. decent carbonation.

smells very sweet. tons and tons of malts-- as it should. faint fruit smells-- maybe apple or grape. no signs of hops.

tastes good-- especially for malt liquor. very very sweet. malts all over the place. the fruity-apple taste is back, and i like it. i dont think ive had a good tasting malt liquor before, im really glad rogue changed my opinion on malt liqour

mouthfeel is pretty average, but good. well carbonated, but not overly so.

drinkability is ok-- i wouldnt want to drink tons of this stuff, cause the malts might get to me after a while, as much as i love malts. drinkability is outstanding compared to other malt liquors though.

overall-- you should try this beer if you can find it. if you love malts like i do-- this beers for you.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2009 01:25:43 | More by tzieser