Mocha Porter - Rogue Ales

glid02

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Cask at Deckard's American Tavern in Atlanta.

Pours a hazy dark brown color with a one-finger tan head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of moderately roasted malts with good amounts of lightly tart dark fruits. Also present are slight amounts of dark chocolate aromas however no coffee is discernable.

Tastes worse than it smells. Chalky roasted malt flavors kick things off and are joined almost immediately by large amounts of dark fruit flavors that have turned, lightly tart raisins and pears. Midway through the sip hints of dark chocolate flavors attempt to salvage everything but fade out without being able to, finishing with a moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with decent carbonation.

Drinkability is not good. I had a tough time finishing my glass and would not go after another.

Overall this was a big disappointment, especially considering how many of Rogue's beers have been close to home runs. I'd certainly try this again if I could get a taster to see if the problems were a one-time deal but I would hesitate immensely before spending money on another glass.

Serving type: cask

11-20-2010 19:55:06 | More by glid02

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Rogue's Mocha Porter pours a very dark brown color with a loose, brown head. Retention is OK and there is no lacing, but all of this is to be expected from a beer that is poured from a hang pump.

The aroma has a good amount of hop bitterness mixed with coffee and chocolate.

The flavor profile is pretty much as-advertised in the smell. Coffee up front, replaced by chocolate, and finished off with a good bitterness from the hops.

Like many beers that are put on cask, the carbonation is low yet adequate. The body is still fine.

Mocha porter is a solid beer that didn't knock my socks off. At 6 bucks for a 20oz pour, it was well worth it.

Serving type: cask

10-17-2010 14:54:54 | More by Hojaminbag

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on cask at Fatheads Pittsburgh

A: Pours a deep dark brown color, almost black. Not much light getting through. Provided a thick brown foam head with ample lacing.

S: Lots of dark coffee, espresso, milk and dark chocolate. Found this to be more prevalent on cask then from the bottle.

T: A complex but really balanced beer. Lots of espresso, nuts, dark chocolate and even anise are tasted.

M: Leaves a thick rich creamy chocolate flavor on the palate.

D: A low ABV beer, but a beer I would have with dessert, not really a session type beer for me.

Serving type: cask

12-24-2009 20:59:05 | More by IronCitySteve

jeremy13586

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on cask at Fatheads last week. Poured black into a mug with a nice fluffy light-brown head. The smell of roasted malts hits the nose up front followed by the scent of coffee and hints of baker's chocolate. The taste follows the scent. A nice roasted malt backbone followed by the taste of coffee and bitter chocolate. A very smooth and solid brew. I'm very happy that I got to enjoy this as my first cask beer. I could drink it every day if Fatheads didn't rotate casks.

Serving type: cask

03-24-2008 01:26:54 | More by jeremy13586

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On cask at the Public House in SF.

A: Black with mahogany traces when held to direct sunlight. Otherwise, jet black. A very dark beer. Thick frothy white head, abundant and surprisingly lasting for cask.

N: Heavily roasted. Coffee, chocolate, a hint of something bitter to come.

T: Tastes like a roasty mocha with drops of caramel and slight pine hops. Heavier on the coffee side of the mocha. A bit light on cocoa.

MF: Sweet front, medium body, mildly bitter finish. Highly astringent. Dusty. Very dry.

D: Average.

Serving type: cask

06-07-2006 20:59:42 | More by DaPeculierDane

dawg

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From the cask into a faceted mug. Poured at the correct temperature however the barkeep wasted quite a bit of beer with the pour. Overall the final pour did end up with a mighty fine looking serving of a porter. There was about a finger of creamy tan head. This was exactly what I was seeking.

Had a nice chocolate aroma. Hints of bananna and other non-cirtus tropical fruits (perhaps mango). Tasted awesome. Really could taste the meduim roasted malts, some cocoa, and some yeast. The hops used in this one probably in combination with the proper serving temperature balanced the sweetness well.

Felt medium to light bodied with the nice thick head leaving a mustache. Very drinkable, after sampling a few other beers, I had another RMP.

Maybe the best Rogue experience I've had to date.

Serving type: cask

02-04-2006 16:01:11 | More by dawg

brewbacca

California

4.53/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

S: Had this on cask in a 20oz nonik at the rogue ale house in san francisco, they even made me a beer float out of it, so good.

A: liquid black gold, great head, with good retention, amazing after all it was a cask, it looked soild black, and I barely let the light pass through the glass!!

