Rogue Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red Ale

Rogue Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red Ale, a dry hopped red ale Rogue dedicates to the Japanese Wagyu bull Fuku (who’s offspring supposedly make up a large share of the American Kobe Beef Rogue serves), poured a chill-hazed crimson into the glass, topped with an orange head fed by mild carbonation.  The nose carried sweet, mildly roasted malts complimented by a commiserate amount of piney, citrus hops.

Rogue Dry Hopped St. Rogue Ale opened moderately sweet, with a balance of bitterness that brought out flavors of toffee and dark berries.  The middle of the ale centered around the malt, with caramel and sweet pastry notes coming through.  As the ale faded, the hops turned from grapefruit rind to pine needles, leaving a lingering, resinous bitterness.

Rogue Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red Ale is fairly restrained for the style. For my tastes, the dry hopping didn’t add enough aromatics (unless the bottle I tried is older than I think), and the hop flavors, while well balanced with the malt and yeast, could have used more definition.