Mocha Porter - Rogue Ales

Mustard

District of Columbia

2.9/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Presentation: 12oz. brown bottle; no "best by" or "bottled on" date; no ABV %; purchased as part of a ten beer "Winter Brew" (vel sim.) sampler pack for $14.99 from the Cost Plus on Westwood and Santa Monica.

Appearance: Completely opaque hue; thick, beautiful, cocoa-brown head; d-cup's worth of lace; fairly good head retention.

Aroma: Faintly of chocolate with hints of espresso and plum.

Taste: Assertive, disconcerting acidic twang upfront; thick, rolling, roasty bitterness in the finish; firm burnt grain flavor; faint, faint hint of residual sugars; medium bodied.

Notes: Disappointing; reminds me of bad coffee; found this to be simple, harsh and devoid of charm.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2003 05:57:33 | More by Mustard

alexgash

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark cola-brown body with a dark tan head. Smells of sweet roasted chocolate barley, with little hop presence (especially for a rogue beer). Taste starts with sweet, dark chocolate up front, followed by roasted coffee. Finish is smoky, bitter, and appetizingly dry. Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2003 04:01:19 | More by alexgash

edchicma

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Chocolate black in appearance with a nice head that leaves anice bit of laciness. Nice malty aroma, with a perfect blend of coffee and chocolate flavors. Good tartness from the roasted malt as a finishing touch. Smooth mouthfeel and extremely drinkable. Definitely one to put on your must try list.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2003 00:39:49 | More by edchicma

smitty1080

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The appearance is quite beautiful, pitch black with a tan head. Like others have said I was also surprised by the aroma and taste. The aroma is hoppy and toasty. The taste hoppy, burnt, and heavy. The mouth feel is great, thick and full. It finishes with a slight burnt orange.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2003 00:34:24 | More by smitty1080

steelreign

New York

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice brown pour with one finger off white head. Coffee, chocolate and hops in the nose, some roasted malts as well.

Taste was roasted malt, coffee and hops...lots of hops. I was surprised by the amount of hop burst, but maybe I was expecting something along the lines of Anchor Porter or similar. All in all, a very nicely done porter that is different than the norm. Well rounded and balanced, and so easy to drink thanks to the relatively subdued carbonation. A very nice addition to the Rogue family.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2003 13:11:52 | More by steelreign

86MonteSS

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

To be honest, I expected a little more from this beer. As porters go, this one's pretty solid, but as Rogues go, it's incomplete. I expected it to be heavier and fuller-bodied. Upon pouring it I saw a bunch of happy little floaters, but was let down when I couldn't hear what the hell they were trying to tell me. It's a decent porter, but just a grunt in Rogue's guerilla legion.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2003 02:07:06 | More by 86MonteSS

ngandhi

Illinois

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

Rogue Mocha Porter (22 oz., US3.99) rivals only Anchor Porter as the most impressive I've ever had. Many porters are sharp on the tongue, weak in body, and often unpleasant. Though Mocha Porter does nothing to remind me of mocha (I believe the term refers only to color), it achieves excellence perhaps previously unknown to porters.

It operates much like a stout but compensates for its necessary lack of unmalted barley bite with an equally satisfying bite from the Perle hops. The choice of hops -- Perle and Centennial -- is expert; they are local and (now) indispensable in any porter. The Perle hops give off a wonderful "authentic" flavor that makes me think what beer used to be like in the old days. Bitter, yet rich and flavorful. The Centennials are largely supressed; if you open the beer up by swishing it around in your mouth, the Cascade-like (think Sierra Nevada Pale) aromatics and sweetness reveal themselves from this wonderful flavoring hop. And, as opposed to Shakespeare Stout, the hops don't flood the nose. They are delicate and subdued.

This is also one of the few porters I've had that gets markedly better as you get closer to the bottom of the glass. It isn't a matter of temperature, I serve it warm from the start. Instead, there is a bit of sediment near the end that gives a little more body and develops the bittersweet/dark chocolate roast flavor into something a little sweeter; maybe it's the Crystal, I don't know. This beer is a learning experience.

Because of the slight hop focus, it is followed up nicely by any pale ales if you are having a session or tasting. There is a lot going on here and enough to satisfy many palettes in some way.

Considering all the malt that has gone into this beer, there is a wonderful symphony at play.

Welcome to Carnegie Hall. Quiet please; Rogue Mocha Porter takes the stage.

Relax, relax.
ng

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2003 00:44:46 | More by ngandhi

shirfan

New York

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a very dark porter; only a small amount of light passes through the base of the glass. A thin tan layer of lace lingers on and on.

