Juniper Pale Ale - Rogue Ales

Jason

Massachusetts

2.88/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Presentation: 22oz bomber with no freshness date to be found. Ingredients and a blurb about the brew on the label.

Appearance: Mild tobacco earthy aroma with a spicy hop / juniper and pale malt sweetness.

Smell: No not the colour of yellow snow, more of a full glow of bronze with a patchy white lace.

Taste: Smooth with a crisp malt and fullish mouth feel, herbal and almost tobacco like hop bitterness and flavour erupt in the mouth with a light juniper berry flavour. Mild fruitiness with a sweet and malty back round, grainy finish. Hop flavour lingers and becomes a bit astringent along with a touch of juniper that brings a little sparkle to the brew.

Notes: Not a bad brew at all though hops seem to over take the brew with an earthened hop flavour that may not be agreeable with some beer drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2001 23:18:08 | More by Jason

Billolick

New York

3.58/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 ouncer, pours semi cloudy light amber, lifts a nice looking, loose, light oatmeal head, that then goes to a tiny bubble film and leaves better then average plentiful and fine lace. Leafy hop nose, with a hint of mint. Tasty bready malts up front, then dove tailing with resiny and more minty hop notes. Nice balance and better then moderate interest here. One of the huge line of BA worthy Rogue offerings. I dont get much in the way of the advertised juniper, which would have been nice. Worth a try, but nothing too special.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2008 01:43:41 | More by Billolick

Zorro

California

3.53/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clear golden yellow brew that is almost electric yellow.

Smell is mild malt and a mild sour scent.

Taste is very hoppy with a load of bitterness up front. The Grapefruit flavor of cascade hops starts to come out. It looks like a pilsner but tastes like an IPA.

Mouthfeel is good.

OK drinkable, but an unbalanced brew. I would pick a Stone Pale Ale or Sam Adams Winter Lager over this.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2004 03:29:26 | More by Zorro

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.7/5  rDev +29.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

The appearance is what you'd expect from the source of yellow snow - a pale straw color. A very nice unassuming hop boquet on the nose. This beer tastes great. The one word that comes to mind is Delicious. I think the blend of hops and Juniper berries give this beer a very unique and wonderful taste. I was surprised to finally find this beer in MN. I'm glad it's here and will be getting more.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2001 01:39:35 | More by Bighuge

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.65/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Cool orange glow to the beer, looks like a nice ipa, not unlike their brutal bitter ipa. Smell wasn't really all that persuasive as juniper. More pine-esque, which might be my confusion of trees, or more likely, the hop profile standing out a bit.

Taste, like an English pale ale with some funky adjuncts (and not horse blanket funky). Other than the Amarillo hops, I think the hopping is kind of less than helpful or 'good'. The bitterness on this one is just weird. Like a combination of copper and plastic, definitely not juniper.

What is most disappointing about the mouthfeel is that the beer neither tastes like juniper, nor a pale ale. Its just some weird amalgamation of a beer that doesn't know where it is going, where its been or what is inside of it. Ultimately, it is less than average for a pale ale, a Rogue beer, or an herb/spice beer. Pass. I think I like Rogue generally more than the average beeradvocate, but definitely not this one. Hand me a chocolate stout instead please.

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2012 23:56:28 | More by Beerandraiderfan

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

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.55/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a pleasant bright gold colour, with a filmy head of very fine creamy white foam. Lacing is excellent, even though the head dissipates after a while. Lots of streaming carbonation looks a little out of place given the rather strong body.

Decent citrus and spice on the nose, a lot of grain notes, a little bready but quite full and flavoursome. It doesn't have a really fragrant floral nose, and the characters are a little odd, but it's pretty nice overall.

Taste is also a little odd. A little grain sweetness on the front before a little floral note mid palate. Then the bitterness turns up right on the back and quite full, in quite an unusual position. It's a little unnerving - I take it it's probably the juniper addition here. Mouthfeel is round and pleasant, despite the carbonation, it's pretty smooth. I like it.

Yeah, an odd little beer, but a pleasant enough one. It just jolts me in odd directions, so it keeps my interest, while challenging me at the same time.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2009 02:17:12 | More by lacqueredmouse

glid02

Georgia

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

Got this from Market Square Liquors in Tallahassee.

Pours a slightly cloudy gold color with a one-finger white head. Head recedes into a thin layer of bubbles on top with a relatively thick ring around the glass.

Smells malty and spicy with a slightly metallic aroma. Not that great, but certainly interesting.

Has a slightly sweet malty taste with a slightly spicy taste, actually it seems more tangy than spicy. There's a slightly metallic taste in there somewhere. There's a little hop bitterness at the end, and the bitter aftertaste sticks around for quite a while.

