Chipotle Ale - Rogue Ales

alexhammond

Maine

2.93/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

pours a light red with a thick tan head, and lots of lacing as this one drinks.
initially, I get a whiff of smokiness which reminds me a bit of pipe tobacco and leather. not unpleasant, but not what I was expecting.
the taste that hits you up front is definitely the BBQ-like smokey flavors, but I'm not getting much heat like you would from a hot pepper (which, perhaps, is not really the intention here). malty sweetness starts to come through as this one finishes, very little carbonation and a decent smooth mouthfeel.
I wasn't expecting to make this beer something I'd drink on the regular, but I was hoping for maybe a fun/gimmick type of brew that would be fun to buy every once and awhile to pair with appropriate cuisines. I think the smokey flavors don't really blend well with the malt and hops of an ale, and are better suited for a porter or stout. Definitely not a bad beer, I drank it all and enjoyed it for the most part, but not something I'd go out of my way to drink again.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2009 13:07:19 | More by alexhammond

robwestcott

Indiana

2.93/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

poured a reddish brown to a dogfish head signature glass with a foamy tan head leaving a slight bit of lacing.

smoky nose, not much of a hint of chili.

taste of pepper and smoke up front and slightly bitter after.

not particularly refreshing, maybe best with spicy food (?)

average to below average.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2010 00:47:09 | More by robwestcott

mintjellie

Ontario (Canada)

2.93/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Red hued amber in colour. Creamy eggshell coloured foam retains moderately well and leaves a spotty lace. Muted aromas of toast and smoke. Tastes toasty with chipotle smokiness. Slight tang. Mild bitterness. Barely even a tingle of warmth from the peppers. Medium bodied with soft carbonation. Feels smooth. I'm quite disappointed they played it safe with the chipotle, there is only a little smoke and almost no spice to be found in this beer. It doesn't taste bad, but it fails to meet expectations. A beer called Chipotle Ale should taste like chipotles.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 03:19:49 | More by mintjellie

hyland24

New York

2.95/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Poured from a 650 ml bomber into a pint glass.

The beer poured a hazy copper with a 1/2 inch foam off white foam head.

The smell was hoppy with a sweet fruit, citrus scent. No smell of chipotle pepper whatsoever.

The initial sip is spicy but not from the pepper. Its a hoppy oily spice biting at the tip of the tongue. The initial hop bite fades into a citrus sweetness. After the beer is swallowed a slow heat creeps up starting at the back of the tongue and working its way down the throat. Its a mild heat but it is definitely noticeable. I never actually taste the pepper flavor only feeling the heat.

The mouthfeel is oily, allowing the hops to stick to the mouth also allowing the heat to remain. Its an interesting beer and I am glad I tried it but it is clearly not something you would drink more than one of.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2008 04:06:42 | More by hyland24

d4114

California

2.95/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A- Copper with a finger of off white head

S- Could smell it as soon as I opened it. Smells strong of smocked meats, also getting caramel and roasted malts, some alcohol too.

T- Smokey and buttery; I get meaty and bbq flavors that are followed by some buttery and creamy flavors.

M- Light bodied; Watery and light but not crisp.

O- Not bad but really not that good. Didn't get much heat from the peppers. After drinking half the bottle I was ready to stop drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 00:11:32 | More by d4114

avylover

Virginia

2.98/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber. My first "chili" beer. Figured with Rogue you can't go wrong. Pours slightly hazy golden with an orange tinge. The Head looked nice but died in a hurry. Aroma is of nice bready maltiness with some slighty meaty aromas & a good dose of hops. Taste is very clean. There is nothing special here really. Some very slight fig fruitiness at first, which gives way to bitter hops & some spiciness. Nothing really jumps out. Clean mouthfeel & aftertaste, very drinkable but nothing to write home about. Mediocre offering from rogue. Probably better to spend your money on your favorite macro instead of this for the price.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2003 03:12:19 | More by avylover

Star80

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours out a copper color. Head ends up pretty thin. Can definitely pick up the chipotles in the aroma. Taste is quite smokey and peppery. Has some hops but not as much as other Rogues. Maybe that's what is missing, I think this beer would go well with a lot of foods, especially with American summertime cuisine. Right now my tastebuds are looking for something to pair it with...feels a little bit oily in my mouth. Perhaps I may revisit this one when I can eat something with it.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2005 04:36:09 | More by Star80

terrabyte

Wisconsin

2.98/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a cloudy brown, with a large light-brown head.