Aroma is predominently roasty malt, not especially strong.

Taste is big on bitter, oxidized malt, with a mildly mocha/coffee finish. Sour notes in the finish, and doesn't have an overly-burnt aspect. Just enough sweetness to balance things; any hops stay well in the background. Fairly one-dimensional, but it's a good dimension.

This strays well towards the stout side of things without going overboard...nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2003 17:03:39 | More by shirfan

beerguy101

California

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black color, medium tannish foamy head. Aroma is chocolate and coffee. Mildly hoppy, medium malts. Deeply roasted malts. Full flavor, mild taste. Mocha flavor evident. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2003 02:39:29 | More by beerguy101

RenoZymurgist

Nevada

4.53/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Frothy tan head dissipated quickly which is surprising for a rogue brew. Aroma is light yet carries a dark roasted character and a scent of fresh coffee that is not bitter at all yet it has a faint citrussy hop accent. Taste is superb with a deep chocolate flavor that is clean and delicious. Follows with a malt sweetness that is not carmely but provides a perfect balance and it finishes with a bitter chocolate flavor that has a hoppiness blended into it in a way that i wish i could describe adequately. Mouthfeel is very good as well as it has a very smooth carbonation that lets the flavors roll around your mouth without having a carbonic bite. Very drinkable and as of now it is the best American style porter i have had.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2003 04:38:13 | More by RenoZymurgist

elmocoso

Nebraska

3.15/5  rDev -19%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A dark dark beer with a bitter, coffee smell. It came to the table with a tan blanket of head that was on the thin side, and a decent collar with pretty good lacing.

I couldnt get a good smell out of this one. There was the basics: Roasted and Chocolate smells, some hops. The taste was a good, well rounded and tasty.

an all around decent beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2003 19:55:53 | More by elmocoso

putnam

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Black and everything.
Thick "mocha" colored head that recedes lazily...the smell is terrific.
Aromas of seasoned pine boards, charred and oozing all kinds of menthol and coffee sap...floral too...like piles of lilies tossed into a smoker.
In the mouth I witness tree-barky bitterness supplemented by chocolate and cigar smoke. Agile, cascades of silk, linen drapery and tangy black coffee grounds define the impressive texture. Bright on the tongue for such a bitter beer. Rogue did it again. This is how to create well-balanced Amcraft beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2003 04:52:54 | More by putnam

SeanChouffe

New Mexico

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black in color and poured a creamy full brown head that reduced in size, but maintained a good presence. The lace ringed the glass. Aroma is of roasted malt, chocolate and coffee. The taste is sweet, roasted, and chocolate with a real dry hop finish. The mouth feel was smooth and creamy with some carbonation. Not very complex, but offered a good balance of sweetness and a hop finish.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2003 04:19:35 | More by SeanChouffe

chaduvel

Massachusetts

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

12 oz. Rogue. Slightly different pirate guy than usual with modern shades on. "come on buddy have a beer." is what he's telling me. Pours a deep brown, almost black, nice tan head. Nice roasted chocolate aroma, kind of nutty. Taste is a creamy burnt coffee flavor but not much in the way of malts. Lasting bitterness. There's an oily sheen to the beer once the head has disappeared. A very good porter and one I'd drink again and again.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2003 14:10:15 | More by chaduvel

yankeeheel

Maine

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

Poured a dark chocoalte brown with a large tan head. Smells of dark malts, choclate, and perhaps a little cherry?

Bursting with coffee/chocolate flavor from the moment it enters your mouth. Has a nice bitter peak to it and gently fades away. Mouthfeel is medium/thick as a good porter should be. Definitely not stout thick.

A very nice interpretation of a porter from a very good brewery. I look forward to checking out the rest of their lineup.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2003 12:27:43 | More by yankeeheel

beergeek279

Pennsylvania

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

Served in the 12 oz. bottle. The color is dark brown, with good head. The smell is of roasted,coffee malt. The taste is very bittter, mostly of a heavily-brewed coffee, and I can slightly taste the mocha hints. Mouthfeel is smooth. Drinkability-wise, could have another.

