Rogue Farms Single Malt Ale - Rogue Ales

LukeD23

Delaware

3.38/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Color is straw yellow with a touch of vibrant gold. pours brilliantly clear with very little head.

Aroma herbal with notes of sage and lemongrass, backed with a grainy lageresc aroma

Flavor is really straightforward and crisp. Very dry, with a firm bitterness. Flavors of pine and grapefruit rind dominate, husky grain flavors come through on the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium to thin. Not much, but good

Overall this beer is a really easy drinker, I like the simplicity of it and really like the crisp finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 03:55:43 | More by LukeD23

Muhly

Alberta (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500 ml bottle poured into a chalice glass.

A-Pours a golden straw colour with about two fingers of off white head. Head stays up for a decent amount of time and leaves behind a very solid white lace on the glass.

S-moderate hoppy aroma. Probably just the marketing, but I also get a whiff of barnyard or haystack.

T-grassy hops with rustic cereal.

M-nicely carbonated. Bubbles seem to allow the flavour to wash over the tongue.

O-quite liked this one. Simple an refreshing. Would love to kick back on a porch in the summer with a bottle of this and a steak. Probably not the best beer for the winter season, but I knew that going in.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 03:33:23 | More by Muhly

mstyne

New York

3.88/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice dark golden amber with a substantial, thick, creamy head. Not much to write home about in the sniffer department, as best as I can tell, but not unpleasant either. Light, hoppy flavor and exceptionally easy to drink. Definitely an interesting offering from one of my favorite breweries, especially when you consider that this is a true DIY brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2010 22:47:07 | More by mstyne

onewetpaw

Tennessee

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

A- Light crisp and hard to describe hop aroma.

A- Pours a very light golden color. Stock white head. Very mild haze that fades with warming.

F- Crisp almost sharp flavor that reminds me of a pilsner. Firm bitterness that seems a little out of line for the amount of body present.

M- High average carbonation.

O- A cool idea and a nice drinking beer. There's not too much that jumps out at me in the beer, but I do love the idea that it is from their hops and their malt. Keep it up guys!

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 01:52:55 | More by onewetpaw

monkeybutler

Vermont

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I toasted with this beer to announce my wife's pregnancy, and didn't get any (pun intended). Then I bought a bottle for a friend's birthday, and I didn't have any then either.

So I made sure not to share any of this bottle this time, the third time I've bought it.

I was surprised to see this beer classified as a blonde ale. It certainly doesn't look, smell, taste, or seem to be a blonde ale.

Maybe that's a mistake on the BA website - maybe not.

But I'm one of those hard-headed types of people who will look at a situation, ignore protocol and move ahead as if the guidelines were irrelevant or perhaps non-existent.

The beer is clearly something other than a blonde ale, no matter who says so, including Rogue themselves.

I understand that beer styles are not arbitrary distinctions, but as far as I'm concerned this beer defies a heretofore existent style category. It's a Oregon first growth, organic hop, organic barley ale. An O-1-GOHOB, maybe.

And sure, it's cloudy, and a little dark - but maybe that's what an O-1-GOHOB is supposed to look like.

As for the flavor and mouthfeel, I can only compare it to a double-thick version of a West Coast American Pale Ale. Like they make double-thick milk shakes with extra ice cream - maybe the first growth barley has more protein or something.

As I notice the extensive lacing, I must note that the above comment might actually be more of a truth than a flippant observation.

Maybe I'm off base, but this beer probably shouldn't be rated as an American blonde, even if that's what it's supposed to be.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 01:16:48 | More by monkeybutler

GiantMidget

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bought at Total Wine in Claymont Delaware.
Continuing my Rogue journey, having now had just about all of the Chatoe Rogue selections.

Poured into a tall beer mug, a cloudy yellowish orange with about 2 finger head, bubbly and off white. Minimal lacing.
The malt scent jumped out at me immediately, with almost a breadiness evident.

First sip, noticed the lighter mouthfeel which is to be expected for a single malt American ale.
Mostly noticing the maltiness in flavor with the Revolution hops adding the bitterness that I enjoy very much.
I could see this being a good session beer in the summer as it's a smooth drink with a low ABV.

As a hop head, I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this, but it did deliver.
And as others have said, I always respect the process of Rogue growing their own barley, malt and hops. It adds authenticity to this selection. Try it!

