Voodoo Doughnut Chocolate, Banana & Peanut Butter Ale! - Rogue Ales

TheSixthRing

California

2.91/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pours a deep, dark black with cola brown edging. The head is a coca powder in color, 3 fingers thick and with good retention. Good lacing with nice stick.

Smell - The aroma is fairly odd - the predominant smell is more butter-like than peanut butter, while the banana and chocolate characters are only subtle.

Taste - Follows the nose. Dominant butter flavor to start, while everything this beer promotes gets lost a bit in the shuffle. The chocolate comes through blackened with strong, unsweetened bitterness. The banana is subtle and comes across as bland and somewhat artificial. Hints of peanut butter peak through in the finish, but it's so faint it gets lost behind the bitterness. Sweetens slightly as it approaches room temperature.

Mouthfeel - Light in body, with carbonation that's fizzy and underwhelming. Almost flat.

Overall - I've gotta say, I've had dozens and dozens of Rogue brews over the 9 years I've been drinking craft beer, and in that time there's only been 2 I've genuinely disliked. This one makes a third. While not as bad as the other two, this is a beer I'd care to never have again. I really liked the Rogue Voodoo Maple Bacon; the flavors were cohesive and felt genuine. This one comes across as too bitter and the flavors too muddled. I fear they bit off more than they could chew with this one.

On a plus note, the empty bottle smelled fantastic the next day.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 07:23:02 | More by TheSixthRing

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.03/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - nearly impenetrable dark brown, tall mocha head retained fairly well, few random spots of lacing
S - fairly strong milky chocolate aroma, some roastiness and bread, not getting much else but it seems to be on track
T - chaulky dark chocolate, a bit of a burnt flavour, bit of leafy hops, but there is definitely a strange articificial type of flavour that just makes the whole thing strange, too bad
M - starts medium to light, a touch musty, but there is this artificial/chemical thing coming in again that slowly dominates here as well
O - always respect to Rogue for pushing boundaries, and every once in a while it just doesn't come together, the chocolate flavour is there but banana and PB are nowhere to be found

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 23:44:18 | More by joemcgrath27

tbryan5

Louisiana

3.25/5  rDev +15.7%

05-18-2013 18:21:56 | More by tbryan5

Erice78

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +24.6%

05-18-2013 01:54:25 | More by Erice78

JamesShoemaker

New York

3/5  rDev +6.8%

05-16-2013 16:21:09 | More by JamesShoemaker

RickS95

Indiana

1.84/5  rDev -34.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 1.5

Poured from a bright pink, 22 ounce bomber

For what it's worth, the appearance doesn't suck. It's dark black, almost pitch, with only some dark brown showing when held to a light. The head is not impressive and leaves only a slight film up top when it dissipates. Spotty lacing.

Most of the flavors don't come through in the nose. I get a chalky, milk chocolate smell, and that's about it. The peanut butter is nowhere to be found and I pick up something that resembles banana, but only barely. A quick peek at the bottle tells the story...chocolate, peanut butter and banana EXTRACT. Enough said.

The taste is pretty bad. There's a fake chocolate taste, no peanut butter or banana, and a plastic, carbonated taste of something that simply ruins anything else that might have been pleasant.

It feels awful in the mouth. Very chalky, fake feel. There's a bite from something that I've never experienced in a beer and whatever it is, it coats the tongue and taste buds. Very carbonated feel. It's just not good.

Complete waste of money. With real ingredients, it's a possibility. With extracts, it's a waste of water. It's hard to drink, it tastes like crap, and the ABV is so low you feel everything. Sadly, I've got a whole bomber to finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 00:50:48 | More by RickS95

leftstagebrew

North Carolina

2.75/5  rDev -2.1%

05-13-2013 17:00:44 | More by leftstagebrew

Ispeakforthetrees

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +33.5%

05-12-2013 21:16:17 | More by Ispeakforthetrees

EigenBeer

Florida

3.25/5  rDev +15.7%

05-12-2013 02:29:09 | More by EigenBeer

mechamifune

North Carolina

2.11/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Not going to give a blow by blow review, as this beer does not deserve one. It says quite plainly on the label that all the stated flavors come from extract, and this shows very clearly in the taste. Extremely chalky and artificial on the palate. While it might still be bad, I could have at least appreciated a beer that used chocolate malt, hefe yeast, and then some PB in secondary fermentation. This is just... well lazy. On the plus side I now have a pink bottle to add to my collection. Glad I was at least able to split this among several others.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 14:29:25 | More by mechamifune

