Rogue Farms Roguenbier Rye - Rogue Ales

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

1.3/5  rDev -61.5%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

11 ounce goblet - $6.50 at Taco Mac (Prado) in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

Appearance: Dispensed a muddled, opaque brown body with a fourth of an inch of fine, dusty white suds.

Smell: This isn't exactly what I had anticipated. Burning rubber, molten plastic notes. All in all, it's highly displeasing and begs the question: "they really let this monstrosity leave the brewery?"

Taste: Roasted cigarette butts, a heavily phenolic smoke character giving a flavor of burnt rubber doorstops, lacquered bandaids, and a growing hint of six bucks and fifty cents absolutely wasted.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-plus carbonation.

Overall: Appallingly bad.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2013 19:09:47 | More by ChainGangGuy

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.58/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.25

Served in a Devil's Backbone weizen glass.

Well, that's one way to get pronunciation right... Anyway, this stuff pours a clear sunset topaz topped by over a finger of sandstone foam. The nose comprises rye bread, light black pepper, and a vague sense of some sort of orange character. The taste keeps some of the spiciness and breadiness and adds a decent helping of soap. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a lightly chewy-ish feel. Overall, this beer just didn't sit right with me. There's no real sense of weizen-yeast character, the rye doesn't meld well with anything else, and the flavors just fall flat.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 01:51:36 | More by TMoney2591

metter98

New York

3.54/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is very dark hazy brown in color (black when viewed from afar). It poured with a thin white head that died down, leaving a thin film covering the surface and a large patch of bubbles in the center of the glass.
S: Light aromas of rye malts are present in the nose along with notes of herbal hops and earthy hops. .
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has a light amount of bitterness along with some hints of spices from the rye, the latter of which lingers through the finish.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and a bit chewy on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I thought that this beer was really drinkable compared to the other beers I've had in this style.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 23:56:37 | More by metter98

Halcyondays

California

3.56/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

22 oz. bomber,

A: Pours a dark red with a medium off-white to light tan head, beige really with quite good retention and some good lace.

S: Spicy bread, malt, but nothing too striking.

T: Dark rye or pumpernickel bread. A turbid character with a hint of vegetal, but really gets carried over by the spice.

M: Medium-bodied, soft carbonation, flabby but has a good finish.

O: Roggenbier is a super rare style, so I had to pick a bomber of this up. Finishes a lot better than it starts. Go for it for a unique experience, though it still has that Rogue house character.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 04:00:16 | More by Halcyondays

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

650ml bottle. What the hell is with the weak-ass blurry current picture here? I've had much less egregious submissions unduly rejected. Fuuuuck. Anyways, this is miles and miles beyond when you had to somehow include Germany in your quest for this particular style.

This beer pours a slightly hazy, dark reddish amber hue, with two flabby fingers of somewhat densely foamy, bubbly beige head, which leaves some admirably pocked concrete wall lace around the glass as it evenly sinks out of sight.

It smells of sharply metallic rye grain, yeasty, somewhat banana-esque weizen essences, some overripe apple mush, a touch of singed caramel, and mild, indeterminate savoury spiciness. The taste is somewhat more than lightly spiced rye grain, some lingering banana/clove zinginess, a hearty dry yeastiness, some middling sour smoky notes, a lingering tart apple fruitiness, and some understated leafy, herbal notes.

The carbonation is a tad frothy, the body medium-light in weight, and not really all that smooth, as the pithy, clammy nature comes full circle for the here and now. It finishes mostly dry, the metallic, earthy, spicy nature pretty much the only game in town.

An ok-ish rye beer, how this is a German Rogenbier, vs. an American Rye Ale, I don't know. More rye than most beers and whiskies alike, so points abounding there, I suppose, but there's not much more worthy here beyond that pithy foreign reference.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 07:00:03 | More by biboergosum

JohnGalt1

Idaho

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

Picked this one up tonight at the COOP for $6 and change.. poured into my slim tulip.. 1" tan head.. good retention.. only decent lacing... the brew is slightly hazed chestnut brown..

