Chamomile Ale - Rogue Ales

PhantomVodoo

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Test Batch # 1.
Off white head. Lots of brown, sandy sediment. Golden in color.
Mild chamomile aroma. Sweet and flowery.

Taste is mildly sweet and flowery with plenty of chamomile. Some balancing hops provide a beer finish, but not real beery other than that. Grainy pale malt. Some tartness. Hint of honey.

Mouthfeel a bit thin with plenty of particulate matter.
Not very drinkable, IMHO.

Overall, it is what it is and it's fairly good at what it is, but it's not very beer like and isn't a beer for me. Thanks to OldFrothingSlosh for sharing this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2004 03:39:18 | More by PhantomVodoo

rjgbeeradvo

Texas

1/5  rDev -73%

03-11-2012 19:52:44 | More by rjgbeeradvo

Telestic

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

12-23-2011 06:23:27 | More by Telestic

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Rogue Public House, a 1/2 pint glass.

A: Golden, without much 'sparkle'. Little carbonation, rising only in random, slow-moving streams. Virtually no head and no lace.

S: Herbal sweet 'chamomile' aroma overwhelms most other scents; faint caramel and toasted grain are bullied by a floral, cinnamon-spiced smell that, though it reminds me a bit of shower gel, is actually pretty nice.

T: Floral, a little clover-like. Some toasted grain with a bit of that cinnamon spice. Baked rye, quite herbal, the kind you can sense in your mouth via your nostrils.

M: Some crispness that fades after a couple minutes. Medium-light body that borders on being 'airy'.

D: Quite easy to drink. As fruity/'girly' as it might seem, this is all too drinkable; a decent pale ale kicked up a notch or two by the chamomile addition. Not an everyday drinker, but a nice drinker and definitely evocative of Springtime.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2008 23:17:49 | More by msubulldog25

younger35

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this brew on-tap at the Rogue Public House in Newport, Oregon. It was called Chamomellow. Drank from a Rogue pint glass on September 1st.

Appearance- Pours a nice golden orange that has a pinkish hue when viewed at the right angle. Had a perfect one finger head that left a nice cap and collar.
Smell- After reading a few reviews I thought that this beer would have more of that clean tea scent but I didn’t find that to be the case. It had a very feint strawberry (chamomile I’m assuming) nose followed by a light hop and caramel backing. All of this combined was kind of like a sweet honeyness.
Taste- Very interesting beer. It starts with a slight floral bitterness that gives way to a gentle sweetness that, like the nose, is strawberry like. There is a subtle spiciness that interrupts before giving way to warming bites of alcohol. Has a residual sweetness.
Mouthfeel- Slick and thin. Decent carbonation and I found that the alcohol wasn’t covered all that well.
Drinkability- Very interesting beer that you probably wouldn’t just sit around and drink because you were in the mood for it. It’s definitely more of one of those “Oh that’s interesting” type things that are fun to try.

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2007 20:45:18 | More by younger35

drseamus

New York

3.78/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I had this on tap at the Rogue Brewpub in San Francisco under the alias Chamomellow.

A: It pours a slightly cloudy straw color with a one finger white head.

S: The aroma is just like sweetened chamomile tea. There is a pretty powerful honey aroma and it almost smells like it could be orange blossom honey.

T: It actually tastes just like tea but much sweeter than I would prefer my tea. The honey is in the flavor tea and there is some orange in there too.

M: For as much as it tastes like tea, it feels like a light bodied beer.

D: It's not bad for what it is, but it's too sweet for me to have more than a half pint.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2007 04:31:14 | More by drseamus

bboven

Texas

2.7/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Hazy apple-crisp color not a great head.

Smells like chamomile, cherries, a little bit of green apple and honey.

Tastes like chamomile through and through, not a lot of typical beer flavor.

Very coating mouthfeel, stays with you.

I couldn't drink more than th sampler I bought at the pub. Too much candied fruit flavor going on, but if you really like chamomile, this might be the beer for you.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2007 00:12:08 | More by bboven

Gavage

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Rogue Public House in Portland.

Appearance: clear pale yellow in color with a spotty head. Some spotty lace develops.

Smell: tea and a bit of sweetness.

Taste: tea leaves, honey, soft mint, general sweetness, and no bitterness. Very different brew here.

Mouthfeel: smooth throughout. Very clean aftertate. Lighter in body.

Drinkability: pretty decent. I wasn't a big fan of the flavors but this is a unique beer. Worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2006 00:12:45 | More by Gavage

nlmartin

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer was poured from the bottle into a pub glass.

Appearance: The beer has a clear golden yellow coloration. The head was 3 fingers high foamy and off white colored.

Smell: For me this was the best part of the beer. The was loaded with malty spicy goodness. The beer smelled like herbal tea and spice cake. There was loads and loads of cloves, cinamon, cardamnon, lemon zest and apples.

Taste: The taste is a herbal blend of hops and spices. None of the spices particularly stand above the Chamomile. The beer has a nice malty base.

Mouthfeel/ Drinkability: The beer is a very drinkable medium bodied beer. This beer is predominately an aromatic experience. The beer is highly quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2006 11:53:21 | More by nlmartin

clvand0

Kentucky

4.22/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Don't recall how long ago I had this, but it's from notes. Pours a standard golden color with a very small head that dissipates quickly. The aroma is great (I love chamomile) - reminds me of a mixture of flowers and graham crackers with a lot of sweetness. The flavor is much the same. Strong chamomile and floral hops along with the caramel malts make for a great combo. Again, reminds me of graham crackers. The body is moderate and the drinkability is good.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2006 16:14:59 | More by clvand0

francisweizen

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Same at the Chamomile Ale. The other listing should probably be merged into this one. My review remains the same. This is damn good stuff as described...:

Test Batch #1 - 22oz bomber. Pours out a lovely golden colour with a quick to die, white head. Aromas are of pie crust, pie filling, spices, and more! The taste is slightly hoppy and malts, with a real pie-crust bready flavor. The spicing is excellently done and remind me of quelque chose or something similar. The mouthfeel is perfectly carbonated and make this ale way too easy to drink. I really didnt think this would be that good, based on the medicore reviews, and the fact that I dislike chamomile tea. Well, this stuff does not taste like chamomile at all (to me) but it does taste like another awesome ale from Rogue!

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2005 07:00:27 | More by francisweizen

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.58/5  rDev +23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice nice hazy golden color with a finger of head that falls to a moderate covering over top. The nose is just awesome. The chamomile is very up-front. There is also some honey sweetness and a cinnamon-like spiceyness. I really do like this nose. It smells like something I would like to spread on toaste in the morning for a sweet treat. The flavor is very nice as well. The chamomile sweetness is very nice. Spicey, floral, lightly sweet...just a treat. The feel is moderate with a light carbonation. Man. I really like this brew. The flavor and nose are incredible. So smooth and flavorful. Very good show.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2005 01:37:43 | More by kmpitz2

beercollector

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A tasty herbal beer for bedtime. Some folks drink Chamomile tea and for the beer folks you have this.

It pours with a small creamy head that does not last too long. It has a light aroma that is mainly herbal with a slight malt odor. It is a light bedtime beer with a thin body and a lively fizz.

The flavor is light with moderate sweetness and heavy chamomile. Very little hop flavor and hardly any hop bitterness.

This is a very drinkable summer beer for long all day drinking.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2005 20:12:39 | More by beercollector

winomark

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Lovely pale gold with a thick bone white head. Myriads of streaming bubbles. Tea spice aromas(cinnamon, clove, etc.). Slight sweet notes. Interesting and pleasant nose. Amazing palate. Chamomile tea flavors control, but it is not overly tannic. Chamomile flavors linger throughout the finish. Slightly sweet/honey tones balance the tannins. Mouthfeel is wonderful; dry and crisp. Very nice. I would love to have this one around all the time. Flavorful, crisp, and VERY drinkable. Look for this one and buy as much as you can. One of the best beers I have had in quite a while.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2004 22:53:28 | More by winomark

guinness33

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

pours a nice hazy gold colour with a moderate head that is surprisingly short lived for a rogue brew. the smell is of spice and hop, with a touch of fruit (grapefruit) and sweet candy. there are some butter notes here as well. the taste is, well...wow! spicy but subdued and full of flavour overall. chamomile is in the middle and there is a sweet but slightly bitter finish. this one is easy drinking and tasty, but in a different way. from the smell i thought i'd be getting a bland (yet tasty) brew, but this one is nice and refreshing and i could see myself enjoying it during the cold winter holidays as well as a hot summer day. grab a bomber if you spot this limited brew. thanks to mrnuggets for the sample.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2004 16:20:01 | More by guinness33