Not one of my favorite beers, a little too bitter, but certainly not bad. I was expecting more sweetness with the name, but now I know, and I could imagine having another one of these in the future.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2003 00:54:48 | More by beergeek279

WesWes

New York

3.7/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The beer pours a dark brown/black color with a thick tan head . The aroma is awesome; an array of chocolate/mocha scents. There are a few dark specialty malts working here. The taste is a little bitter with a buttery finish. This beer has less chocolate flavor than the chocolate stout. The mouthfeel is good. It is perfectly carbonated with a heavy body and decent finish. The beer is a hard drinker. It's a little too bitter for me. One and done for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2003 21:37:07 | More by WesWes

guinness33

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

ahh, rogue. need i say more? another winner from them. not my favourite rogue brew as i'm not a fan of coffee flavouring in general, but still made well enough for me to enjoy. pours a nice, deep brown. almost black. the head could have been a bit more substansive, but a minor, minor complaint at most. this beer looks great. smells primarily of a nice balance of coffee and chocolate, the two flavours which are obviously echoed in the taste as well. throw in a heathly dose of malt and you've got yourself an nice, flavourful porter. perhaps the wrong choce for a warm summer day, but i've been on a rogue kick of late and still enjoyed it anyway. recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2003 03:22:58 | More by guinness33

BeerManDan

California

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

When visiting the brewery I tried this moca porter and thought it was just about average. This porter poured a dark brown with very little foam and some lace. The smell of malts and chocolate had an little less aroma than other chocolate porters. The taste was a bit to bitter for my taste for a chocolate porter that sort of took away the mocha taste. The bitterness was a little overpowering. Will try the bottle version later. The tap just wasn't what I expected!

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2003 23:13:00 | More by BeerManDan

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appears a deep ruby amber almost black but manages to let enough light through to show some ruby edges. Head forms full with a gentle pour a couple inches of moccha tan head form and as it fizzles down the lace begins to form in a thick collar on top of the body and continues to leave rings after each sip of this wonderful brew. Aromas that arise are deep chocolate malts that give off the moccha or coffe scented tones along with a mellowing sweetness overall very nice on the aroma not overbearing in anyway not any really hoppy aromatics going on uncharacteristic of Rogue I was personally expecting something more like Sierra Nevada Porter as far as hop profile goes. Flavors brought to the table are a creamy zing of coffe esque chocolate covered tones with a slight burnt finish nice porter maybe a little disappointed for not following the pattern of most west coast brewers with the hops. Solid all around brew with a silky smooth fuller bodied beer like this I could find my way to a sixer and put it down over a night of drinking beer without a problem.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2003 05:03:21 | More by WVbeergeek

euskera

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out chocolate brown. Smell is mild, with some coffee overtones with truffles in there. Taste is good, but a little sweet for my taste in porters. Flavors aren't that well developed and a bit shallow. Good, but not exceptional porter. I'll try it in the bottle next time to see if there's any difference..

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2003 01:51:42 | More by euskera

kevinl6

South Carolina

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

Yet another winner from Rogue. I'm not the biggest porter fan in the world, but this one is nice. Pours as black as some stouts I've seen and smells of chocolate (not nearly as strong as the chocolate stout). It is very smooth and has a pretty nice overall mouthfeel. The taste is very good...chocolate, roasty, malty, coffee, and that Rogue bitterness that I have grown to love. As I said, I'm not usually a porter kind of guy, but this is a repurchase.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2003 03:53:41 | More by kevinl6

TheDM

Indiana

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

This brew pours a beautiful small dark brown head with bubbles of all sizes and a pitch black opaque body with some carbonation seen rising up the side of the mug. The receding head leaves behind a fair lacing. It has a mild malty/hoppy aroma with a slight coffee initial taste and a strong somewhat bitter coffee finish with a bite.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2003 08:48:29 | More by TheDM

MJR

Missouri

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

Appearance: Seemingly black, it shows reddish-brown highlights when held up to the light. A tan head starts out well and holds at a small, dense cap.

Smell: The aroma has a good dose of roasted coffee, along with a bit of chocolate. Sizable undercurrent of Centennial hops.

Taste: Starts out fairly bitter, with lots of Centennial hop flavor, then balances out with a rush of roasted and chocolate malts. There's a slight acidity towards the end, which pairs with a roasted grain bitterness, that makes for a lengthy, dry finish.

Mouthfeel: On the lighter side of medium in body, from their sugar-gobbling Pacman yeast. Finishes dry and bitter.

Drinkability: Damn good. This is close to being a dry stout, with it's roasted malts and bitterness.

While not quite outstanding, this is a well-made and highly enjoyable robust porter from a great brewery.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2003 12:32:47 | More by MJR

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

2.63/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Perhaps not as "big" as i was expecting. Some light roasted malt and chocolate malt, with a fair hit of citrusy hops towards the finish, and perhaps some light smokyness, fairly pleasant, if a bit uncomplex, not really what i was expecting, but fairly tasty, i don't think the flavours quite blended either.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2003 01:45:12 | More by rastaman