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 01:03:13 | More by GiantMidget

ozzyCobblepot

New York

3.65/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle purchased from American Beer Distributers, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Poured into a chilled pint glass.

A: Pours a thick, effervescent, 2" head with foam that clings well. Very hazy, golden brew with some carbonation.
S: Definitely a malt-driven aroma, hinting of dark, dried fruit and caramel, while given a bitter hops texture.
T: The taste brings the bitterness of the "Revolution" hops into play. Subdued sweetness gives way to the explosive and lingering flavors brought on by the hops.
M: Light/moderate body, good carbonation
D: A refreshing beer with some interesting characteristics, but overall kind of simple and--while very drinkable--leaves something wanting.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2010 00:00:17 | More by ozzyCobblepot

evansrdbrew

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

35 ibu. 12 degrees plato
Drank on 7/4/10
22 poured into a pint glass

A- amazingly clear yellow ale with a huge 2" head receeding to a mound of foam and endless streams of bubbles.

S- very light pale malt aroma, crisp with hints of spicy and citrus hops. Very refreshing on the nose.

T- light and clean malt profile with a wonderful crisp grass and citrus hop finish. Simple and fantastic!

MF- light on the tongue, refreshing. Nice well balanced with a great lingering bitterness.

D- great beer for the fourth of july or any other summer day. Not too heavy on the alcohol or body so you can have quite a few. Great light offering from rogue and with everything being homegrown how can you go wrong.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 13:31:57 | More by evansrdbrew

Cannoneer

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is an impressive brew, mainly for its good balance and very good drinkability.

Pours rich amber color with lush, creamy head. Very appetizing to look at; not much in the smell, though, beyond easily expected citrus, bread and caramel.

The taste is quite good - exceptional balance is noted right away. Notes of lively citrus, toffee and pleasant floral hop bitterness are present. Nothing extraordinary, yet very very drinkable and friendly. Excellent thirst-quencher and thirst inducer. Calls for savory accompaniments, such as grilled meats or hot-smoked fish. I'll have another one anytime - really.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 02:06:28 | More by Cannoneer

GrumpyJunglist

California

3.3/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Duvel Tulip

A: When first opening it let out a loud carbonation release, however no foam came out of the bottle. When Pouring it had way over 5 fingers of head. It foamed up real fast. Once I got past all the head on this, i noticed the beer was a semi dark golden yellow with some haze to it.

S: Aromas of piney hops, almost like an IPA. Malts show up towards the end of a big sniff of the beer.

T: Very light taste some citrus, and again some of that nice hop in the aftertaste with a heavy dose of malt.

M: Very carbonated, but doesn't bite the back of your throat. the hop linger more then the malt.

O: This is a perfect summer beer in my opinion, very refreshing and light, not overpowering at all. I think this would be a nice beer to go along with a pizza.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 05:40:21 | More by GrumpyJunglist

msmezher

California

4.33/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Chatoe Rogue's First Growth Single Malt Ale delivers on a few points. Grow your own ingredients, and emphasizing quality over concept in terms of style. Single Malt Ale is about as good as one thing can be, without getting into the hazy realm of high concept beers. If more ales had this sort of quality I'd be a much happier camper. If all you want is hoppy, malty refreshment, try this beer out.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 00:47:18 | More by msmezher

Kala1073

Hawaii

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Opened up a bottle today and poured it into a pint glass. The beer was orange in color and a bit hazy. The head was substantial and there was a bit of lacing on the glass. Took in a deep smell of this ale and the smell of caramel and hops were detected immediately. Soon after, the lingering smell of malts became apparent. I took my first sip of this ale and could immediately taste the caramel and hops. Then it balanced it self of well with the malts. Quite honestly, it was very tasty. The drinkability of this ale was very smooth. This ale surprised me as I was not expecting much. I will definitely pick up another bottle when I get the chance!

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2010 06:33:01 | More by Kala1073

BigTomZ

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice golden amber with a medium head and lingers for some time.

The smell is a subtle malt and hop balance, not much too it but still fresh.

This is a balanced brew with the sweet malt and citrus up front and earthy hop tones following. The taste is not too complex but in this case it works out.

This had a nice smooth mouthfeel with just the right amount of carbonation for the style.