S: I literally inhaled the head trying smelling this stuff, It was like crack, but better. the smell of your favorite coffee house hits your right away, a long with malty notes. there's some bittering hops notes as well but just barely though, just right amount.

T: oily, thick and rich. coffee flavors, area first on the palete, followed by the rich chocolate and roasted malt notes. It finishes up clean with nice bitter hoppy/black coffee notes in the after taste.


MF: very smooth and oily, since this was a cask, it lacked the really fizzy feeling of the regular draft, but it retained just the right amount for me, it was also perfect room temp. not to warm.

D: I could drink several a day, till I got sick of it. the only thing was after 3 you need to drink some water to rid your self of the acidic taste left over from the coffee. I don't drink coffee, but I love this stuff. If you happen to encounter either the draft or cask order it.

Serving type: cask

08-24-2005 03:33:51 | More by brewbacca

JackTheRipper

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Cask conditioned at Sharp Edge Beer Emporium
A: Pours a brown so dark it's almost black. Opaque. Nice khaki~tan head with nice lacing.
S: Dark roasted malt aromas with a heady whiff of a strong bitter coffee smell. Sweet dark molasses. Wow.
T: Smooth malts perfectly balanced by a touch of hops and a strong coffee taste with just a hint of dark chocolate. Nicely lingering bitter aftertaste.
M: So smooth it should be a crime. Smooth and creamy with a heavenly mouthcoating feel. Alcohol is just wonderfully warming.
D&N: Cask conditioned beers are like heaven in a glass. This beer had it all, great smells, great flavors, unbelievable mouthfeel. Heaven in a glass.

Serving type: cask

05-13-2005 22:49:22 | More by JackTheRipper

beerman599

Connecticut

4.18/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

i had this at Delaney's cafe in new haven last week and i couldn't stop drinking it. fresh pulled with creamy great head , malt - hop aroma, roast malt favor with hops in the finish. this is cask ale at it's finest .
half of the experience in cask ales is how there treated at the bar and Delaney's does it right.

Serving type: cask

01-22-2004 21:34:12 | More by beerman599

QXSTER1

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On cask and at cellar temperature this beer sported a huge, creamy, dark tan head that was like a dessert in itself. Thick and luscious with obvious coffee and chocolate notes it was hard to live up to my expectations when I finally got to the beer. Carbonation was mild and I didn't get the spritzy taste that others have commented on. Rogue's northwest hops cut through the dark roasted malts and left a subtly out of place bitterness on the palate. Temperature definitely mellowed this porter and brought out it's unique qualities. A very good porter, but different, true of most of Rogue's brews.

Serving type: cask

03-07-2002 17:22:22 | More by QXSTER1

blackie

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

bomber, Liquor Depot, Rock Springs, WY

a: from an always attractive rogue painted bomber into a stubby chalice, the mocha porter is a deep mahogany brown in color, slathered with a nice mocha head, eventually receding to a ring and island in a sea of ale

s: really enjoy the malt nose - biscuity pales underneath roasted bittersweet chocolate and toffee notes, dark breads, light coffee, wood, earthy hops a cross between pine and citrus peel, some glimpses of dark fruit - notably raisin, simply complex, complete porter aroma

m: carbonation around moderate and slightly fizzy, body around medium

t: a clean pale malt structure balances and supports frontward notes of deep roasted barley, toffee, dry bittersweet cocoa, barely hints at sweetness before drying out nicely, hops flavored of pine and citrus pith impart a moderate bitterness as roast lingers long into the finish, the bitterness growing with each sip

o: a lovely, classic porter from one of the founders of the scene, wonderful balance and play between roast, sugar, and hop...the aroma being the highlight for me - it’s been awhile since I’ve had a Rogue beer, but they shouldn’t be overlooked out of familiarity anymore, drinkability is high

side note - is it me or do the price complaints regarding the Rogue standard bombers not apply anymore, as the rest of the field has caught up and surpassed, making a $5 bomber fairly typical

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 03:51:47 | More by blackie

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I have had this beer on many occasions and neglected to review it. The beer is a dark brown color with a thick head. The aroma shouts coffee...espresso...deep, dark, rich roasts. The coffee really dominates the smell, leaving just a little grain and malt underneath. A smooth dryness characterizes the taste. Coffee is present there as well...a cool mocha. Light bitterness...some smoke...nuts and dried figs. Coffee, though, that is the leading taste. Full mouthfeel...very smooth. Great brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 02:41:21 | More by Suds