Nose is very odd IMHO.. sorta smokey... sorta yeasty phenolic.. maybe even some yeasty banana esters... very odd... not getting anything in the realm of "rye"..

Flavor is also very damn weird... for something highlighting "rye" the brewers seem to do a lot to mask the distinctive nature of the grain... a phenolic note begins right up front and lingers for easily :30 on the finish.. combine the phenols with the smokey malt element and it honestly reminds me of burning plastic (NOT NECESSARILY A BAD THING, JUST DESCRIBING WHAT I TASTE).. other flavors of note, very earthy... minor hoppiness pulls things back a bit.

Body is a bit light side of medium.. carbonation is the expected Rogue perfect bubbly.

I don't remember the last time I had a beer that was this much of a "Thinker". I personally normally don't care for anything with smoked malt or aged in peaty scotch barrels.. but the minor smoke notes really work with the surrounding earthy elements.. The minor hops are earthy too..

Interesting for sure... Definitely belongs in the "Autumn catalog of beers", honestly much more than any "cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and no real pumpkin used brew, but we're gonna call it a 'pumpkin' beer anyway" brew.

One last observation... and this is probably my feeble palate.. but the odd use of the smoke malt and the Hefe yeast really masked what could have been a chance to highlight Rogue's hard-earned proprietary rye... Just sayin'

3.5's across the board.... I wish I could have given higher numbers, but personal preference definitely came into play with this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 06:31:54 | More by JohnGalt1

smakawhat

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass. Curious to see how my first Roggenbier goes.

A big four finger light tan head is made, with lots of soapy retention and swiss cheese like bubbles. Head stays for quite some time. Body is a very dark reddish brown with some clear character, but very dark to see through. Light clumpy lacing and soapy retention. Pretty solid.

Interesting nose. A mild sense of chocolate, some dry spicy character with a hint of smoke slightly. A little muted though but interesting.

Palate hits with an interesting mix and balance. First sip is a bit of dry husky grain and spiced rye, almost rauchbier like smokey finish. Sweet hints of mellow chocolate and caramel mix in the back. Finish is quite dry and spicy but also with a nice smoke like character. Mouthfeel is a hint of wet but there is a malt depth to this slightly.

Overall i am not sure if other Roggenbiers are like this, but I like the diversity and balance in this beer regardless and the smokey touch is a real treat to me also. I could have this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 00:18:44 | More by smakawhat

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a very lightly hazy dark amber in color with moderate to heavy amounts of visible carbonation and some garnet red highlights. The beer has a finger tall light tan head that reduces to a couple of medium patches of thin film, a very thin film covering about 75% of the remainder of the surface of the beer, and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light notes of rye spiciness with some stronger aromas of herbal hops and an earthy yeast.

T: Upfront there is a moderate to strong flavor of spicy rye with some earthy yeast. There is a lighter amount of herbal hops that contribute a light amount of bitterness which fades rather quickly.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly chewy with some dryness in the finish.

O: Probably one of the more drinkable beers in the style - not that I have had the opportunity to have many of these. I think this beer is easy to drink and one I could enjoy several of during a session. Definitely worth grabbing (and I am not always the biggest fan of Rogue's offerings).

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 00:00:20 | More by dbrauneis

superspak

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle into signature pint glass; no bottle date, but a late 2012 release. Pours lightly hazy deep reddish copper color with a 1-2 finger dense cream colored head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big spicy rye, caramel, toast, brown bread, smoke, light roast, pepper, clove, light citrus, floral, and roasted earthiness. Nice, pleasant, and unique aromas with good balance and complexity of malt notes with moderate hops; with solid strength. Taste of spicy rye, toast, brown bread, caramel, smoke, light roast, light clove, pepper, floral, pine, light citrus, and herbal earthiness. Lingering notes of rye, caramel, toast, brown bread, light roast, pepper, floral, pine, light citrus, and herbal earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance of flavors with good malt complexity and robustness; nice hop/malt flavor balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a smooth and lightly creamy mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very good Roggenbier! Nice balance and complexity of malt flavors with moderate hops; and very smooth to drink. Never had this style before, but this was very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 07:41:14 | More by superspak

