Kells Irish Style Lager - Rogue Ales

dirtylou

Washington

3.63/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber, Riley's

Happy St. Patricks Day...Enjoyed during NCST/CAL game, GO PACK

appearance: sweet bottle...pours a clean golden orange, straw like, foamy white head forms on top, with clumpy lacing. appearance is fresh and clean

smell: noble hops, sweet and doughy, lightly toasted malts, touch of yeast in the aroma...lots of sweetnes - apple, pear...lots of sweet grain, and a noticable tartness

taste: again with the tartness, almost a sour apple...some sweet green apple/pear flavours, toasted malt, dry grain, noble and grassy hops come through...nothing too terribly impressive here but its easy drinking enough

mouthfeel: a little on the light side, tart tongue

drinkability: definitely a session

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2006 01:09:32 | More by dirtylou

Bitterbill

Wyoming

2.15/5  rDev -40.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured from bottle(room temp) a clear medium gold with a large head of foam that dissipated slowly.

The smell is of sweet malt. Kind of typical of a macro lager.

The taste is also of sweet malt but there's a sourness there as well that does nothing to help with the taste of this lager. I find it *very* ordinary and I'm a *big* fan of Rogue products so there is *no* anti bias associated with this review.

Bottom line: It's a Rogue product but don't let their reputation sway you into trying this lager. It's just not worth it.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2006 01:04:41 | More by Bitterbill

kylehay2004

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thin white head and no real lace in a clear straw body. Aroma is mostly pale malt but distorted by the odor of the bar. Flavor is initially sharp with pale malt, piney with sour lemon notes. Light body and moderate carbonation. A little too sharp and sour which affects the drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2012 00:10:32 | More by kylehay2004

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pilsner glass, the beer pours a cloudy gold/orange color, with a good sized white head. It smells like bread, apples, and a bit of hops. The taste is grainy and lemony, with some sweet malt and hoppiness in there too. The mouthfeel is on the light side, but it's nice and crisp. It's pretty drinkable, and it has enough flavor to make it interesting. Not a bad brew, but this would probably taste better on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2006 22:26:43 | More by bluejacket74

RedDiamond

Oregon

2.75/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I'm not sure what an Irish lager purports to be, as the Irish aren't known for this style. What I noticed first about Kells though, is that it came served to me at the Issaquah Brewhouse with a complete lack of head. This deficit launches the drinking experience on an off-note it never fully recovers from.

The beer is very pale yellow and has a strong yeast-on-malt flavor that's dour and irascible. And it's none too clean where you'd expect a lager should be. In fact, it's a little tired, slightly buttery, and rather blasé.

Kells is just barely defensible as a lager and not up to Rogue standards. Not by a long shot.

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2009 03:20:53 | More by RedDiamond

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

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

650ml bomber poured into pint glass july7 2010

A clear golden yellow with a heavy amount of tiny bubbles feeding a two finger bone white head that has average retention and leaves a few patches of lace

S sweet grains with a little candy corn

T all I smell but with a tiny bit of apple and another fruity aspect that I can't quite place

M full for the color with decent length

D no flaws but nothing amazing, I could drink this again but beside other Rogue bottles for the same price it would not be my first choice

decent beer but like I said above it's a hard sell beside all the other Rogue bombers on the shelf

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2010 03:14:23 | More by wordemupg

Brent

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

According to the bottle, brewed by Rogue for the Kells Irish Pub. Not at all an Irish red, which is usually the incarnation most Irish lagers show up in - this is a good, bull bodied blond lager. Sweet and fresh in the nose, with a mild caramel blanced nicely by somewhat tart hopping. Finish is very clean with a touch of alcohol clearing out the caramel - good session brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2002 12:41:59 | More by Brent

GClarkage

California

3.65/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

03/06/06- Purchased at Bevmo in San Mateo, CA

Presentation- 22oz bomber poured into my Rogue Dead Guy Ale pint glass.

Appearance- Very pale and watery golden color. 1/4 inch spritzy head which evaporates immeadiately. No lacing to be found. Not a pretty sight.

Smell- Really not much smell. A bit of grainy and bready malt. Maybe a tad nutty.

Taste- Ahhh, the flavor is good at least. Nice bready grain flavor. Heavy biscuit taste with just the right amount of hops added in. Very crisp. Kinda a type of fruit in the aftertaste, but can't figure out which one. Huh, the label says apple, so I guess that's it.

Mouthfeel- Lower carbonation, but enough to keep it intersting.

Drinkability- This beer doesn't look pretty or smell pretty, but it has a good flavor and texture. I can see myself getting another to go with some corned beef and cabbage.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2006 05:10:02 | More by GClarkage

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.9/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

6 oz sample pored from a 22oz bottle, served in a standard pint glass.

