Easy Drinking Pale Ale from Rogue
Written: Dec 19 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Balanced; Good foam level; Pleasant aftertaste
Cons: Not as much body as other Rogue products
The Bottom Line: This is a good pale ale, but it isn't quite as memorable as other Rogue ales.
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Rogue Yellow Snow |
Rogue Brewing Company is one of America's most beloved craft brewing operations, with dozens of fresh- tasting and delicious ales to thrill the lovers of fine brew. The vast majority of the beer produced at Rogue are well above average and very distinctive, but there are a few products that are a little less memorable than others. One of the company's products that fits in the latter category is Rogue Yellow Snow, an easy- to- drink pale ale that is satisfying but not quite as incredible as other Rogue ales.
Basic Characteristics of This Beer:
This beer pours out of the bottle to a golden straw color with just a small amount of haze. There is a floral aroma and the foam level is very good- lumpy, sturdy, and creamy, leaving lace on your glass as you consume.
The taste of this beer offers a nice balance between the biscuit- like toasted taste of the malt and the spicy character of the hops in the finish. The texture is creamy and there isn't quite as much citrus fruit taste as you get with other pale ale products. But the fruit is still there and it is especially evident in the aftertaste, which is pleasant and appetizing.
Rogue brews this product using Crystal, Northwest Harrington, and Maier Munich malts; Golding and Amarillo hops; Pacman yeast; and juniper berries. The final product has a bitterness rating of 34 IBU and the alcohol level is 5.3 percent by volume.
Food Compatibility:
This taste would match up nicely with meaty, salty appetizers like chicken strips with dipping sauce, fries, and other light fare. It also makes a decent match for hamburgers and other simple beef products, but it's not the best beer to drink with heartier beef dishes.
Final Thoughts:
Rogue is one of my favorite brewers in America, and I can honestly say that I like every product this brewing company makes. Rogue brews around thirty different ales, and I have enjoyed every one of those I have had the chance to sample.
This beer has an unusual name that conjures up images of something very different from beer, but the fact is the beer was named by brewer John Maier who created this product to be sold in 2002 in anticipation of the Winter Olympic Games in Utah. They brewed this beer in the tradition of American pale ale, but then added some of their own unique ingredients to the mix, namely juniper berries- the same berry used to produce gin. This adds a new dimension to the taste, and it is evidenced in the spicy character of the finish.
Rogue beer products are often very rich and flavorful, but this pale ale is an exception. It is more mild- mannered than its aggressive, outspoken brothers and sisters in the Rogue lineup. This surprised me a little at first, since I was hoping to taste another in your face, knock you out type of flavor like I have grown to love from Rogue. But I still found the beer to be good in its own special way, even if it is a little less assertive.
Rogue sells this product only in 22 oz. bottles. There are no 12 oz. six- packs or twelve- packs available to be purchased, so you must partake in a larger bottle if you wish to give it a try. Also, it isn't quite as commonplace as other Rogue products so you may not be able to find it in the places you usually shop for Rogue products.
Overall, this is still a pretty good tasting product in spite of its lighter body. I don't like it as much as Rogue's other, more meaty products. But I think it's still good enough for a frequent swig or two. It's not every day you find a beer brewed with juniper berries, and this ingredient, along with the other quality ingredients, combine to make a good- tasting pale ale with a easy- drinking body and a flavor profile that isn't too bitter or too sweet.
Recommended:
Yes
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