Mouthfeel isn't good or bad. Decently thick but the carbonation is a bit much.

Drinkability is actually alright. It's certainly not a bad beer, and the taste is different enough to drink it down pretty easily.

Overall this beer isn't great, but it's worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2008 02:29:29 | More by glid02

DoubleJ

California

3.7/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Rogue Public House in San Francisco. On to the beer:

Electric orange in color, topped off a big frothy head which leaves thick lacing on the glass. Nose is subtle, light aromas of juniper make their way around.

You never know with spiced beers how dominating the spice will be. The blend of juniper and pale ale in this concoction leans towards the pale ale side. Lemon peel and citrus notes all around, some juniper comes through. There's a small dash of pine thrown in. The soft mouthfeel helps make this a drinkable, enjoyable ale.

Solid ale made to drink at nearly any hour. I've had tastier beer before, yet this beer put me in a good mood during lunchtime.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2011 04:10:30 | More by DoubleJ

Gusler

Arizona

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

The beer after its release from the 22-ounce brown bottle sets in the glass a translucent golden amber color with a monsterous creamy light tan head that lingers long, leaving a thick and sticky sheet of lace to obscure the glass. Nose has a nice malt sweetness, spicy, grass like, with a slight hint of Juniper, fresh and clean to the senses, start is sweet with a moderate grain profile and the top thin to medium in feel. Finish has a brisk acidity with the hops spicy and pleasing to the palate, quite dry and somewhat bitter aftertaste, a drinkable beer, but not one of Rogue’s better offerings.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2005 19:33:06 | More by Gusler

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured a clear, honey-bronze with a small bubbly white head that soon diminished.

S: vanilla, and sweet juniper berries with a light floral hopping.

T: starts out with a nice biscuity nature and a moderate herbal hopping. Light citrus, vanilla and juniper berries soon make their presence known. In the finish there was fresh pine and fresh citrus with a semi-sweet ending. A fairly odd and strange combination but intriguing none the less.

M: crisp, very carbonated with a medium fullness.

D: Average at best drinkability. Worth a try for something new. Good as a single and to try something unique but probably wouldn't need to sample and try again.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2008 22:49:55 | More by beerthulhu

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Hazy yellow/orange colour topped by an off-white, fizzy head. The aroma is a combination of light bready maltiness and floral/citrusy hops, with just a hint of what I believe are the juniper berries. Starts with some fruity sweetness that quickly leads into hop bitterness. The finish leaves the palate dry and has a resinous piney quality that lasts for quite some time. Medium/light body that stars strong but ends up a little thin towards the finish. Medium carbonation that's a little coarse with a slick mouthfeel. A metallic character at the finish builds over the course of the bottle. Juniper berries do give it a distinctive flavour.

Brown 650 mL bottle with freshness date printed on the side of the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2004 02:20:14 | More by DrJay

plaid75

New York

2.68/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a cloudy amber hue. A finger's worth of head with little retention and decent lacing.

The aroma was nearly non-existent. Maybe a hint of hop, but no juniper.

The taste was thin. Very little hop bitterness aand no juniper accent.

The mouthfeel was okay. It was clean and dry, which added to the ale's drinkability.

I will conceed that the cloudy nature and the relative flatness may be evidence of an old beer. I will attempt to sample another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2006 01:41:11 | More by plaid75

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

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

I was toying with going out to watch the Pitt/Syracuse basketball game tonight but with the pending weather event and my warm house, I have decided to forgo going out. That means that I will have a prolonged amount of time to spend drinking this beer and I am looking forward to its company.

My initial pour created just over a finger of off-white head with low retention. Color was a deep golden-yellow with NE-quality clarity. Nose had an earthy characteristic, less "floral" as noted on the bottle and more herbal, if that makes any sense. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full with a peppery blast of spiciness on the tongue. Finish was as advertised: "dry [and] spicy". Mmmm. Let's see how I feel about it after a bomber's worth all to myself, but I would say that this is certainly worth a try, if not something for an occasional drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 00:21:38 | More by woodychandler

Brad007

Vermont

4.1/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a decent golden pale color with a thick head that recedes down to a one-finger head, leaving some lacing in the result. Nice and bready upfront, malty and with the juniper berries adding a nice but subtle touch to the aroma. There's almost a minty quality in the aroma as well.

Taste is smooth and malty upfront with a biscuity touch in the mouthfeel and a slight dryness at the back of the throat. The juniper seems hidden though but in its' place is a decent and drinkable pale ale. There is a slight mint feeling in the aftertaste but that's all that I can detect.

