Juniper Pale Ale - Rogue Ales

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap 8/7/08 at Doherty's East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light amber color, with a decent-sized off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of light malts, spice and some hops.

T: The taste starts out with flavors of spice and caramel, along with a good hops bitterness. The malt character is on the thin side. The after-taste is slightly spicy and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean and dry.

D: A little tasty, goes down ok, not too filling, mild kick, it's a little bit different from your regular pale ale and is a decent lighter beer to drink, but there are several beers I would pick first.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2008 15:13:32 | More by TheManiacalOne

Chinon01

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Tangerine-tan color with soapy looking head. Good lacing not quite opaque.

S - Hop aroma and orange fruit.

T - Hops and malt fruit mango orange juiciness. Faint juniper lingering bitter finish.

M - Thick, rich sticky body. Bristling hop sizzle at finish.

D - Hop bite in finish keeps it from being super drinkable, but that's Rouge.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2008 20:53:06 | More by Chinon01

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Haven't seen this beer in ages. On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a rich honey color with fair head retention and minimal lacing. Don't get a lot on the nose, just a hint of citrus and juniper. On the palate this is an impressive beer. There is considerable hoppy bitterness, which is even more pronounced on the finish. The beer is on the dry side, but has enough malt to keep everything in balance. The beer has a medium bodied mouthfeel and a decent, bitter finish. Frnakly, I'm surprised by the abv., as it really tastes like a pretty big beer.

A solid beer from Rogue.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2008 20:40:01 | More by johnmichaelsen

kimcgolf

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a golden yellow color with meidum thick white head that lingered well and left okay lacing. Had this on tap at Taco Mac while eating spicy foods, so it was difficult to pick out any outstanding nose or taste. Mouthfeel was a bit tnagy, yet offset slightly by malty sweetness.

This is a smooth drinking, full-bodied beer that goes rounds to a nice finish, and would make an excellent session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2008 15:39:00 | More by kimcgolf

SurlyDuff

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at the Rogue brewpub...in the Portland Airport no less.

Crystal clear pale golden with a faint head.

Mild sweetness in the aroma. A bit of citrusy hops, with a nice light malt presence. Light earthy spice. I live in cCntral Oregon, which is freakin juniperland. I know a juniper when I smell (or taste?) one, and ths beer does not have a big juniper profile.

Nice hop bitterness, almost an IPA.

Mouthfeel is light, and drinkability is superb. A real nice brew!

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2008 04:41:27 | More by SurlyDuff

Lexluthor33

New York

3.83/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The look is Amber yellow with a nice head. The aroma is of malts,herbs,spices and background notes of light hops and pepper. The taste is lightly malted,spicy and sweet. The carbonation is good and the overall feel is a nice clean finish with less hops than expected but a grainy texture.
Notes: I had this brew at David Copperfield's and it was ok,nothing bombastic and nothing to reget over ordering it. I would have it again but not in a hurry to do so.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2008 20:24:03 | More by Lexluthor33

wcdoyle

Florida

3.63/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Review based on tasting notes from '07 Knoxville Brewers Jam.

Poured a clear gold with a pale head. Hop-forward smell, although I missed the juniper here. The taste brought out the juniper for me, but this is a hop-heavy beer. Sharpness in the mouthful and a medium to light body. Overall, this is a nice (the good nice, not the bad "nice") choice in terms of drinkability. Different and worth trying

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2008 19:50:07 | More by wcdoyle

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.05/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Lightly hazy, pale golden body with a small white head.

Smell: Mild aroma with a vague biscuit character and notes of pine and citrus.

Taste: Slight dry, biscuity maltiness with a touch of caramel sweetness. Piney, citrus hop flavors with a medium amount of bitterness. The meager juniper flavor comes in right when the bitterness hits and is rather obscured by it. Heck, if the beer didn't have "juniper" in the name, you might miss it altogether. Light, lingering bitterness on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Maybe I need to lighten the fudge up, but unless the juniper berries ever decide to drop by, I say just skip this one.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2008 21:09:22 | More by ChainGangGuy

KiltedCulinarian

Georgia

3.05/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bartender served with a head that looked more like lacing. Dark olden in colour, and fairly clear. The Juniper flavour seemed to get lost in the excessive hoppinness early on. Not much malts, and it finished off a little disappointing to be honest. It did look and smell nice, if only the flavour had more resembled its appearance. Interesting, but nothing to write home about.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2008 17:27:42 | More by KiltedCulinarian

MMAJYK

Georgia

3.18/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- Golden yellow color with minimal head, but what is there is bright white. Totally transparent. Lacing is somewhat present on the sides of the glass.