EagleTalon

Arkansas

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours to a nice thick beige head and good lacing. Dark brown color. Aroma is roasty, chocolate and slightly espresso-like. Flavor is rich with dark chocolate, caramel malt, coffee and balancing bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium heavy and good CO2. Overall a pleasant drinking experience.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 00:37:31 | More by EagleTalon

CardiacNP

Louisiana

4.35/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Rogue Mocha Porter from Oregon 5.3%ABV

Aroma very roasty malty chocolate with coffee

Appearance dark brown to black pour with a creamy beige color head and average lacing

Taste roasty like the aroma, bittersweet chocolate and a mild bitter coffee finish

Mouthfeel. Moderately carbonated. Maybe a little more than most porters. Finishes a bit dry. Very pleasant

Overall a solid roasty porter with chocolate and coffee flavors. Don't drink it to cold so the aroma and flavors really open up. A nice evening desert beer while relaxing.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 01:38:22 | More by CardiacNP

frankiepop

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Kind of a post-modern west coast USA thing going on here. West coast brewers seem to be influenced on the dry side these days. Remarkably how seldom they capitalize on the regions wide abundance of available fruit produce to tweak their products. Just a thought.

Anyway we have a nice dark brown porter here with a good creamy head to boot. The aromas are pretty much dry bitter coffee flavors to me. I can barely find a hint of chocolatte! That's a west coasty thing right there.

The flavor flavs mimic the aroma. Coffee bitters without much noticeable chocolate except a hint of unsweetened bakers chocolate. This is not your Starbucks mocha LOL. No, there's little sweetness unlike its Oregan competitor Black Butte Porter that gives a nice light sweetness of chocolate. (Just more my style, that's all_) Don't get me wrong this is a quality smooth nice beer just too bitter for me. I might pull this out of the darkness on a nice summer night for a sipper change of pace. Thirst quenching and all that.

Certainly deserves a quality pairing, and I might recommend the Charles Lloyd and his west coast flower power music or the more modern sounds from his "Which Way is East" surfer doods with Billy Higgins dueting with him with an array of percussion. Hang ten, bros! See how influential the west is? So look out!

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 10:04:05 | More by frankiepop

ksimons

New York

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A-a dark chestnut with a thin layer of light tan head that quickly disappears to leave a bit of lace

S-nice mocha and slightly roasted malt backbone

T-taste does not have as much chocolate as the smell would suggest, much more coffee heavy. Roasted coffee, roasted malt, very light dark chocolate

M-thin to medium body, medium to high carbonation, slight dry roasted mouthfeel

Overall this is not the most amazing beer, but it is flavorful enough and easy to drink to make me get it again

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 23:34:36 | More by ksimons

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

1 pint bottle. This is well after the best by date, arghhh, didn't realize when I pulled it out of the discount bin. See how it goes. Pours a nice frothy head of soft tan foam. Colour is a ruby black. leaves a really good lacing.

S- chocolate, cocoa powder, orange peel, roast malt, (over?)ripe apples. Some lactose sweetness. A bit of a hay/barn note. Strong dairy note.

Taste has a bitter coffee roastiness, slightly herbal with some smooth milk chocolate, bitterness is quite balanced and some mild citrus and earthy notes. Overall quite pleasant. Some milk chocolate sweetness, really easy drinking. Finish is lactic, dry. Quite well put together, interesting.

Mouthfeel has little carbonation, feels a bit shallow but really smooth. Really sessionable.

Gonna chalk up some of the negatives to the fact that this is a stale brew, little carbonation and a bit of sour lactic flavour. Didn't love this beer but I'm going to try to try it fresh. Certainly quite well put together and interesting, this seemed a bit unbalanced by this date.If I didnt know it was stale I probably would have been less critical, looking forward to trying it in its prime.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 16:32:52 | More by mick303

TeamMathis

West Virginia

3.6/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Dark and portery!
Smell: Light chocolate. Not much smell really.
Taste: Chocolate and hop hints.
Mouthfeel: Carbonated, but smooth.

This is good porter. It is well-balanced, with chocolate undertones throughout; nothing really jumps out at you. It's not really exciting in any respect, but is a good example of the American porter. I may or may not get this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 02:01:25 | More by TeamMathis

danieelol

Australia

2.95/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Good dark colour and good lacing.

Don't get much out of this. Nose is green apple. Bit of that cardboard roast malt.

Taste is similarly nondescript. Perhaps a little bit of cidery coffee/chocolate.

Mouthfeel is thin. A little cidery.