A - golden yellow color with a fluffy white head that fell to a layer, leaving some good spots of lacing.

S - I thought it smelled sweet at first but it does have a light lemon bitterness to the nose on further sniffings.

T - Good tasting brew, malt sweetness is balanced with hop bitterness on the finish.

M - light/medium bodied with mild carbonation feel.

D - enjoyable and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2008 20:46:11 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got a 4oz pour sampler at my local place.

A - Pours a murky orange color with a half inch of off white head. Didn't see the lacing.

S - Smells like a yeasty lager with light tones of honey or orange. Smells rather sweet.

T - One of the more sweeter lager choices I have had with sweet malts and honey. Kind of boring but very drinkable.

M - Light to medium. Sample went rather quick.

Overall I would have got a bottle but was shocked that the price was around 8-9 dollars a bottle. Just for a lager? Upon research I found most places charge 6-7 dollars for this bomber which is kind of reasonable. Would like another sample though...

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 23:57:52 | More by DrDemento456

merlin48

Kentucky

4.43/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

22 oz bomber purchased on 12-30-03, in Blacksburg, Va. Most likely the same batch that Surfer reviewed. Pours a clear golden amber with a generous white head of tiny bubbles which continue their journey, from bottom to top, throughout. Sheet lacing follows.
Aroma is unlike a Lager. Plenty of floral and fruity hops are prominent to the nose, and dance playfully on top of the malty backbone.
Taste is as surprising as the nose. Mouthfeel is a creamy prelude to a citrusy flavor, well carbonated, light-bodied caramel underbelly. Pleasant tastes tease the palate. Finishes a full bodied maltiness, with enough hops to make you want a case of this stashed away in a secret cellar. Another extraordinary brew from Rogue.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2004 01:39:52 | More by merlin48

Mebuzzard

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured a medium yellow/golden body with a real nice foaming head. Sweet malt and light hops sprang forward in the aroma.
Taste was like a stronger Bud, and by that I mean better. Nice pear and malt balance with just enough hops to keep it refreshing.
Smooth and easy drinking. Not out-of-this-world, but a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2006 22:32:34 | More by Mebuzzard

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a slightly hazy golden color with massive white puffy head. Great retention and only slight lacing.

Smell is lightly fruity.

Taste is very refreshing. There is a strong hop presence with a nice fruit character, follwed by a persistent dryness that gets stronger as the beer warms.

Fihish is mainly dry, with a nice taste retention.

A nice easy drinker. Very simple and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2008 22:19:57 | More by tgbljb

mynie

Indiana

3.8/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Note to whomever: this is no longer retired.

About as pretty as a Euro Pils can pour. Very dark golden, slightly hazed, with a nice white head.

Very dull fruit malt mixed with a dry hop. Absent is the pac man yeast or tasty hops of your usual Rogue. This just smells like a good Euro Pils--that is to say, pretty god, not great.

Tastes very much like it smells. Fruit grains alternating sweet and dry. Light hints of summertime hay. Ends on a very dry, lingering hop, Nice, pleasant, but far from what I expect from a Rogue.

Goes down like water.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2006 04:10:29 | More by mynie

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

2.68/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

The beer poured crystal clear pale golden. The head was moussy and fell slowly to lace the glass.

The aroma was slightly malty with a caramel fruity aspect.

The flavor was fruity and the hops are a bit harsh within the flavor. A slight bitter burned flavor stays through the aftertaste.

The finish was dry with a lingering bitter aspect that is not pleasant. The body was a little below medium but thin.

22 ounce bottle. I think Rogue should definitely skip the lagers...

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2004 23:29:52 | More by GCBrewingCo

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.45/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This pleasant beer poured a pale yellow/orange with a small head that quickly dissipated. It had a sweet grain nose, like being outdoors on a sunny day. It had a grainy taste with some fruitiness in there, and was mildly hoppy. I liked how it felt, and how it went down. I'd drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2006 13:22:34 | More by lordofthewiens

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.73/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Basic lager look, with excellent clarity, a shimmering and sunny yellow with a sticky head that gives plenty of lace as the glass empties.

Aroma is sweet sugary grains, light mustiness, even fainter caramel corn. Nothing offensive, though nothing extraordinary.

Flavor is lightly toasted malt, featuring a fresh graininess that rides through the whole sip; subtle syrupy sweetness, and cotton candy way far back there.

Mouthfeel is buoyant and buttery, gliding and tingling gently in the mouth. Crisp finish.

