Several Beers, Fireworks, Bruce

Beer #207 Juniper Ale / Rogue Ales, Newport, OR

Happy Birthday, America!  Hopefully everyone will get the chance to relax with family and friends and enjoy a mid-week break from work.  The beer blog, however, keeps on truckin'.

Today's beer was going to be the Eugene City Brewery's Honey Orange Wheat, one of their Track Town series of beers.  This would have been appropriate, as the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials just wrapped up last week and I'm a little bit of a track and field geek.  However, Eugene City is a division of Rogue, so instead you get the Rogue review I was planning on writing next week.  Oh well, one more brewery I need to drink somewhere else down the road.

Rogue has a number of outposts throughout the greater Portland area, and we hit up the Rogue Distillery and Public House, which resides in the Pearl District.  The bartender started us off with a sample of their Chatoe Rogue Single Malt Ale, which was a blonde ale, with malt aromas and an earthy yeast flavor.  Light and easy drinking.  My official pour was the Juniper Ale, which poured a hazy golden color with a wispy white head. There are aromas of hops and light citrus fruit, and when you take a sip you get subtle hop bitterness and the piney flavor of juniper.  I mean, it definitely doesn't taste like gin (also made with juniper berries), but you can see the flavor connection.  The hops aren't overbearing, and this is actually a very mellow, enjoyable beer. Well done, Rogue.

Looks delicious.  Is delicious.

While I drank the Honey Orange Wheat elsewhere (on draft at Henry's), I might as well give you the write up - it shows off a hazy orange hue, and your nose instantly picks up the orange aroma.  Honestly, if I closed my eyes the aroma reminded me of Tang (in a good way, of course).  You can pick up flavors of orange and a light sweetness from the honey, with a bit of spice thrown in as well.  Very enjoyable summer beer.

Rogue's Eugene City brew

My only regret?  Rogue has collaborated with Voodoo Doughnut to brew a bacon maple ale.  It wasn't on draft, and I didn't think I needed my own 22oz bottle of beer at the time.  However, they don't ship this one (yet), so I'll have to wait until I return to Portland to sample one.  Mistake on my part, I know.

Thing to Think About Today:
We'll leave you with this to close out the Fourth of July.  If it's your birthday, America, let's sing you a birthday song.  Bruce, the floor is yours:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St_ppgWT8I4