May. 26, 2010 - Issue #762: Timeland

To the Pint

Eye of newt

Experimental extremes pay off for Oregon brewery

Rogue John John AlE
Rogue Ales, Newport, Oregon
$11.99 for 650 ml bottle

• 4/4.

The craft beer world has become enamoured by experimentation in the last few years. We are seeing a plethora of whiskey barrel-aged beer, pumpkin beer, beer spiced with peppercorn or hot peppers or even garlic; all sorts of creative and unique combinations. Some work, some don't.

The practice has become rather commonplace, resulting in an understandable lethargy with the whole thing from yours truly. Not that I don't enjoy some of the beer, far from it. Much of it is quite enjoyable, it's just that it has become expected. But I went to my favourite beer store the other day and discovered a new arrival from Rogue Ales in Oregon, who are known for their offbeat marketing and well-crafted beer. It was a beer brewed with juniper berries. Okay, that is interesting; historically juniper was used by Scandinavian brewers and is a common gin additive today.

But that wasn't all. The beer was also aged in spruce gin barrels. Well, now that adds a whole new dimension of weirdness. The beer is called John John Ale because it is a collaboration between Rogue's brewmaster John Maier and their Spirits Master John Couchot—the company also distills rum, whiskey and gin—whose grizzled faces adorn the label. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

As it turns out the beer is a very hazy medium yellow-orange with a thin head that quickly scatters into tufty islands of white. The aroma is woody with a twiggy juniper tinge, although less than I was expecting. There is also some grassy-hop aroma and a touch of light malt.

The sipping begins with a touch of candy sweetness, which is hastily overrun by a three musketeers of unusual flavours. There is a piney hop bitterness that blends with an earthy, twig-like fruitiness and a woody alcoholic sharpness. Each of these flavours represents a piece of the brewing puzzle: fresh hops, earthy juniper and a take-up of woody gin alcohol. The pine hop and the wood alcohol finish off the linger.

At first I was unsure about the combination. They seemed to fight each other somewhat. But as the level in the glass dropped I found myself increasingly impressed by the overall drinkability of the beer. None of the qualities were overdone which created a beer good for sipping. The juniper makes it an appropriate summer patio beer, but one that is not boring. I found it kept my interest through the whole glass.

Experimentation is a good thing and, in this particular case, Rogue has found a way to be interesting without being outrageous. This one won't be in tons of stores, so look it up at alberta-liquor-guide.com to find a location close to you. V

Jason Foster is the creator of onbeer.org, a website devoted to news and views on beer from the prairies and beyond. vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus