Chipotle Ale by Rogue

Hope I find you filled with good beer when you read this tasty post. This ale gets mixed reviews and it’s understandable as not all folks like smokey flavors or chipotle at that, but I do, so here we go with this post.

This is a beer I pick up every few months, and when I do I know it will be served along something that’s been seasoned heavily with herbs to balance the smokiness of the chipotle. When I first read about the beer in a magazine it was highly rated and it recommended you give it a try, but I thought, who in the world would want that flavor in a beer? This Mexican seriously told himself, crazy white Oregon folks! The only reason I bought this when I found the beer on the shelves, was because of the marketing speak on the label; I’m rarely inclined to buy something because of what’s written on a bottle, but this one caught my attention. This is what the label reads: “Dedicated to Spanish author Juan de la Cueva, who, in 1575, wrote of a Mexican dish that combined seedless chipotles with beer: Chipotle Ale is based on Rogue’s American Amber Ale, but delicately spiced with smoked chipotle chile peppers. Blend it with Rogue Chocolate Stout and create a Mole black and tan!”

A light sweet aroma of malt, smoke, then chipotle; it’s like someone handed you a spoon of the chipotle paste to smell. I think this beer is meant to be paired with something grilled and as you can see, I had steak and potatoes grilled by my wonderful wife on the night I had this ale. The potatoes were seasoned with rosemary and it added great contrast to the chipotle. Smokiness is immediately present upon sipping, but the chipotle is not far behind and it lingers with a bit of a pepper spice bite, a very faint sweet note of the malt is there but the chipotle overpowers it. The very first time I had this beer it was hard to finish the whole pint of it because of the strong chipotle flavor, but I knew the beer was good and I had to eat something with it to go easy on the tongue. I like this ale for a piece of meat to bathe overnight in a marinade or brine, later hit with a dry herb rub, and then on a grill over some indirect heat… I can taste it already!

This beer is very good and I like that it’s different, for that I rate it Four Beer Caps. Eat it with steak and potatoes, you won’t regret it!

 

 

 

Le Freak

Le Freak by Green Flash Brewing Co

Green Flash Brewing Co is one of the many great breweries in San Diego county; Green Flash’s selection of beers are all highly rated and the ones I’ve tried have been very good.  I’m reviewing Le Freak this time around, it’s labeled as an “extreme ale converging San Diego-style Imperial Ale and Belgian-style trippel. I enjoyed sipping on this beer; keep reading for more of my thoughts.

A very inviting aroma that made me drink it immediately.  I got a bit of funk from the yeast, sweet notes of banana and malt, citrus, and alcohol which is expected with this beer at 9.2 ABV; aromatically a trippel.  Citrus up front and a peppery middle bite with a hint of sugary sweet notes.  The finish was hoppy but fades to the alcohol burn left on tongue.  When the beer warmed a lot more of the Belgian sugary sweet notes came through.

This is a great tasting and overall great beer with a mild body that you will surely like.  Didn’t really pick up on the whole San Diego/Trippel thing, but it was a good tasting beer; pick one up and enjoy it.  The one-man team of CervezaPlease rates this beer four caps on the Kalifornia Beer Rating System.

Throw one back for me ~ cheers!