Beer – #625 – Rogue – Juniper Pale Ale redux

The BeerJerkNZ beerclub beer of the week is the Rogue Juniper Pale Ale which is a beer I’ve previously had, but you know things change and so here we go again…

A pale ale, saffron in color with a smooth malt balance, floral aroma with a dry spicy finish from whole juniper berries

This is the smaller 12fl oz, 355ml in old money bottle, which has beer of 5.2% ABV, being about 1.5 standard drinks in NZ. Also this is 34 IBU – which is low end English Bitter, mid range porter bitter, and it comes in at 156 calories a serve size.

Brewed by Rogue Ales this is in the Style of an American Pale Ale – and they are in Newport, Oregon USA ‘merica!

Juniper berries don’t taste like other berries because they are not berries. They are actually a sort of fleshy pine cone. Which explains the fresh, clean, citrus, pine flavour of juniper.

This is the traditional predominant flavour in gin.

Unshaved man and a beer

This floral, hoppy beer is infused with whole Juniper berries to give it a unique flavour. The sweet malt base and light carbonation work perfectly to support the dry resin-y flavour or the hop and juniper combo.

Different but drinkable, we are fans.

Juniper Pale Ale, like all Rogue products preserves water by using more ingredients, contains no chemicals, additives or preservatives and uses Free Range Coastal Water.

“When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading”
– Paul Hornung

What could possibly go wrong ? HA! he said, I’ve heard all that before, but what does a Juniper berry really taste like anyway?

It’s a yeasty bready aroma on opening, pour is a hazy range golden with a small (well no) head, in either glass.

Taste is a mix of tangy bitterness, and the aroma moved to something akin to mushrooms, which is not at all what you might expect.

It is well carbonated, and that somewhat has an effect on the way you taste this, having to push through that fuzziness. It does have quite a long taste with a more middle tongue linger and finish, and then a dryness.

It’s not an easy beer to drink, and it does begin to develop a gin-like flavour (from memory it’s been a while since I had the Gin out) but I recognise that tartness.

Thankfully the aroma settles into something sweeter and bit more enjoyable. Don’t think I’ll be adding a slice and ice though, or tonic, or anything else.

So unlike any hoppy pale ale that I’ve ever had, even ig you persuade yourself that the front notes are hop based this is tart and not bitter where it should be, and that tartness is the predominant taste, which battles for the finish over the dryness that this has.

Possibly a clever beer, but it might just too clever for it’s own good, but I say that knowing that it’s a staple and regular brew from Rogue, and one of the few beers they make that I’ve had that I can connect with, or enjoy.

As I drink more it began to fell like an epic non-ending journey, I took a photo of how that felt too, for comedy value mostly, but you get the idea that this wasn’t a beer that going down in a hurry.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 6 a of its things from the thing. I really didn’t like it. But it has one feature and that is played in spades, it’s not like a mystery beer, it’s all on the label and in the literature . I did note that from other sources that this rates around the 7/10 based on a lot of feedback, so I’m not so far off.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? Sadly I’m not, but I wanted to, it’s not the first time I had it, I thought I might have been wrong first time around. Sadly I wasn’t.
Would I have another? I don’t think I could
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Not a chance.

Music for this one, well ‘ The Orange Humble Band ‘ an alternative rock band, also a bit of rock, power pop, folk, country, bluegrass. I would have said soft pop. They’re from Australia. The album is ‘ Depressing Beauty ‘ you can listen on the Spotify here or most the other places I imagine.

Couldn’t find a new video clip, but try this from an earlier work

AMERICAN PALE ALE

American Pale Ales are light in color, ranging from golden to a light copper color. The style of this beer is defined by the American hops used. American hops typically have high bitterness and aroma.This is a perfect beer for big fare like grilled burgers or combination pizzas, as well as lighter fare like sushi and green salads.