caverog

California

2/5  rDev -28.8%

05-10-2013 19:29:28 | More by caverog

ajtorres311

Florida

3/5  rDev +6.8%

05-10-2013 16:50:03 | More by ajtorres311

videofrog

Texas

2.75/5  rDev -2.1%

05-10-2013 12:35:12 | More by videofrog

gio540

Wisconsin

1/5  rDev -64.4%

05-07-2013 05:25:32 | More by gio540

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

2.8/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

Poured from a bottle into a shaker pint, the beer is a dark, ruby highlighted brown coloring with a dense, frothy, light tan head that starts around an inch, but settles in to a thin quarter inch layering. Aromas of chocolate syrup, both rich and sugary, with subtle banana notes and a hint of peanut butter. The chocolate really takes over the nose. Banana flavors are almost candy-like, with a weak chocolate syrup character and only hints of peanut butter here and there. Very awkward on the palate, and the flavors overpower the watery thin body. The aftertaste is candy-sweet once again, and the cloying sweetness lingers through past the quick, watery finish. This beer was a neat idea, but it really is all over the place.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 00:37:34 | More by GarthDanielson

ambalam

California

2.5/5  rDev -11%

05-06-2013 03:41:20 | More by ambalam

BGsWo22

New York

3/5  rDev +6.8%

05-04-2013 18:15:40 | More by BGsWo22

mccallisters_dali

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +24.6%

05-04-2013 05:15:43 | More by mccallisters_dali

Andragos

New York

2.5/5  rDev -11%

05-04-2013 04:42:25 | More by Andragos

jimm5626

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev +15.7%

05-03-2013 00:23:21 | More by jimm5626

acurtis

New Jersey

2/5  rDev -28.8%

05-02-2013 23:53:28 | More by acurtis

djrn2

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -11%

05-02-2013 23:52:10 | More by djrn2

tdm168

North Carolina

3.14/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3

Thanks to jtd1969 for opening this one up to share

A - black with a thick, dense, brown head that has great retention

S - fried banana chips and sugar

T - banana chips, peanut butter and jelly, nutty, creamy, chocolate ice cream

M - medium bodied, well carbonated

This is an interesting concept, but it'd didn't translate well. The banana was overpowering and seemed artificial. The peanut butter was present but underwhelming. The most interesting flavor was the chocolate which tasted like an odd type of chocolate ice cream. Overall, I'll give it points for uniqueness, but this was not pleasing at all. The flavors didn't mesh. It was like drinking an over-ripened banana split with weird ice cream. I'll pass in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 01:08:36 | More by tdm168

metter98

New York

2.85/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.75

A: The beer is very dark brownish red in color (black when viewed from afar). It poured with a thin beige head that died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of artificial banana flavors are present in the nose. Hints of chocolate extract also become noticeable as the beer warms up.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but has a little more chocolately flavors. It's kind of like if you put banana and chocolate hard candies in you mouth without the associated sweetness. Faint hints of bitterness are present. I couldn't pick up any of the peanut butter.
M: It feels a bit shy of medium-bodied and somewhat thin on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer seems like it could use a heavier body because the banana and chocolate flavors don't seem integrated with the rest of the beer and just tastes like a light beer with some syrup flavorings added in at the end.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 01:12:14 | More by metter98

dbrauneis

New Jersey

2.85/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

A: Pours a clear yet opaque very dark amber in color (approaching jet black) with some light amounts of visible carbonation and some cola brown highlights. The beer has a half finger tall beige head that reduces to an extremely thin film covering about 70% of the surface of the beer with a thin ring at the edges of the glass that is made up of some larger bubbles. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: The strongest element in the smell of this beer is that of artificial banana - it totally reminds me of the banana Now & Later candies of my childhood which I never enjoyed. As the beer warms there is a very light hint of chocolate in the smell.

T: Upfront there is a light to moderate flavor of chemicals with some moderarte amounts of artificial banana and bittersweet chocolate. It finishes with a flavor that is not dissimilar to that of bazooka bubble gum. Overall the flavors of this beer are just too artificial. I do not get any notes of peanut butter at all which I found disappointing. It is not sweet though.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with slightly less than moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly thin/watery.

O: I probably would not recommend this beer to anyone (and I did not hate the Voodoo Maple Bacon beer) because the smell and flavors are just too artificial. Not easy to drink and not very enjoyable - I would recommend avoiding it.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 01:09:30 | More by dbrauneis