I could drink this all day. It went down easy, isn't too strong, and is actually very refreshing. I will probably pick up a few more bottles to make this my brew for relaxing on a summer day.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2010 19:13:31 | More by BigTomZ

Mic-Lee

3.48/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bright golden/straw color and medium head. Inviting appearance. Smells bready and yeasty. Good lacing. Very light mouthfeel. Refreshing. Malty with light floral hops, but tasty hop flavor. No booziness. A little bit of bitterness in the finish.

Overall: This beer is very refreshing and is overall, enjoyable. It has all the elements you’re looking for: maltiness, hoppiness, bitterness. However, the mouthfeel is soooo light, and the bitterness so mellow, that it lacks the profoundness necessary to raise it to the next level. Tasty hop flavor, though light. I would definitely appreciate this beer on a hot day or when I need a good swig of something refreshing, but it is not a real standout.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 00:12:04 | More by Mic-Lee

kristiekatk

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

First Growth Single Malt Ale is a blonde ale that comes to us in a 22 oz. bomber. It pours a slightly hazy yellow, with a billowing, creamy white head. The nose is light citrus with a mild and floral hop presence.

This beer begins with a light toastiness from the grains and but then delivers some great citrus notes and a hop kick in a bitter, crisp finish. It’s very bright, but at the same time, also earthy. The PacMan yeasts even give it sort of an English ale dimension. This is a medium-body beer with lots of carbonation and a slight creaminess.

A very easy drinking beer; simple in its flavors, but I think it does what it intended to do; showcase the freshness of the ingredients and the essence of beer itself. I’m really looking forward to trying other selections from the Chatoe.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 20:56:02 | More by kristiekatk

RyanTeeter

New York

3.01/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

a: A slight haze to a straw colored beer. Very unique and cool to look at. Held up to the light you get faint tints of copper. Thin white head that is gone in moments.

s: Watery smell, with hints of lemons. Decently pleasant.

t: The bitterness was very fresh however seemed to slightly over power the rest of the flavors. In the background there is some bitter lemons and earth.

m: It is a strong medium mouthfeel Very enjoyable.

o: I enjoyed this beer very much. I wish the flavors balanced themselves out a little more however overall, it was not a bad finish to the flavors. I would drink this beer again. Would not be the first thing I purchase however should I be in the specific mood for a beer with a solid bite - this it is.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 22:57:22 | More by RyanTeeter

rjhaupt

Tennessee

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - A bight lively golden color. Light head even in a tulip glass with a proper pour.

S - There's no suggested serving temp obviously displayed on the bottle but this guy definitely needs to warm up a bit once out of the fridge. There's not a lot of aromatic character until it's had some time to open up. Once it does the main smell is like a toasted earthy loaf of bread. Smells basically like the first half of a brewery tour.

T - As expected, the hops take a back seat to the malts here. The intial flavor of the beer (where I always feel like the hops hit hardest) is somewhat absent but it makes up for it on the backend with the malts. As much aftertaste as actual taste but it's a good aftertaste so I'm not complaining.

M - Much lighter and crisper than expected, a pleasant surprise.

D - A totally drinkable beer (if you neglect the price) that I'd quickly recommend to any hop-hating friends. They do exist, unfortunately. *sigh*

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2010 00:05:24 | More by rjhaupt

smellandsip37

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle poured at 45F into a pint glass

A: Golden yellow and a little haze, really deep white head, nearly 4 fingers

S: Piney hops like a good pale ale, malt comes through a little later and gives some balance

T: Flavor is light with some hop tones, malt comes through, and then hop aftertaste. None of these were really stand out or over done, good balance

M: Lots of carbonation, not sticky or thick, smooth

O: Good flavor and balance, I hope future brews of this ale come out even better as the recipe improves

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 17:19:43 | More by smellandsip37

CaraAndMike

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This was a highly drinkable beer due to its integrated hop and malt taste. As a blond ale, it had interest, but is not a hybrid ale or IPA. So, if you need a lot if complexity, you'll be disapponted. However, for an interesting blonde that has some different flavors & aromas, she's worth taking for a spin.

As an example of an integrated agricultural product highlighting both a particular region's raw ingredients and approach to brewing, it's a very cool opening salvo in the Chatoe series.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2010 20:49:35 | More by CaraAndMike

melliott2811

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Rogue First Growth Single Malt Ale

"Malty aroma, deep golden in color with a dense creamy head."