MrNuggets

Oregon

4.53/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Hazy yellow colour, trying hard to be copper. White head leaves quickly. Smells live watered down chamomile tea. I don't get many flavors other than the chamomile. Hops and malt are certainly doing their part well. Very refreshing on this "hot" Alaskan day.
I can the see the chamomile becoming annoying if i were to session this beer, but I wouldn't mind another bomber.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2004 02:01:05 | More by MrNuggets

ngandhi

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Test Batch One
Chamomellow Ale

Rogue's not asking us to consider how well chamomile can work in beer with this brew; they're asking us how much beer it takes to support the chamomile. Though, deep in the background, there are rounded fruit notes that remind me Amarillo but must be the Cascades, from the second this beer is opened we are taught a lesson in what chamomile precisely is.

Test Batch One has a richer and purer aroma of chamomile than chamomile tea does. It's loud, but never cloying. Floral, of course, and backed by ideal body, bittering, and hop flavor. Though the hops aren't loud (or at least not loud enough to really be noticed over the chamomile), they play a complimentary role to the chamomile that brings this beer home.

Though the initial tastes and smells are completely dominated by the herb, I think this beer is what it is because of everything else that works so silently behind the scenes o create new taste sensations like ripe apples, sweetened granola, and gingerbread.

As a food beer, this is an absolutely stunning pairing with Indian or Thai cuisine.

Relax, relax.
ng

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2004 22:50:19 | More by ngandhi

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Test Batch #1.

Poured a clear apple juice in color. Fizzy. Minimal white head. No lacing. Aromas were (as expected) flowery. An apple smell as well. Flavor is a mirror image of the smell, with an applesauce note almost outweighing the flower petals on the palate. Slightly thin mouthfeel and not very creamy. Sorta drinkable, but a "once-is-enough" beer for me.

Thanks to WeeFishHeads for this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2004 02:30:13 | More by OldFrothingSlosh

erica

California

4.03/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

test batch #2
I thought I'd hate it. I didn't even want to try it. But I did and was glad, because it tasted pretty damn good! The colour was golden, it smelled to me like chamomile and spices, which turned me off at first. Then I took a sip, and it tasted like pie somehow, seriously, like the gooey part on the bottom of an apple pie! I didnt taste much chamomile at all, which is a good thing since I hate chamomile. It was thin but not watery, good mouthfeel, and I suppose kind of average drinkability, because I could see getting sick of it if I had too much at one time. But definitely a good one from Rogue. :)

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2003 20:40:00 | More by erica

Gueuzedude

Arizona

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

A hazy gold color, pours with a tan head. There is an immediate aroma of chamomile, I detect an aroma of vanilla and an herbal grassiness as well. This is very interesting tasting. This chamomile beer has definite notes of vanilla, which adds a nice roundness to the beer. The base beer is light in flavor and really allows the chamomile to come through. There is an herbal finish to this beer, located where one would normally expect the hop bitterness. I really like this as a concept beer, definitely worth trying if you can get your hands on some. The after taste is where you can really tell that chamomile was used, finishes exactly like a cup of chamomile tea would.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2003 17:12:55 | More by Gueuzedude

Zraly

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A cloudy light orange offering from Rogue. Poured a small, tannish head...it said hello and just as quick, it said goodbye.

This well carbonated brew sure is a bit different. The reminds me of a mulled wine my aunt makes. Rather tea-like with a nice crispness to it. Sweet, cinnamon flavor with a honey backdrop. Nuance of yeast and bread. Herbal finish, as expected. Nice note of something rose-like. Weird lil' residue floating around...prolly our dear friend Chamomile.