Aroma is surprisingly muted. There is a hint of smoked wood, and my imagination could pick up the smell of the chipotle, but only because I read it on the label. Otherwise it would have been overlooked.

Flavor was much more apparent than the aroma. It has a flat, woody base, followed by the chipotle smoke, with a hint of dark smokiness that reminds me of smoldering leaves. The amount of chipotle flavor is just right. It’s dominant, but not overbearing or hot.

Mouthful was fine, if maybe a bit boring. The chipotle flavor is going to keep you occupied, so this is a case of “if you don’t notice it, you’re doing your job”.

Drinkability is below average for a beer beverage, but above average for a chili beer. The flavor of the chipotle is spot on, it doesn’t taste fake or powdery, so I imagine it’s a real ingredient. However, I doubt there are many people that are hankering for liquid chipotle, and I don’t think there are many repeat customers. They’ll try it once for the experience or a gag gift, or a true gift for a pepper head.

Speaking of pepper heads, I am one. Ironically, chipotles are my least favorite pepper even though they’re all the rage now. I’ve had a couple of extreme pepper beers, and they’re nasty, nasty, nasty. This beer is not one of those. It’s not great, but it is approachable.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2006 14:35:16 | More by terrabyte

Troyone

California

3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours an amber color with a copper hue, little to no head, and the carbonation appears limited.

Sweet toasted malt aroma with resin orange hops and hints of vanilla and pepper in the background.

The taste has a sweet acidic flavor with roasted malt and resin grapefruit/orange hops.

The mouthfeel is smooth with a medium body, dry slightly syrupy texture, soft and lively carbonation, and a metalic/chalky finish.

The pepper flavor along with the chalky finish limits the drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2005 09:54:26 | More by Troyone

chakadrum

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dirty light /red/orange in color. Little head. No lacing.

If I inhale really deep I can smell a hint of pepper. Other than that not much to speak of. Sort of smooth on the mouth. Goes down easy.

A cool concept for beer, but it just didn't really taste much like peppers or have any kick to it at all.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2006 00:20:14 | More by chakadrum

quasimoto

Ohio

3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Amber color with a crystal clean and nice head, but not much lacing.

S - Smoke dominates the nose for this one. But its not a real strong smoke aroma.

T - There is a certain sweetness to this beer that is over taken by the smokey spice, peppers in here.

M - Light body, sharp carbonation. Actually burns like pepper, and has a dry finish.

D - One a night is about all I can handle. For myself this is not a session beer. Might go nice with mexican food.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2007 12:09:13 | More by quasimoto

Seanstoppable

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Picked this up with an assortment of other Rogue ales locally.

Pours out into an orange-reddish color with moderate head. Smells faintly of smoke and peppers. Taste is of some smoke, with the slow burn of some mild hot peppers that lasts quite a while. Overall, quote light, and not as overwhelming as some chili ales I have sampled, but the burn lasts longer than I would expect. I found myself nursing this over a long period of time, much longer than I would have had something similar without the peppers.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2009 01:34:31 | More by Seanstoppable

magnj

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Amber body, low head.

S - Tabasco sauce, mild malts, no hops to speak of.

T - Tastes like a really neutral Amber with peppers added. I didn't hate it but it was not what I was expecting. Although idk what I was expecting from a beer n the "Chile Beer" category.

M/D - Middle of the road mouthfeel, I was able to finish my half of the bomber no problem but my tasting partner didn't do much damage and I've never seen him not finish a beer before.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 18:48:45 | More by magnj

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle - cha cha!