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark brown with a small white head.
Nose shows bready, grainy malt and some soft caramel. Not much going on.
Some sweet malt and a grainy character as flavours with little else to make things interesting.
Could use a lighter body.
Pretty boring.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 01:40:25 | More by CrazyDavros

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.76/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - clear but very dark cedar, tower or tan head in tulip glass retained endlessly
S - big hints of fruity & spicy yeast esters, rye spiciness is there but less pronounced that I was anticipating, pleasant crisp leafy hoops
T - fairly significant kick of rye grain spiciness is matched by yeasty esters, crisp leafy green hop support, with rye continuing through the finish
M - fairly crisp with a nice spicy tingle throughout, finishes with a touch of clean hop dryness that cleans the spiciness away
O - definitely a tasty brew and a style which I don't recall having tried, although I was surprised on the amount of yeasty esters it did seem to work well to compliment the spicy grain, not a mind blower but another solid offering from Rogue

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 03:07:36 | More by joemcgrath27

vfgccp

New York

3.2/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A - Towering cap of khaki head. Medium bubble. Excellent retention and lace. Great color on a light mahogany body.

S - Oh no... something smells wrong. Funky, salty, week old bacon.

T - A touch of the nose comes through in the flavor profile, but it's not bad at all. Soft rye, toasted marshmallow, lightly salty cola finish.

M - Smooth, medium-full body.

O - My first Roggenbier. Well balanced with a nice flavor profile. Just wish the nose wasn't so unpleasant.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 01:02:31 | More by vfgccp

buschbeer

Ohio

3.51/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

650ml bottle
Served in a mug

A - It has the appearance of iced tea except for the four inches of beige head on top.

S - I get some light rye notes and some bread.

T - I taste some rye, but it is more subdued that I expected. I get some caramel malt.

M - Medium

O - I expected a ton of rye flavor. I thought is was sort of bland. It's cheap enough, but I do not foresee purchasing any more of it.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 22:54:15 | More by buschbeer

ocelot2500

Arizona

2.6/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a clear, deep copper color with a fizzy, tan head that leaves a decent sheet of lacing.

Smells of some smoke and a little rye.

Tastes of some slight smoke with the rye coming in after. First wave to hit is the smoke which is on the light side. A bit of rye spiciness comes through and then it just fades into a bland middle that has a little bitterness to it. There is a touch of a belgian yeast character with banana and clove that comes through as well, but doesn't really help anything.

Mouthfeel is medium with a smooth amount of carbonation.

Overall, I am perplexed. This just feels like a complete miss to me.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 02:47:40 | More by ocelot2500

vkv822

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz : tulip

Pours a very dark, mahogany with a thick, creamy off white head and nice lacing.

Tart, sour, rye spice, some faint weizen yeast esters.

Weizen yeast esters and rye spiciness predominantly.

Smooth, medium-full body with low carbonation.

The first taste of the Roggenbier style, but it seemed to fit the descriptions of the style fairly well and was enjoyable to drink. It really makes me wish there was a more readily available example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 08:10:54 | More by vkv822

TheSixthRing

California

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

Appearance - Pours a cloudy, dark burnt orange color with an off-white, finger width head. Fair retention. Lacing is thin and spotty with good stick.

Smell - The weizen yeast sticks out like a sore thumb, imparting a slightly sour, somewhat banana-like aroma, while lesser notes of earth, black pepper, smokiness and hints of caramel come into play.

Taste - Follows the nose. Strong yeast character up front and throughout. Strong sourness and grassy bitterness. Rye character is moderate, and comes across as more grainy than spicy. Fair smokiness. Finishes with a waning, grassy bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body with moderate, soft carbonation. Goes down smooth and easy.

Overall - It's hard for me to gauge how true to the style this beer is, because it's the first and only roggenbier I've ever seen available. Based on what I've read though, it does the style justice. That said, I doubt I'd buy this beer again. Good, but this isn't a style I can see myself getting into and, based on the lack breweries producing it, I think a lot of people feel the same way.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 01:44:40 | More by TheSixthRing

sommersb

Tennessee

3.36/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tasted On: 03-12-2013
Freshness: Not indicated
Packaging: 22 oz. brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Dimpled Mug
Purchased: Received in a trade

One of the last styles I haven't tried...happy to give this a go!

