Rogue Farms Wet Hop Ale - Rogue Ales

jondeelee

Massachusetts

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

Rogue's Wet Hop Ale--which proudly states that the hops were picked and immediately driven seventy-seven miles to be pitched into the brew kettle--smells far less hoppy than such a description would imply. There are hops, yes, in rolling sweeps of grapefruit and light pine, but sugars and malts make up the larger part of the nose, bringing seas of toasted grains, brown sugars, bread, and apricots.

On the tongue, the immediate flavors are sugary and lovely, swirling in light fruit esters (grape, apricot, apple, berry), brown sugars, toasted wheats, and unbuttered toast. The hops, though present in 65 IBU strength, are surprisingly subdued for most of the mouthful, peering out meekly from behind the wheat fields. This doesn't mean that they aren't present, but that the normal hoppy bitterness seems accompanied by taming plant flavors; the fact that the hops are fresh has made them less wild and concentrated, and more subtle and nuanced. Late in the mouthful the sugars die off, and more hop bitterness does come through, partnered with a slight grassy note, or the taste of biting into vine. The aftertaste is a continuation of these latter flavors, and fades with moderate quickness. Mouthfeel is medium, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, while this brew doesn't provide the intensely hoppy buzz that comes with many wet hop beers, the flavors that are present are good, and the beer is very drinkable. Still, something seems ever-so-slightly missing, as if the beer needed that extra kick--whether sugar or hop--to round out the picture.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 17:09:40 | More by jondeelee

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -2%

04-27-2013 19:57:14 | More by Kelp

calcnerd

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +12%

03-26-2013 23:43:25 | More by calcnerd

chugamugofsud

Oregon

3/5  rDev -16%

02-21-2013 17:06:01 | More by chugamugofsud

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5%

02-17-2013 03:01:02 | More by jmdrpi

vcoggins

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -2%

02-14-2013 16:10:15 | More by vcoggins

jtyson

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -2%

02-10-2013 18:53:57 | More by jtyson

Gu3mom

Georgia

4/5  rDev +12%

02-07-2013 20:15:32 | More by Gu3mom

jnoelani

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +19%

01-23-2013 23:26:16 | More by jnoelani

Bloodbuzz99

Georgia

2.75/5  rDev -23%

01-21-2013 13:41:30 | More by Bloodbuzz99

Kaars

Illinois

4/5  rDev +12%

01-12-2013 00:26:29 | More by Kaars

chefduff2

New York

2.75/5  rDev -23%

01-05-2013 21:08:01 | More by chefduff2

AleVana

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -2%

12-23-2012 00:12:52 | More by AleVana

vihila

California

4/5  rDev +12%

12-15-2012 00:46:56 | More by vihila

BMart

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -2%

11-28-2012 17:35:52 | More by BMart

C-Dog

3/5  rDev -16%

11-27-2012 05:46:40 | More by C-Dog

riored4v

Colorado

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

Bottle looked a bit different than the one pictured (solid green bottle). This one states it was brewed with Freedom hops.

Poured in to a tulip. Deep copper colored body. 2 finger, rocky, off-white head. Very nice lacing.

Aroma was floral. Not real pungent. Some maltyness, a bit bready and some light citrus notes.

Taste was floral with some orangey citrus flavors. Turned to medium malty sweetness, bready and a bit grainy. Some light caramel. Finish was lemony, orangey and floral. Mild lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel was medium body, medium carbonation and a slightly chewy finish.

Overall a decent beer. Mild bitterness was pleasant and paired nice with the sweetness. Felt the hop intensity for a Fresh Hop beer was lacking a little.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 02:00:14 | More by riored4v

argock

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap in a 13oz tulip at Sunset Grill (Boston, MA).

A: Dusky auburn with soft cap of off-white, foamy head with good retention and several thick rings of lace.

S: Hops are resinous with sopme pine and orange rind while that malts provide some light caramel/toffee.

T: Flavor is an explosion of resinous hoppiness -- pine, orange citrus, and plain old-fashioned resin without the leafy, grassy dank character that I am not such a huge fan of. Malts are even and fairly complex to lend some caramel sweetness and provide balance to the resin attack. The bitterness is medium-high but not over the top. The Pacman yeast mybe contributes some light fruity esters, but it is hard to pick up with the resin character.

M: Smooth creamy mouthfeel with medium body and even carbonation.