A: Copper body with some dark rustic orange hues. Dismal white head that retains nothing of itself. Kind of boring.

S: Lackluster aromas... Malt bill is the stand out base here. Bready malts try to blend with some very faint piney hops. Some roasted vegetables and black pepper spice come through as the beer warms a bit.

T: Sipped cold, the flavor profile is virtually non-existent. The chipotle spice was completely masked, though as it warmed, the flavors became more evident. Watery grains and corn husk are present in the beginning and middle of the palate. The finish brings the chipotle peppers and leaves a slight warming sensation through your throat and chest -- nothing overbearing, don't worry.

M: Medium-bodied, nice smooth and even carbonation for the style - helps deliver the peppery flavors all over the palate.

In comparison to the only other Chile beer I've had, Theobroma, this misses a lot of points. The peppers are done correctly, not overbearing but present, although other than that, there is nothing else going on with this beer. Will NOT seek out again but worth trying for the curiosity of it.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 19:43:12 | More by ShanePB

Rickythejeweler

Maryland

3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Hazy copper-amber, 1 and a half finger frothy off white head, good lacing.

S - Slightly pungent, peppers, light hops.

T - Balance of light hops and light malts, pepper kick, vegetable finish, watery.

M - Pretty smooth, moderate carbonation, oily vegetable aftertaste.

O - Not too good.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 02:15:12 | More by Rickythejeweler

mwagner1018

Minnesota

3.03/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A- Pours a nice coppery amber color, with a nice thick 2-3 fingers of head into pint glass.

S- An odd combination of bitterness, floral, and smokiness, definite pepper in the nostril, sweet, but distinct and different.

T- Honestly, I didn't enjoy the earthy, sticky, tingle from the off smoky chipotle flavor, nicely carbonated, but not balanced for me, too much on the taste buds. I generally like smoked peppers and the nice flavor associated with them, but this combination did not appeal to me.

M- Good carbonation, but an odd waxy feeling on the tongue and walls of mouth, goes down with a rough scratch.

D- One is more than enough, could not drink the entire bomber. The complexity that I was hoping for, and the balance of the sweet, bitter, and smoky peppers did not appear. Disappointed by this one.

Big fan of Rogue, but can do without this one. I would recommend to others to try it, but will not plan on doing this one again.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2009 23:35:51 | More by mwagner1018

wahhmaster

Virginia

3.03/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 650 mL bottle into a nonic imperial pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a reddish-tan color with a thick foamy tan head that dissipates slowly leaving nice lacing.

Smell: Malty with a kind of musky roasted pepper aroma in the background.

Taste: Tastes like, well, chipotle. Has a roasted pepper taste that pretty much masks whatever else this beer has to offer. Not too spicy, but the pepper flavor is a little overpowering.

Mouthfeel: Light, and pretty refreshing. The peppers add a nice bite to this as well.

Drinkability: An interesting beer. If you're looking for something interesting to pair with tacos (I did) or Mexican food, this might be the beer for it. Not necessarily something I will go to in the future, but worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2009 23:25:24 | More by wahhmaster

Brent

Kentucky

3.05/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

One of my lower scores for a Rogue beer, which is a lineup on which I can usually count. This was not a bad beer, but I was pumped for something special from the addition of the chipotle peppers - not much going on here. Perhaps my bottle was not fresh enough, and the peppers had faded into the background (why does Rogue so steadfastly resist any dating on the bottles?). Overall, this probably fell in the more mellow-end of the pale ale pool. Pretty boring.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2004 05:56:17 | More by Brent

PorterLambic

Florida

3.05/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I love beer (duh) & I love spicy things so this seemed a natural choice.