Overall, a solid pale ale that when fresh, would no doubt taste much much better.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 02:44:25 | More by Brad007

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Slightly chill hazed golden straw yellow color with a magnificent, thickly based, crusty white head sitting atop. It slowly dwindles down to a never moving thick skim on top and the lacing in thickly strewn moth-holed sheets stick all over the place.

Pleasing aroma of lightly crisp malts, hinting at a load of other things; soft woods, earth, dust, citrus rinds, dried berry fruits, some leafy hop cones. Overall mildly light and refreshingly earthy crisp and fruity. Nice.

Wow, and the taste doesn't fall short on this either. Quite a nice little treat we have here. Hmmmm....crisp and fruity with little touches of the earthy/woody things floating around. Great hop balance and profile, slight citrus spice, berries and berry twigs and leaves thrown in too. Complexing with a favorable hoppy dryness from some Amarillo hop cones that finish it out with lightly mixes of fruity berry stuff.

Nice mouthfeel thats well rounded, crisp, drying for its finish, creamy middling, light grabbing texture of carbonation, and a nearly full body with more mediumness at the front and back. Remarkably yummy and drinkably fun.

This had been on my to-get list for sometime now and when I saw it I just had to grab it. The name alone is fancy,comically classy enough and I have pasted it up in the past til today and now I realize I shouldn't have done that. I'm rambling...good stuff! Get it, drink it, and enjoy...I did.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2004 23:40:45 | More by tavernjef

Cyberkedi

Georgia

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

Had as Yellow Snow Ale.

Pours a clear orangy amber with an off-white head. Rich, malty, spicy and slightly hoppy aroma is quite appetizing. Flavor is malty and spicy and surprisingly hoppy, more so than the aroma suggests. Texture is pleasingly smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2008 03:26:00 | More by Cyberkedi

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Just so everyone knows, this was Yellow Snow, not Juniper Pale ale. Thats what the bottle told me. The old Rogue patriach in yellow garb with is black lab under his arm.

Poured from a 22oz bomber.

Appearance- A pour as hard as my pee yielded only a finger and a half head into my mug. After about halfway through drinking it, there was no foam to be seen as well as lacing. Color was a slightly hazy middle amber, copper wire color.

Smell- Amedium strength flora hop aroma. But I could tell a lot of these hops are from the northwest. Very punchy. Hop smell balanced very well with the bready malts.

Taste- Starts out like your average English pale ale, but with a more distinct hop character. This pale ale lets you know its there. It wants your attention. A watered down bread flavor quickly meets with the potent hop flavor. Not overdone with the hops though. Pretty good balance between the citric hop flavor of biting into a grapefruit and the rye bread flavor of the malt.

Mouthfeel- A little sharp on the bitterness and a slight hint of acidty. The malt makes a cameo on the palate. Mostly bitter and citice. A little one sided.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2006 03:10:16 | More by scruffwhor

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.1/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another 22 fl.oz of Rogue, yippee, I have not had a new Rogue beer in ages, so I was very happy when I saw this untried offering in a local store, and so I jumped at the chance of trying this "newbie" from the Oregon based master brewers.

Labeled as “Yellow Snow Ale 2002”, it pours a slightly hazy yellow color with a light orange hue, that does have a remarkable resemblance to the last urine sample I gave the Doctor. A white frothy head that is comprised of large frothy bubbles, like the bottle, adds character to its presentation, but leaves very little lace. Average carbonation, but the head is soon gone almost completely, only a thin surface covering is left.
Nose is immediately spicy but it has a sweet honey dimension to it. Initial tastes are of restrained bitterness, which lead to a ‘soft’ malty middle. The spiciness then makes it entrance and intermingles incredibly well with the hops. This is the beers single greatest asset and uniqueness in my humble opinion. My guess is that the Styrian Golding and Amarillo Hops, are in a deeply disturbing, but tempestuous, ‘Menage-a-Trois’ with the Juniper Berries.

Overall this beer is different, almost unique, I like the controlled hop-bitterness and the ‘in-situ’ spicy facet, all combined together in an easy drinking, highly refreshing beer.

I remember the first time I created yellow snow when I was 5, and even when I spelled my name in it, well, to be honest I only got to doing the first 3 letters of my long last name, but hey I tried. Yellow Snow – who would have thought that some 28 years later I would enjoy drinking it some 3,000 miles away?

A very well-balanced and intriguing beer. Clean, crisp and highly quaffable. Well worth a try, though some may not understand its restrained complexities.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2003 17:19:56 | More by TheLongBeachBum

ZAP

Minnesota

3.38/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A very interesting beer. A very exciting aroma...floral hops evident in smell but there is a different smell there as well (I'm guessing it's the Juniper berries)..The appearance is goldish, but a bit cloudy...seemed a bit charged up to0 with some frothy foam head...Taste is on the light side in regards to maltiness, but has a unique hop bite. Not overhopped though..Very interesting and definitely worth the purchase, but not one of my favorite styles...

