Rogue Dead Guy Ale
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(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5)
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Someone pointed out that I didn’t have any Rogue brews on my list of beer. What can I say — it was a heck of an oversight. I can’t remember exactly who made that observation, but I have to thank him or her for doing so — because the rebuke prompted me to grab a bottle of Rogue Dead Guy Ale.
This Maibock-style beer is a delicious way to spend a Saturday evening. Honey colored and hazy with a yeasty, bread-like aroma, Rogue’s Dead Guy Ale tastes malty without being sweet and citrusy without being terribly bitter. There’s some toasted malt cut through with caramel, vanilla, and tangy fruit. Overall, the beer is extremely smooth and very well-balanced. It feels great in the mouth, present but not cloying, easy but not watery. Dead Guy Ale is a beer full of contrast but little conflict.
Rogue describes this beer as:
In the style of a German Maibock, using our proprietary Pacman ale yeast. Deep honey in color with a malty aroma and a rich hearty flavor.In the early 1990s Dead Guy Ale was created as a private tap sticker to celebrate the Mayan Day of the Dead (November 1st, All Souls Day) for Casa U Betcha in Portland, Oregon. The Dead Guy design proved so popular with consumers and especially Grateful Dead fans, that we made it the label for our Maierbock ale. Even though the association with the Grateful Dead band is pure coincidence, we have gratefully dedicated Dead Guy Ale to the Rogue in each of us.
The bottle has two images, tiny square glyphs that took time for me to decipher. One is a pig, the other is a fire, and they mean the beer pairs well with pork or spicy food. For the most part, I drink my one beer a day without food. I only have once chance to fully appreciate the beer, and I’m afraid that food will impair my judgment of the taste. But I can easily imagine how Dead Guy Ale would pair with pork tenderloins — the beer has a bitter-sweetness akin to applesauce — and just drinking the beer has given me a craving for a spicy pulled pork sandwich.
So while I run off to grab a bite to eat, how about I leave you with some video tours of Rogue?
By the way — Rogue Dead Guy Ale is 6.5% ABV and 40 IBU. So it’ll warm you up and keep you thirsty!
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3 Comments
March 14th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Bah! Tourist Brewery!
Dead Guy is tasty, a couple other beers are neat, but I still avoid the Portland pub even though I’m a member of the Rogue Nation.
Too many bad experiences. Lame service, mediocre food, and really pricey pints. They vary between $4-$6-ish, with prices not listed on the beer list. Always a shocker when you get the tab.
OK, I’ll stop ranting about Rogue now. I do fancy a Dead Guy now and then though…
March 15th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
There are a lot of Rogue brews that I like, but you really need to try Brutal Bitter and the Chocolate Stout.
March 21st, 2009 at 1:31 pm
had a sampler of rogue from the grocery store when i lived in NoVA a few years ago. I enjoyed most of them, but couldn’t pick them out in a lineup now.