Pours with a large tan head on the clear, dark brown beer. Very nice levels of lace and head retention.

Aromas are very unique - spicy with a distinct root/vegetable quality to it. Other smells have an earthy hop character. I've had other beers with rye in it, but this one seems very strong in that regard.

The taste is crisp and bitter up front. Not bitter in a hops sense, but from a strong rye grain presence I gather. The sour and vegetable qualities of the rye seem to overpower the other malts.

The mouthfeel is clean and highly carbonated. The beer finishes with sourness and an astringency, I'm assuming from the rye grains.

Overall it's hard to say of this is a good example of a roggenbier as it's a rare style and the only one I've tasted. It was certainly interesting but I can't say the flavor much agreed with me. This could perhaps be something I grew to like more over time if I had more examples readily available.

Thanks to buschbeer for the try!

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 01:16:34 | More by sommersb

acevenom

Louisiana

3.79/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a snifter glass. The beer pours clear dark toffee brown from the bottle, but collects into a near opaque brown in the glass. There's a thick, off-white head that dissipates slowly. There are aromas of rye malt, brown bread, smoked malt, and earthy hops. The dominant flavor is an interesting mix of the spicy rye character and smokiness. There's some brown bread and earthiness. The body is medium with moderate carbonation. There's a lingering earthy and smoky aftertaste. The beer does go down smoothly and pleasantly. This is a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 01:13:47 | More by acevenom

hreb

Washington

4/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle served cold in pint glass. Beer pours a rich chestnut brown with a similarly creamy tan head. Beer transmits very little light but appears not at all turbid. Lagery fresh hop aroma.

Beer fills the mouth with a creamy texture and loaded with rye grain flavor. There's also a substantial NW US hop contribution to bitterness (from the Rogue Hopyard, according to the label). Rye contributes a sour/bitter note to beer which gives the impression of higher IBUs than are actually there -- 25, again, according to the label.

The carbonation here is moderate which works well with the really creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol (not listed) appears to be quite reasonable, I'd guess under 6% by volume. Really the only thing limiting the drinkability of this beer is how much rye you can take.

This beer really showcases the rye's grain profile. By itself that quality will probably make this beer a cult favorite and despised by others. But this beer is also the CDA of rye beers, judging from color and aromatic profile. And a good CDA at that.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 23:56:07 | More by hreb

LampertLand

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Chatoe Rogue's Roguenbier Rye Ale @ 5.2% , served from a 650 ml bottle purchased for $8

A-pour is a hazy dark brown with a medium size off white head leaving some spotty lacing along the stein

S-hoppy rye? , bit bitter on the nose , lots of grapefruit

T-a complex spicy/bitterness , non pleasant aftertaste , similiar to a CDA/Black Ale

MF-too much carbonation , medium body , very dry on the palate

Ov-I had been impressed with the 'First Growth' series so far , this beer is not as impressive as the 'Black Lager' I've tried from Chatoe Rogue ,
but I've had a Roggenbier now

prost LampertLand

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 20:35:39 | More by LampertLand

CookstLiquor

British Columbia (Canada)

3.76/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 650ml bottle. Pours a brown, slightly cloudy colour. The nose is amazingly complex with aromas of cloves, spice, grapefruit, ginger, peppered beef jerky, smoked meat. The taste is similarly intense, dry and smoky. There are notes of grapefruit and peppery spice. The creamy mouthful makes it remarkably easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 22:49:49 | More by CookstLiquor

lsummers

California

3.98/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

I had no idea what to expect with this one. Pours a hazy dark amber with a one finger thick sharp head that leaves a touch of lacing.

Smells of a wheat and a touch of pepper notes. Almost earthy and slightly funky. Not overly in your face with any note.

Taste is very well balanced with some slight peppery toffee and a little funk from what I'm guessing is the rye. The whole wheat bread note comes through with some subdued citrus.

