Beer – #326 – Rogue Farms – 7 Hop IPA

So a bottle of this on an overcast sunday. Rogue Farms 7 Hop IPA. Rogue Ales, styled as an Imperial/Double IPA and they are in Newport, Oregon USA

650ml bottle of a 90 IBU beer, of 8.2%ABV and 242 calories a serving. I just burnt 480 caories or so on a 5km jog around the block. So same/same. I have a feeling that I’m going to enjoy the input rather than the use of calories in this instance. This would be about 4 standard drinks units in NZ.

Post Run, Unshaven, thirsty

This is John Maier’s secret recipe that blends all seven hops grown in the hopyard of Rogue Farms. It is a true taste of the terroir of the Wigrich Appellation, the oldest hops growing region in Oregon.

Malts: Rogue Farms Dare,™ Risk,™ Maier & Dare™ R-3
Hops: Rogue Farms Liberty, Newport, Revolution, Rebel, Independent, Freedom & Alluvial
Yeast & Water: Pacman Yeast & Free Range Coastal Water.

Really nice hop aroma on opening, just balanced and sweet.

Fantastic bright golden orange pour with a really nice head, and a fantastic first mouthfeel makes you smile.

Florals and sweet, not ranging bitter that makes you gasp or hesitate, just a banging drink with a really refreshing and decent palate. I had another mouthful to check.

Still the same, dangerously drinkable.

I like the idea that this has free range water 🙂

Anyway there is not a lot of give-away that you’re drinking a high abc beer and that you’re drinking it on the double.

I mentioned that this is way too easily drinkable and I seem to have made a decent dent in it. Not like I didn’t re-hydrate after exercise either.

The pdubuyh-o-meter would have you belive that this is a 10 on the scale of all things. It’s hard to find a fault that would make me mark it down. The bitterness is low on the palate, despite the claim of 90 IBU (normal for a DIPA), there is a lot of malt sweetness that carries this delightfully. It’s refreshing on the tongue and has a decent length, and does not finish dry or make you wonder what you need to eat to calm your palate down again

So I’m asking my own three questions to me, because sometimes although the beer is good you might not get a 3 yes votes, my own personal Beer-Idol….

Am I enjoying it? Yes, a Lot.
Go again? Yes, I wish I could, I only have the one.
Share with a friend and tell stories on the deck in the sun? This is a beer that I think fits the brief of being a beer to tell lies, and make stuff up over.

This is what the party in my mouth is like

So the Rogue Farm 7 hops joins a few beers that I would rate as 10. I’m surprised that this is the only Rogue beer to be in the gallery. A beer that might just have knocked off one of my go-to beers the Rogue OREgasmic ale off it’s perch in the beer fridge pecking order.

I’m actually going to have to sulk for the rest of the evening as there is no topping that.

Buy this, if you don’t like it I will give you your money back if you don’t enjoy it.

IMPERIAL/DOUBLE IPA

Imperial IPA, Double IPA or DIPA is a strong, often sweet, intensely hoppy version of the traditional India Pale Ale. Bitterness units range upward of 100 IBUs and alcohol begins at 7.5% but is more commonly in the 8.5-10% range. The flavour profile is intense all-round. Unlike barley wines, the balance is heavily towards the hops, with crystal and other malts providing support.