Pours (from the 650 ml bottle) a nice light brown with a red tinge. The light tan head lasts but it left no lace to speak of.
Smell is disappointing. I could feel the chipotle spice (capsaicin) in my nose, tickling and tempting me but could smell nothing except hops & malt.
Taste is a bit better with smoke (chipotles are just smoked jalapenos after all), malt and a slight peppery (chipotle) taste.
A medium body with very light heat from the peppers, barley noticeable to a capsaicin addict like me. Not overly hoppy for a Rogue either. I'd say it's safe for the masses to try, not to spicy, not to hoppy, not too much of anything really. I expected more though.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2006 20:09:11 | More by PorterLambic

Mitchel

Texas

3.05/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Hmmm… attention-grabbing. It pours a cloudy orange-brown. The head is moderate and pasty with great retention. It smells of chipotle (obviously) and smoky malts. Just a hint of fruitiness in the nose.

It is surprisingly smooth and soft on the palate. It is a little bready and just a tiny bit spicy. For me, the chipotle is overpowering. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for exactly, but I got a salsa flavored drink. The spiciness is from the chipotle and not from hops and it can get stronger as you drink. Nothing to be worried about though. Medium body and just a hint of citrus.

Rogue’s Chipotle Ale is interesting. The chipotle can be overpowering but if you are a lover of peppers, then this is a winner. This beer is not my favorite offering from Rogue, but they do have many more beers to offer. Mediocre in my book.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2006 02:19:08 | More by Mitchel

xav33

Michigan

3.05/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Rogue Chipotle Ale
Bomber
Brewed Spring 06, buvar 09/06
Medium pour in a stein.

Poured a hazy reddish brown with a small rocky white fully diminishing head.

Smelt of roasted habaneros and light dark bread.

Taste was upfront light sweet breadiness with the bitter roasted habanero taste kicking in afterwards and a touch of almost lemony acidity for a finish that is hidden by the spicyness. Mouthfeel was light, watery, with soft carbonation and light burning peppers.

Overall, the roasted habanero taste is subdued enough for this ale to be enjoyable, but is otherwise fairly boring tastewise.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2006 05:16:36 | More by xav33

ectomorph

Tennessee

3.05/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Another Rogue brew.

A - Dark copper in color like an old penny. Off white head hangs around and leaves thick lace.

S - Malty up front but the smoky/spicy smells aren't far behind.

T - Little bit of maltiness initially then BANG Smoke! Really deep smoke flavor and spiciness are new to me in beer. Not sure I'm a fan...

M - Medium bodied and carbonated.

D - Good for a starter, but not one to have a bunch of.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2008 22:47:28 | More by ectomorph

Pmazz19

New York

3.05/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass

A - Cloudy, light orange color. Nice head about 2 fingers high with decent retention.

S - Smell is almost all chipotle, spicy with a faint hint of malt in the background.

T - Very interesting, lingering spice followed by a light malt a very light hop character

M - Dry, medium carbonation. Kind of feels like its leaving a coating on my mouth

D - This is definitely not a beer I'd drink on a regular basis but as an occasional oddity its not bad. I found the taste to be very interesting although not that refreshing and it definitely did not leave me wanting more. I had it with steak tacos which turned out to be a great pairing. I'll probably drink this again but not in the near future.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2009 17:22:42 | More by Pmazz19

slk22

Maryland

3.05/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours an amber/honey color, slightly cloudy, with a cream colored head. Aroma is mild with detectable caramel malt and honey notes. Taste is a bready malt with a hint of jalapeno that becomes more pronounced in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel is a medium body with medium carbonation. An interesting beer, but not one that I would keep on hand.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2009 02:49:39 | More by slk22

JoeMertens

New Jersey

3.05/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A- Pour is cloudy with a red hue, slightly cloudy

S- Lots of smoke on the nose, no hops or malt detected. Smells like an Islay scotch, peated. Slight hint of spicy jalapeno tang.

T- Thin taste, once the smoke and mild heat fades (rapidly), the beer has no finish. Dominantly smoked flavor, as with the nose. Would not know it was from a chipotle unless I was told so.

M- Very light and highly carbonated. Like drinking a pilsner.

D- Enjoyable for one or two at a BBQ or something, would not recommend more than that, simply not interesting enough.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2010 18:40:38 | More by JoeMertens