Don't get much from this. Typical boring porter. No real chocolate character, despite the promises of the description.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 13:37:22 | More by danieelol

ESeab

New Jersey

3.84/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour dark dark brown, close to black. Thin vanilla head with nice lacing

SMells rich dark chocolate/coffee

Tastes bitter dark coffee. A touch of dark fruit. Definitely more bitter and not sweetness much at all. Not very smooth and could be better balanced.

Mouthfeel is nice actually. I like a porter to be a bit thinner with a good amount of small bubbled carbonation.

Overall I'm happy I tried this. I'll drink this again but won't go out of my way to seek it out. There are better porters and stouts out there that aren't as bitter as this guy. I like the amount of flavor for the low abv though

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 23:58:39 | More by ESeab

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a dark brown with a hint of opacity when held up to light. Some head but disappates to a small rim around the glass. A bit of lacing. Aroma is dark malts laced with some chocolate. Flavor is a quality porter with a hint of darker chocolate but more subtle than anticipated. Still good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 19:59:00 | More by Oakenator

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a creamy thick large 1.5 finger head that fades at a med pace but leaves tons of lacing, very dark black beer.

Nose starts with a blend of coffee grinds and cocoa powder, little baker's chocolate, cocoa powder and hint dark chocolate like, light roast with some burnt coffee grinds, and some light smoked malt in there as well, and a hint of vanilla somehow.

Taste starts with the light smoke actually, a little smoked meat and campfire, which is not what I was expecting. Then dark malts, light roast and black malt char, little burnt coffee grinds, then into a very light powdered cocoa and charred chocolate somehow. Bitterness comes with acrid roast, and hint of bitter earthy hops. The middle seems like it's missing something too despite all those contrasting sharp flavors. Finish is drier but a long lingering earthy roasted malt and charred slightly burnt like flavor lingering, and a little smoke.

Mouth is med to a little fuller bodied, nice carb.

Overall meh... doesn't really go where it should, barely mocha, too much acrid burnt flavors, the smoke is out of left field and tastes like it, bitterness is more from the dark malts than hops which are also meh, beer just doesn't seem to come through. This seems to sum up Rogue pretty well lately IMO. They just seem to throw a bunch of ingredients together and hope for the best, and not only that but a hodgepodge of different things to try that shouldn't be like that. This is a mocha porter, it should have more chocolate, more coffee, no burnt or acrid flavors, no smoke (although a little would be OK if it blended well which this doesn't), too many sharp not so great flavors that don't blend well, eh.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 03:49:23 | More by jlindros

scratch69

Missouri

4.08/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

I poured a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance- Almost black in color with a fingers worth of light brown head. Thick amount of lacing.

Smell- Mellow aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, and some smokiness.

Taste- Starts off with a roasted malt and bitter hop flavor that fades into a bittersweet chocolate finish. Hints of smoke and caramel throughout.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied and a tad watery. An average amount of carbonation with a dry finish.

Overall- A good porter with some well-balanced flavors. If the body wasn't so watery this would be great.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 01:46:41 | More by scratch69

Birtacus

Texas

3.64/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

The Rogue Mocha Porter is a quality brew for sure which I have come to expect from all things Rogue.

After the pour I was given about a quarter inch caramel head that dissipated quickly after it had settled. The quick dissipation gave me a a good idea of what the overall mouth feel would be like.

The aroma I thought was a little subtle but delicious regardless!

During my first taste I got a bold dark roasted coffee flavor that finished very smooth and didn't leave me with a tangy/bitter coffee after taste. I didn't get any of the mocha flavor that the name refers too but regardless I thought it was quite delicious and would go very well with breakfast.

The only "knock" that I had on the brew was its mouthfeel. I would have liked a heavier feel, to me I thought it was a bit watery for porter.

Overall an enjoyable beer from Rogue.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 17:26:43 | More by Birtacus

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap into a shaker glass

A- Poured a dark brown color with soapy mocha colored head that left minimal lace

S- Some smokiness, roasted malt, sweet breadiness and caramel. Pretty nice aroma, not all that strong though

T- Some smokiness, roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, breadiness, and caramel. Really balanced flavor profile, however there is a watery quality to this beer that mutes a lot of these flavors from being more bold

M- Lighter bodied, soft carbonation, and quite watery on the finish

O- Some really nice balances flavors, the hint of smokiness was quite nice. The mouthfeel and watery qualities of this beer bring it down for me though.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2013 05:33:49 | More by Hoptometrist