S- Sour hops. Also, some floral and citurs smells there, but not alot like most pale ales. Caramel is very light, but is also present.

T- Semi bitter hops. Citrus and florals are there as specified in the nose.

M- Low carbonation (possibly from the tap) and is oily.

D- Does not go one way or another. Just average to me.

Overall- Just Ok. Decent ale, but is somewhat watery to me. It may be because this was from the tap, but I will definitely give another try to distinguish if this is indeed true.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2008 00:37:51 | More by MMAJYK

RJLarse

Washington

3.13/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Elk Public House, served in a pint glass.

Appearance is a gold color and slightly hazy. A small tight foamy head tops the brew but is not very resilient.

Smell is faint. A bit of a mild vinegar smell.

Taste is bitter but bland. Juniper flavor I guess.

Mouthfeel is a dry thin feeling. It's light and not filling.

A drinkable pale ale, but average. The juniper gimmick doesn't do much for it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2007 06:26:29 | More by RJLarse

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.13/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear pale yellow with a two finger white head that quickly dissipates and initially has a large number of fine bubbles rising to top.
S: Very faint lemony/floral scent, some hops, nothing too spectacular, though the dense smoke in the room may have clouded my judgement in this regard
T/M: Not really picking up on the juniper or really anything that remarkable here. Very smooth with the most persistent taste being a light hoppy flavor. Basically a mediocre pale ale.
D: Not the worst, just not up to what I expect from Rogue as nothing really stood out or distinguished itself. My macro loving friends thought this was phenomenal

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2007 19:53:50 | More by yourefragile

ndekke39

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Drank this on-tap at the Rogue Portland brewpub. Poured a clear, honey yellow with a small, foamy white head. Pretty good retention. I'm not sure what juniper is supposed to smell or taste like, so it's hard to judge the beer. The predominant flavor and aroma is honey actually: a sort of tasty sweet/sour combination. Some herbal elements - is that the juniper? Surprisingly hoppy on the center of the tongue, with a distinctly grainy finish. Appropriate mouthfeel, good carbonation. Overall, easy to drink, just not that amazing.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2007 15:21:17 | More by ndekke39

bboven

Texas

2.98/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Great head, gold color about twice as dark as MGD, great lacing.

Smell is all basic two row malt. Where are the hops...

Lot of honey, a little bitter, very sweet almost makes it seem like it's under-attenuated.

Surprisingly thick and creamy mouthfeel, perfect carbonation.

This stuff would be great to bring along on any summer outing.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2007 00:29:37 | More by bboven

jbsteiny

Hawaii

3.05/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Recently found a bunch of old reviews that I never typed up. This one was from a Rogue night at the Blind Tiger this past spring...

Orange-amber liquid with a nice off-white head. Smelled foresty & earthy with caramel malt. The juniper came out later, as it warmed, and I'm glad it was subtle. I like juniper in general, but there's a reason that gin bombs never caught on.

Unfortunately, I didn't think this beer really worked. The hop and the juniper seem to have created a perfect storm of astringent bitterness that even a Rogue's blend of malts could not overcome, I'm sad to say. I was disappointed by this one and wished I'd spent my money and sobriety on one of the other delectable brews available that night (like the dry-hopped Brutal Bitter... mmm....).

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2007 02:21:51 | More by jbsteiny

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I never was one for gin, but thankfully this beer bears little semblance to gin.

Nice golden amber colour with a good head. Smell is fairly bland. Malt, with hop traces and and a faint piney smell from the juniper.

Decent pale ale taste, with a faint piney, semi-sweet taste. Nothing spectacular, but certainly a tasty twist on a standard flavour.

The piney taste does make this a little hard to swallow, and this certainly isn't for everybody.

On-tap at the Rogue Alehouse in Portland.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2007 03:24:18 | More by BDTyre

scarletfire79

New Hampshire

3.43/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

i was pretty dissapointed in this one. being a big gin fan, i was really hoping rogue would put out some kind of gin-like beer explosion but wow did this fall short of expectations. pours a urine like yellow. no real smell, slight juniper but only very very slight. the flavor is smooth and not overpowering. there just isn't much flavor there to work with. maybe with a kicked up juniper flavor this could be really enjoyable, but right now it was just great.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2007 18:58:34 | More by scarletfire79

HopDerek

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap at TDR Spring House in a pint glass.