Drinkable? Hell yeah. This would probably find approval with macro-loyalists and craft diehards alike. Not a style I crave, so I can't rate the drinkability higher, but it's definitely solid and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2007 22:20:19 | More by Metalmonk

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

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

This is in reality a decent lager with a not so Euro hop profile.( Is it just me or does this taste like Full Sail Session). The beer is clean and slightly sweet on the finish. My problem is that it isn't the type of beer that Rogue does best. An ok take on a style that doesn't really excite

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2008 23:28:42 | More by canucklehead

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance - pours a golden straw color, a nice fluffy head sits atop for a bit, then slowly falls back leaving a thin but mostly solid cover of lace on the sides.

Aroma - grain and sweetness, not too much unlike the Crazy Stallion I had last night.

Taste - a fine grain foundation with a crackery edge. Sweetens up on the swallow, presenting what they are calling an 'apple finish'. Hmm, it might be apple but if it hadn't been suggested to me I never would have arrived at that. Generally speaking though, it's a mildly sweet, average beer, but it does improve as it warms, more of a hop finish appearing at the end.

Mouthfeel - light to medium body, good crispness, a refreshing feel.

Drinkability - certainly drinkable as a session beer, but at 5 bucks a bomber, I'll pass. This was brewed more for the St. Patty's celebration anyway, so I have honored the Irish with a Rogue's craft creation, and for that I am glad.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2006 02:47:48 | More by brewdlyhooked13

kmpitz2

Tennessee

3.98/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber. Pours a solid straw color with a finger of effervescent head that is maintained by an active carbonation from the bottom of the glass. Clarity is moderate and a modest lace is left as the head recedes. Aroma is very clean. There is a solid pilsner base with a light kiss of grainyness and a very light lemon zestyness. Very solid nose. Flavor is pretty solid as well. I get a solid pislner base that is lightly sweet, with a very light grain on the finish. Hopping is mild to moderate, with a nice earthyness and moderate bitter on the finish that really accentuates this one after swallowing it. Mouthfeel is on the light end of moderate with a moderate carbonation. Its not overbearing, and is very easy drinkable. This is a solid pale lager all around. I think the hopping is perfect on this. A nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2006 02:51:47 | More by kmpitz2

beerguy101

California

3.48/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Medium gold color. Small white foamy head. Aroma is malty and sweet. A medium bodied pale lager . Mild nutty malts and spicy hops Good balance. Nice flavor. Lighter taste. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2003 02:36:44 | More by beerguy101

srandycarter

California

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

A - Pours fairly clear straw, nice head reduces to ring. Thin, sudsy lacing.

S - Light. Some light malt, honey, wheat and apple.

T - Better than smell. Malt met nicely with a bite.

M - Good balance, nice overall mouth. Hits several areas of mouth really well. Good carb and coating.

D - Very! At 12 degrees Plato, I can't believe this one is much more than 5-6 ABV.

Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2009 05:47:04 | More by srandycarter

Reidrover

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pint at the Rogue Pub in Newport dock.
In appearance it looks like typical lager , a good one, but at closer inspection the gold colour is more deep and solid than any I have seen.
First thing I noticed is that the "nose" of this lager is slightly stronger in the maltiness than I expected..but of course thgere is plenty evidence of the hops.
Great tasting lager, not too thin like many if its ilk..very malty to start..sweet and rather thick, then a great floral hoppiness takes over as the beer leaves the mouth on its journey down the throat.
Very acceptable on the palate..very smooth.
A very drinkable beer..I had three last night at the pub..that was after I had finished off a pint of the doppelbock and the chocolate stout.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2004 04:07:54 | More by Reidrover

rfgetz

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On draft at Smith's

A: Golden straw color. Puffy white head.

S: Butter biscuits, lightly roasted nuts, mild hops.

T: Lightly toasted cereal grains, semi sweet notes with a little hop bitter bite

M: Not overly carbonated or waterly like many lagers. Medium bodied and smooth.

D: Very drinkable and refreshing. Top notch lager.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2009 19:47:07 | More by rfgetz

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.1/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bomber into a tumbler pint, the beer is a pale, yellow-gold coloring with a steady, slow stream of carbonation bubbling and a low profile, frothy, white head that quickly settles into a sparse, uneven, filmy coating. Aromas of toasted grains and a slightly sour, floral highlight. Flavors are light, but sharp, with the toasty grains/cereal giving a good, solid backbone that support the sour tang and bitter hops at the end of the palate. The carbonation ends up giving a sharp, almost astringent feel along with the flavor profiles. The aftertaste is bitter and slightly sour, leading to a resiny, slick, and lingering finish. Not my favorite, that is for sure.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 19:23:53 | More by GarthDanielson