Chics would dig this, guys. And I think it would make a nice compliment to a holiday meal...say a nice honey-glazed ham.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2003 01:36:36 | More by Zraly

Shaw

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I bought a bottle of this ale (Test Batch No. 1) at Rogue's brewery in Newport, Oregon. They said it's only available at their pubs, which I believe, since the very plain 22 oz. bottle doesn't even have a UPC code on it. It doesn't even have their usual brewing data or ingredients. Just the name, a "Rogue is better for you" label and the government warnings.

It's a golden ale with a light white head. It has an herbal aroma, obviously from the chamomile. I wonder if there are any hops in this at all? I could see just brewing it with chamomile for the same bittering purpose.

This is a very different ale, especially considering it's from Rogue. I can see why it's a test batch. It has a very tea-like flavor, unlike any beer I've had before. Quite an herbal spice taste and finish! Anyone who enjoys tea should try this ale. It could be a great crossover beer.

It's not as powerful as other Rogues. More of a beer for session drinking.

Let's hope that it proves popular enough for regular production. Another winner from my favorite brewery.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2003 18:20:39 | More by Shaw

BeerManDan

California

2.25/5  rDev -39.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

When poured in my glass, the color was a golden hue with a heavy head of foam. The smell of floral filled the nose with a hint of chamomile. The taste was very flat, although you could taste the chamomile. This ale tasted flat and lack luster because it was made with NO hops. At the brewery they said it will never be made again. I can see why!

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2003 14:23:02 | More by BeerManDan

GreenCard

Oregon

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz. bottle purchased at Rogue Public House in Newport, OR.
"Test Batch #1"

Appearance: hazelnut/golden hue, slight haze, thick pearly head and lots of rising bubbles, looks like a weizen

Aroma: grainy, bready, floral, meringue-scented undertone, a bit fruity, a hint of chamomile

Flavor: very much like an American wheat ale infused with chamomile tea, starts off slightly sweet, then breaks with a subtle hop flavor and a nice herbally hit of chamomile essence, grainy, well-balanced (Hallelujah, Rogue!), hopped like a German weizen, slightly tangy, herbally/almondy bitter aftertaste

Mouthfeel: light body, crisp and tingly carbonation, supremely quenching

Overall Impression: I've always been a little put off by Rogue's lack of balance because every beer I had tried was heavily weighted with hops and bitterness. This is a highly regarded brewery with a very creative brewer, so despite my continually puckered face, I've kept trying their beers (in search of one that wasn't a hop bomb). Well, I've found one. I'd be surprised if the IBUs were higher than 15 in this beer. It's tasty, refreshing and easy to drink. Hopefully, this beer will proceed past the test phase and become a regular offering.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2003 17:21:52 | More by GreenCard

marc77

California

3.13/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Dark golden hue, with a slight turbidity. Thick, loosely foamy ivory white head recedes into a tight layer that leaves broadly patterned lace. Strongly floral, sweetly herbal dried Chamomile petals lend a muted perfume suggestion in aroma, and are contrasted by mellow, light lovibond caramel and hints of toasted malt. Unique, somewhat enticing, but certainly odd aromawise. Its bouquet is reminescent of heather ale, albeit more intensely florid. Pseudo toasty dextrin malt upfront in flavor. This is ensued by an intriguing, but not quite balanced melange of moderate hop bitterness with a cleanly grassy tinge, mild honeyish sweetness and expected Chamomile. Hop bitterness fades somewhat mid palate, allowing the floral overtones to meld with residual sweetness, facilitating a candyish, cinnamon sprinkled pink cotton candy impression late. Agreeably fluid, with an almost silky dextrinous mouthfeel. Well calculated attenuation. Finishes with an elongate amalgam of bready malt and an impression of nectar rich stamen. Quirky, to say the least! The chamomile presence is perhaps a touch too pronounced and approaches cloying, but this is just batch number one... I feel like I've just spent a whole day in a Bath and Body Works. One of the most unique brews I've had in a long time. Thanks to Feloniousmonk for delivering this eccentric brew!

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2003 19:00:36 | More by marc77