Rogue Yellow Snow IPA

Tonight has been pretty interesting. It's the start of the Stanley Cup finals, game one between the Blackhawks and the Bruins, which just went into overtime. What a great way to start the series! There's also been non-stop coverage of the Storm of the Century since 5:00 this evening... mostly being broadcast over the hockey game. Hockey is way sexier than Jym Ganahl. I would have much rather heard the game than his annoying, mouth-breathing voice for the last several hours. Although it's really hot and humid, and eerily quiet outside right now, so we might be in for something big. So far, everything has gone around us. Before I completely lose it over wanting to watch hockey, I think I'll have a beer. Please.

Every kid has been warned about eating yellow snow. In this case, however, I'm more than happy to drink it. Surprisingly, this is the first Rogue beer we've reviewed. I'm not quite sure why we haven't yet given them the attention they deserve. They're a great brewery out of Oregon (who, I'm sure, was allowed to watch the hockey game in full. No, I'm not as bitter as a great IPA. Not at all). We've enjoyed many of their beers. Just hasn't been on the review list lately, apparently. So let's get to it.

It pours a hazy light orange with a mild white head. The aroma on this is fantastic: pine, citrus, biscuit-y malts, and some faint caramel. The taste is milder than the aroma. It starts off with orange, caramel, bitter hops, and finishes with a faint grapefruit note. It's very well-balanced between the hops and the malts, yet the hop presence doesn't let you forget you're drinking an IPA. It's moderately carbonated, leaving bubbles tickling my throat.

This is a solid offering from Rogue. It's a solid IPA. I love the structure of it and how big the aroma is. I wish it were available year-round, but alas, it's a winter offering. We were fortunate enough to find some on our weekend jaunt to Peoria last weekend.

4.2/5 caps

-Jennie

Looking at our personal list we keep (of all our reviews, in spreadsheet form with a combined rating from both of us), it appears as though this is the first non-collaboration Rouge beer we've reviewed (The collaboration being the North Coast/Deschutes/Rogue Class of '88 Barley Wine). Huh, that's interesting. Rogue is readily available around here and has fantastic offerings (their Voodoo series, their Chipotle Ale, their Chocolate Stout, the list goes on), so I have no idea why we've not reviewed one of their brews as of yet. Maybe we've been hunting the hard to find brews along with a focus on local and regional (but neither being the focus point of these reviews)? Regardless, I'm ignoring the doomsayers on television and taking a break from the 9-8 job (yes, 11 hours) and taking this time to enjoy myself and review beer. Boo work, Hooray beer!

This has had time to warm up while I unwound a bit with a beer shower (yes, I drink beer while taking a shower at night). This pours as Jennie described, with the head still lingering around. The aroma is mostly pine and citrus at this point, little hints of malts, but mostly hop dominance in the aroma. The taste, however, gives different takes from what the aroma leads you to believe. There's orange, caramel, then this muddled happiness of biscuity and earthy tones (malts and hops, respectively). After that, there is a grapefruit zest that punches then fades into a mouth puckering bitterness. A slight resiny mouthfeel toward the back, but a smooth drinking IPA.

 All in all, when available, you should pick this up. If for nothing else, the humorous name is a selling point (although Clown Shoes Brewing's Tramp Stamp also has a great name).

4.3/5 caps

-Nathan-