Mouthfeel is fairly sharp and delicate. Makes this one highly drinkable.

Overall, It's a fantastic rye beer and one that isn't overly hoppy or noticeably "rye" on the palatte. The subtle flavors come through but aren't in your face, you might even have to think about what's being presented to you. It's definitely one to try on it's own or with food. If paired, I might say some pizza, chicken, or even some non spicy chinese food.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 00:12:42 | More by lsummers

sam_bliss

Washington

3.29/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

From tap to pitcher to pint glass.

Clear iced-coffee colored ale with no cloudiness fills the glass and an off-white creamy head forms slowly and dissipates rather quickly. Speckled foam lacing stays behind on the glassware. Roguenbier smells like a brown. Only a bit of nutty sweetness accompanies the scent of rye.

There is no redness in the color, but the flavors suggest more complexity than straightforward black bitter malts. This may be a result of large amount of dark rye in the mash. Tastes of blackened rye toast with just enough herbal hops to add flavor without undue bitterness. The American hops distinguish this from what I might expect in a German Roggenbier, but this is much different than the typical American Rye Ale, which tends to be some form of hoppy pale.

The color is darker and not completely suggestive of the taste. There is not a ton going on in this beer, but the mellow tastes are good enough to accompany my pizza tonight. Easy drinking, fairly light-bodied, and smooth, this is a fine beer but makes me crave a Roggenbier that does not stray so far from the style.

NOTE: There is a duplicate of this one, called "Roguenbier Rye" and categorized simply as a Rye Ale. These should be combined. They have stopped calling this one Rogue Farms, now they use the title "Rogue Chatoe" for the series.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2013 15:06:07 | More by sam_bliss

merzeone

Iowa

3.73/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Shared a 220z bottle with a friend drank out of a imperial pint glass.

A:Pours a nut brown color and a touch cloudy but still fairly clear spot on for the style,
Nice creamy head with great lacing.

S:Good Spicy/ Sour Rye malt notes some with some American hop aroma on top.
I do get a little green apple on the back end that I am not a fan of which could be caused by the yeast (I hope). for a weizen yeast surprised I don't get any clove or banana notes... cold ferment maybe ???? low to no smoke.

T: Super Spicy Rye malt character followed with a nice hope bitterness Low smokey flavors and a sour tinge that also comes from the rye malt very typical of the style. I do also get a touch of the green apple (Acetaldehyde) on the flavor as well.

M: Medium body that finishes with a dry snap (again from the rye) Good carbonation medium high perfect for the style. No astringency.

O: Its nice to see someone trying to bring back this somewhat lost style to the Americas. I personally Love a good rye beer and a great roggenbier is also nice to get a hold of however the Green Apple flaw is the main point where this beer fell short. If not for that I would be much more excited by it. If you see it pick it up its worth a try at least so you can try history in a bottle.
Cheers

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 00:37:51 | More by merzeone

boisebeerfan

Idaho

1.8/5  rDev -46.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Got this beer in a bottle, and the labeling is strangely missing its ABV rating. The bottle itself has a clever painted-on / water-graphic label though, not a paper one.

The initial smell was heavy smoke with a belgian ester finish, not what I was expecting. The label does indicate weizen yeast, though.

The hops are listed at 25 on the bottle, but the hops are very present in the beer. For the heavy smoked malt and belgian notes being present, the sheer volume of hops put it up around 60-75 IBU's in my opinion.

Mouthfeel was medium-body, and there was more than sufficient carbonation.

I don't really know what they were thinking with this beer. It reminds me a lot of the infamous voodoo donut beer. If you loved that beer, and you love belgians and IPAs and you wanted everything to come together in one bottle, you might love this beer. I didn't... and thus I don't.

This was the last beer I drank last night, and after brushing my teeth and waking up the next day, I can still taste it. Much like cigars, the smoked malt will linger for over 12 hours in your mouth, even through brushing.

TLDR: A heavily smoked belgian IPA with a tart red-apple bitterness that you will taste the next morning.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 17:19:41 | More by boisebeerfan