22oz bottle poured into a pint glass.
Poured 05/31/10

A: Rogue's painted bottle are always a welcome addition to any beer tasting. The theme of this review is a beer's beer. It's not anything fancy in any category, but it is a solid beverage. Light color like any normal ale and average to above average amount of foamy head. Not as clear & polished as one would expect from Rogue.

S: Nothing special on the nose, but discerning consumers will notice that things aren't quite what they seem. With Rogue proving their own hops and grain, it feels like a twist on something familiar.

T: I'm not sure how this is categorized as a blonde ale, because I am not a fan of blondes, but I like this. Feels more like an ale, and don't worry about the Rogue hops; this is not a west coast wet hop by any means.

M: Feels like an everybeer. Takes me back to my first experiences drinking "good" beer, but puts a different spin on it.

D: An all around beer guy beer. You have to give Rogue props for producing their own barley, malt & hops while at the same time offering a beer that is familiar, yet distinctive. Not quite as nice as the Dirtoir, but with four ingredients, locally sourced, you can't find many that are better.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 17:01:28 | More by melliott2811

Brand

5/5  rDev +37%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This and The Good Chit by Chatoe Rogue are the two best beers I've ever had for general beer consumption. Occasionally I like heavier and lighter beers, but for the standard, their single malt ale and the good chit are the best. Since I first tried these beers no other beer satisfies me, in the general range of beers, excluding heavies and true lights.

Here's my E=mc^2 description of this beer, and 'the good chit', which are both nearly indistinguishable, btw:

OMG, amazing, the best beers. The only beers that I have thought "How can I make these beers, these are the best I've ever had!" Because the balance of the flavor-nourishing-quality-feel is the best I've ever had.

Poured into a Jameson Irish Whiskey glass:
- Light golden liquid, medium white head.
- Beautiful light hoppy floral fruity aroma. Top quality.
- Amazing balance, only lightly sweet, grapefruity flavor, noticeable acid, but not too acid(whereas for example, S.N. Hefeweizen is too acid). For the alcohol content it has, it is not 'too sweet', and it is not 'mellow'. This is a lively refreshing and very nourishing feeling beer(though on the lighter refreshing side, but not too light, it has standard punch),...as part of a balanced diet.
The best. Amen!

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 17:12:52 | More by Brand

kini

Hawaii

3.25/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thought I'd give this a try. I assumed a malt beer would have a strong flavor of malt. I was wrong. A totally unremarkable beer given the price. For a blonde I much prefer the very less expense GB Blonde.

Color was very nice. A nice golden amber, a nice head of off white color. Again taste was nothing more than average. Kind of disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2010 23:55:15 | More by kini

cody208

Florida

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

Appearance is excellent. I t pours a nice a nice hazy orange-brown with a very thick creamy offwhite heady that hangs around for a while.

Smell is a not strong but is a a light citrus and malty smell

Taste is good, but nothing exceptional. very light flavor with plenty of maltyness and some sesame and rye like flavors during the finish.

Mouthfeel is light and its slightly more fizzy than usual. nice.

Overall an average beer. Looking forward to try more beer of this concept from Rogue and other brewers.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2010 00:56:36 | More by cody208

thesarahfuller

Massachusetts

3.05/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a pint glass.

Bright cloudy yellow with a very white head and nice lacing.

Smell is almost nonexistent - pretty disappointing.

Taste falls a bit short. There's a bit of bitterness from the hops (it was dry hopped maybe?), but I'm not really tasting any malt to balance it. Very crisp and clean, but not particularly exciting. I'd like to try another beer with these hops.

Mouthfeel is too light for my taste.

I love the concept behind this beer, and imagine this could be nice and refreshing on a hot summer day, but it's not really hitting the spot on the October evening.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 00:02:35 | More by thesarahfuller

dosher

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Serving Type:
Bomber

Appearance:
Hazy gold with a white, pillowy head that soon dissipates into a thin skein.

Aroma:
Slight yeast ester, sweet malt. Slight piney hop aroma.

Taste:
A lightly sweet malt flavor quickly gets KO'd by a lasting bitterness. A lot of pine here, a little too much, maybe?

Mouthfeel:
Soft carbonation, medium-light body.

Drinkability:
Not Rogue's best, but not a flop either. It's a little too bitter for a non-IPA - I finished the beer 10 minutes ago, and I can still taste the hops. I'd love to see more from the GYO series, just something a little less unbalanced.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2010 01:56:57 | More by dosher