O: I was very pleasantly surprised by this beer -- big resiny hoppiness if tha's what you're after.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2012 20:32:45 | More by argock

kylehay2004

Florida

3.88/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Half finger head with excellent lacing on a cloudy amber body. Aroma wet sock hops, light pine hops and breads. Flavor is both very resiny and piney with a nice bready and caramel malt base. This one is piney to the point of being very metallic and medicinal. Medium body and moderate carbonation with an oily finish. This one grows on you. This one seems like its hopped more as an IPA than APA

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2012 21:01:24 | More by kylehay2004

DocJitsu

California

3.68/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazed orange light amber color with a lingering off-white head. It's a little dark here in Small Bar in central San Diego, so forgive the appearance description if it's not entirely accurate. A lot of lacing around the edges of the glass appear as the beer is consumed. The bouquet is comprised of citrus and heavy cream. This flavor is difficult to describe. Sweet lemon esters. Everything blends well. The first few pulls yielded some harshness at the finish. I had some Stone PTSD. But, everything blended and got smoother as I worked my way through it. There might be some apricot in there. Midlle of the road. Maybe just a little north of that.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2012 02:53:31 | More by DocJitsu

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

As the "grow your own" movement sweeps across local farmer's markets and backyard gardens, Rogue brings such sensibility to the brewing community. Using their own hops, fresh from the hop fields and straight into the brewing process, gives the beer a decidedly fresh unadulterated hop taste.

With a firm copper-amber pour, the beer casts golden highlights through a yeasty and hoppy haze. A dense blanket of foam caps the beer with tremendous staying power and clumped lace.

Balanced aromas of malt and hops intertwine with medium intensity, neither allowing the other to dictate the taste. Caramel, honey, bread, peanuts, and fresh kilned barley provide the malty base while pungent grapefruit, grass, and wood deliver the hoppy counterpart. Complementing esters of oranges and fig attach to the malt scent and give a richer impression.

The taste of the beer resonates similarly- firm malt flavors of thin caramel, honey-soaked bread, biscuit, cashews, fig, orange, and peach give a sweet and fruity under carriage that blends well into the hop complex. This is where notions of orange zest, white grapefruit, and citrus pith begins to extend from the sweeter components of the beer and steer toward drier fruit taste. Finishing with the resinous bitterness of pungent grasses, leaf, and stem- it seems that the chlorophyll of the moistur-rich hops are playing a major role in the beer's overall taste.

Medium bodied, the beer's malty weight also plays a big part- allowing the beer to give richer sweetness than is probably there. The lingering residual sugars and dextrin-rich proteins extends deep into the finish before the stern bitterness and detected hop astringency comes into play, just ahead of mild alcohol warmth and fading sweetness.

The Wet Hop Ale is certainly a very rustic type of pale ale, with its English yeast-derived flavors and biscuit malt taste. But as the fresh hop are injected into the brew, I would prefer to see less influence from malt and more "juicy" hop flavors that favor citrus and tropical fruits instead of the highly grassy versions here.

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2012 16:51:35 | More by BEERchitect

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Kickbacks in Jax. Poured into a small snifter. Big, off-white head, high retention atop a bright copper body, slightly hazy. Soapy, sticky lacing sticks to the glass. Aroma has an air of freshness with pine and grass dominating. Taste is pretty spicy, bitterness throughout, mild sweetness in the back but faint compared to the very forward hops. Smooth mouthfeel, easy to drink, very tasty brew.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2012 05:18:32 | More by KickbacksSteve

snaotheus

Washington

3.78/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle poured into a large mug. Pours slightly cloudy orange/amber, with a light beige head, heavy lacing, and significant carbonation. Smell is not particularly floral, just heavy malts and slight yeast, a little spicy hops smell.

Taste is reminiscent of their Imperial IPA -- super bitterness coming through in the aftertaste, strong bitterness in front, with a thick malty backbone. Nothing delicate about this.

Mouthfeel is slightly thick and slightly gritty. Overall, I'm satisfied with this beer, but not delighted.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 00:25:15 | More by snaotheus

barczar

Kentucky

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

Pours a fairly hazy medium gold color with a dense, creamy half inch ivory head that lingers as a pool of foam.

Aroma is fairly malty, with bready caramel malt, fairly sweet, forming the backbone and piney, citrusy hops adding complexity.

Flavor is far more hoppy, with bitterness pervading throughout. Grapefruit and resin surface early, with pine and spruce rounding out the fairly bitter, peppery finish. Fresh cut grass surfaces as it warms.

Body is moderate and slightly creamy, with moderate carbonation, slight alcohol warmth, and significant hop astringency.

Overall, a very bitter brew, with much more hop flavor than detectable in the aroma. Then again, I have a cold, so aromas may elude me. Too much skew toward bitter for my liking.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2012 02:11:39 | More by barczar

vfgccp

New York

4.28/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2012 bottle fresh from Rogue's Hop Yard

A - Excellent looking beer. Dark marmalade. Beautiful, creamy off white head with stellar retention and lace.

S - Pop of fresh herbal hops and pine. Edge of orange. Touch of grass.

T - Super smooth. Surprising balance with a big caramel malt body. Lemongrass, grassy herbs, and waxy bitters ramp throughout the profile. Nice resiny backbone. Great staying power.

M - Full body. Creamy. Perfect carbonation.

O - Loaded with flavor for a sub 7% ABV IPA. Awesome drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 00:22:49 | More by vfgccp