Appears honey yellow in color with a nice thick head that quickly dissipates into a layer of thin lacing. Smells of sweet bread, some citrusy hops, and a bit of fruit. Taste is yeasty up front followed by some citrus, a hint of the juniper, and then a nice sweet finish. Medium in body and very smooth, moreso when it warms up. Easy to drink, though not something I'd rush out to have again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2006 18:53:57 | More by HopDerek

2.73/5  rDev -25%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

On tap at Brix in Jacksonville Beach. Slightly hazy, yellow orange in color, essentially no head. Aroma was non-existent, salt and lemon? The taste was a lemon hops primary with some malt balance. Juniper was AWOL. Aftertaste was unpleasant. Body was light and the carbonation was medium. Flavor, overall was good but nothing special. Aftertaste hurt my scoring of the flavor. I would not have another.

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2006 17:47:48 | More by

rabsten

West Virginia

4.15/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap from the Blues Brews and BBQ event in Charleston, WV last weekend.

Poured into a pint cup. Dark amber, slightly cloudy. No head b/c of the pour, but good lacing (even in the plastic cup).

Pine-y hops dominate (or is that pine-y juniper?). Malt was present as well. Pleasant.

Flavor is good, solidly hopped APA. Bitter the way it's supposed to be, without an overwhelming hoppiness. Malt backbone does its job supporting the hops and juniper.

Just like the bottled version, feels good going down and is very drinkable. I wnet back for seconds, and if there hadn't been a Widmer Bros. stand, may have drank this exclusively.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2006 16:58:38 | More by rabsten

DarkerTheBetter

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I found this on-tap at The Shanachie

This beer came a mandarin orange and honey color with some cherry highlights with only a small collar of white head.

Smelled of honey and oats with a light piney hop that carried with it a much more sweet and gooey pine essence. Could it be juniper?

Tasted light and doughy with a sweet nectar of pine that is presumably the juniper. The juniper is really well blended into the light doughy malt and accentuate with a slight nip of hop dryness.

The mouth feel is light bodied and very creamy, working very well with the flavor.

This reminds me a lot of Alba Scotts Pine Ale, except with a little more hops. (more hops than a gruit you say…) I’ll definitely find a bottle or two of this to take up to the cabin on the 4th.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2006 17:04:30 | More by DarkerTheBetter

genaro

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The Juniper Pale Ale was a light, slightly transluscent gold/yellow beer in color with a half inch head. There was some streaky lace. It had a nice floral bouquet that lead into a slightly sharp initial taste that led into elements of fruit and evergreen with some malt sweetness. The evergreen and fruit tastes lasted into and throughout a dryish flavorfull finish. I had this beer paired with the gumbo at the Rogue brewery and it pretty much held its own.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2005 21:23:24 | More by genaro

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.43/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I appreciate the concept inherent in this herbal beer; however, this ale is less charismatic than most of Rogue’s other efforts. Juniper Pale Ale (also known as Yellow Snow) is clouded chamomile color with a relaxed sudsy head and broad draping lace. It tastes like a clean and handsome pale ale in a curious juniper dress. An agreeable curiosity and a welcome diversion, but not a standout on Rogue’s roster.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2005 01:34:23 | More by RedDiamond

JackTheRipper

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Thin head. Scant lacing. Color is a clear light amber.
S: Big floral hoppy nose. Nuff said.
T: Way too hoppy to be an APA, I honestly thought that this one was an IPA. Overall taste is a nice mellow citrusy hop flavor with some faint malts in the background. This brewery knows how to hop a beer without overkill.
M: Sharp bite at first. Carbonation is high, but plays well with the taste. Alcohol feel is a bit punchy.
D&N: This would make a great IPA, as an APA, this beer rocks hard. Well done, and I was sad to see the keg die.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2005 08:12:05 | More by JackTheRipper

carln26

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at Anam Cara. The color was gold to light brown and cloudy. No head or lace to speak of. The aroma had a fruity character. Both from the hops as well as from something I discovered later (reading Rogue’s site) was juniper berries. The taste had more of the citrus character along with a tartness that had to come from the berries. The malt is blended well to provide a balance to the rest of the beer. The tartness and flavor lent by the juniper carries through the entire beer. This had a nice light mouth feel and is very drinkable. Once you get used to the addition of the berries, this beer grows on you.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2004 01:13:22 | More by carln26