Re-rate 12/7/02..Adjusted the ratings a little...nose is unremarkable...kind of a grassy hop texture to it....the Juniper is very hidden in the taste and nose....this time it wasn't charged up at all...I'm not real high on this beer...it's OK but not as good as I expect a Rogue winter seasonal to be..

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2002 02:16:23 | More by ZAP

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to tenderbranson69 for sharing this w/ me. Poured cold and allowed to warm in a goblet.

A - A brilliant amber w/ 2 fingers of white foam that creates sporadic lace on the glass. This ale had a slight chill haze when poured.

S - A light apricot aroma is fragrant w/ a subtle floral note. There is a pleasant aromatic pine/juniper note w/ an herbal aspect. The citrusy amarillo hop aroma is noticeable in the nose.

M - Grainy w/ a moderate amount of bitterness up front. The malt provides a decently balanced feel. A full effervessence contributes to the balance also w/ a nice touch of malty warmth underneath and herbal tinges.

T - A smooth malt flavor w/ a good juicy dose of tangerine flavored citrus hops. Plenty of malt flavor w/ crystal influence is detected in the sweetness of the flavor. A piney note that carries on until the sweetness and subtle warming w/ a hint of spice.

D - Very decent drinkability wise. This is a nice NW pale w/ plenty of hop flavor and the juniper is hinted at also. The balance is very good, I would definitely pick this one up again.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2007 18:59:29 | More by Slatetank

dirtylou

Washington

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

22oz bomber, split three ways last friday night after work

appearance: poured into pint glass, watery golden-yellow body

smell: ehh, grainy malts, skunky noble hops, light pale malt

taste: Maybe im missing the point of this beer or something, but i was totally unimpressed by this rogue offering - just not a good APA...really grainy, skunky euro hops, light and watery. No Thanks.

mouthfeel: light and watery, grainy

drinkability: decent

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2007 04:21:17 | More by dirtylou

cokes

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I'm not gonna lie to you and pretend I know the first thing about juniper berries (other than the fact they are used in the gin-making process). But since I firmly believe that beer should make a person think, here are a few fun juniper berry tidbits for all y'all:
-it's a remedy to treat tapeworm
-In the Ayurvedic system (don't ask me) juniper is believed to not only purify the body but also the aura.
-contains thujone, which I believe is a hallucinogen (of absinthe fame)
-It has stimulant and analgesic properties.
-it helps clear acid wastes from the body.
-It acts on the urinary, respiratory, nervous and digestive systems
-it's an insect repellant
-It can be used during labor to stimulate contractions.
-And it makes your urine smell like violets (as yet unproven by yours-truly).

Anyway,

This is of the 2002 breed.
Pours a smogged golden under a bleached beige head.
Nose full of ferns and pine needles, and black-light ganja. Notations of dish-washing liquid. The berry sweetness present may or may not be imaginary.
Toasty up front. Progresses towards english muffins, topped with a spit of butter. Not sweet at all, at least right away. Hops are certainly the featured event here. Lightly resinous pine cone Amarillos (oh how I love them), along with the more abrasive and metallic Styrian Goldies. Interesting cross. There's a suggestion of blueberries soaked in gin- adding minor sweetness to the general bitterness- and that is my only entrance to the topic of juniper berries.
Medium bodied and monster drinkable, though that has nothing to do with any sort of berry.
Not as unique as expected, and a bit out-of-place as a winter seasonal, but a dandy pale ale regardless.

Now off to see if that whole violets thing is true.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2003 08:31:23 | More by cokes

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.88/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a nice cloudy gold with a good head dissipates quickly but remains as a fine partial layer.

Smell is malty with citrus notes.

Taste is malt and more of the citrus. For me, it's a nice taste that I've enjoyed many times before and I'll have again without a whim. Good pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2005 23:39:02 | More by Bitterbill

Tone

Missouri

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

Pours a slightly hazy, golden color. 1/3 inch head of a white color. Good retention and decent lacing. Smells of strong spice (juniper), slight wheat, slight hop, hint of sweet malt, and a hint of yeast. Fits the style of a Herbed/Spiced ale. Mouth feel is smooth and clean with an average carbonation level. Tastes of strong spice (juniper), slight sweet malt, slight hop, and a hint of yeast. Overall, very strongly spiced, as far as Juniper beer goes, it's the best I've had ... and only.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2010 02:53:23 | More by Tone