Banner
Rogue Brewing Company

Meet The Dead Guy at Rogue Brewing Company

Rogue Ales takes their name seriously. Their dedication to being a unique brewery and producing amazing craft beers makes their name more appropriate than most. Rogue Ales started back in 1988, when saying the term “craft beer” would get you some funny looks. There really wasn’t craft beer back then per se, but instead there were the standard macro breweries, and then there were these…well…rogues. People that wanted better beer and didn’t want to accept the current status as quo, so to speak.

Rogue listened and opened their first brewpub in October of 1988 in beautiful Ashland, Oregon. The first beers they beers they brewed were American Amber and Oregon Golden. Over the years Rogue opened a second brewpub in Newport, Oregon as well as staring Rogue Farms where they grow many of the ingredients used in their beers. All in all, a very “Rogue” way of looking at the beer industry.

Today Rogue Ales makes a wide variety of beers from Sriracha Stout to the Voodoo Series to a variety of stouts, IPAs, and many other award winning ales and lagers. Heck, they even make spirits out of the same ingredients as their beer to make a perfect match.

Rogue Ales is all about innovation, trying something new, and giving back to their community, and while we may not see those as very rogue acts, in a world where most industries place the almighty dollar first and the self comes before the neighbor, it’s great to see some true Rogues making a statement, and some really great beer in an industry that truly supports both.
Dead Guy Ale
Dead Guy is somewhat of a conundrum when it comes to description. The closest beer to compare it to is a German Maibock, but that style doesn’t quite fit, mostly because a Maibock is a lager and Dead Guy is an ale.

It’s this obduracy at meeting traditional conventions that make Dead Guy a truly interesting and amazing beer. Sure, the skeleton on the label makes it a perfect fit for Halloween, and the pseudo-Maibock style makes it perfect for the fall, but thankfully Dead Guy Ale is available all year.

Only available in Pennsylvania, the Dead Guy 12-Pack features 12 Dead Guys all lined up with some new Dead Guy artwork on the box. Of course you can always get Dead Guy Ale as a six-pack, 22-ounce bottle, or on draft but why get more of a good thing, right?

Box of Rogues
The old saying goes that variety is the spice of life, and the folks at Rogue couldn’t agree more. Because of this they decided to put together a sampler pack that’s only available in Pennsylvania. In the mixed 12-pack you get 3 each of four different Rogue beers, running the gamut in flavors.

Hazelnut Brown Nectar – Rogue decided to give a nutty twist to a traditional European brown ale. Hazelnut Brown Ale features a nutty hazelnut aroma that gives way to a bready, malty middle and a clean, somewhat dry finish. Expect to taste some caramel as this one warms slightly, giving it a nutty, caramel body that’s nearly like candy, just nowhere near as sweet.

Hazelnut Brown Nectar was actually inspired by homebrewer Chris Studach, a friend of Rogue’s John Maier. Originally brewed for the 1993 American Homebrewers Association convention, it lives on today with it’s nutty twist on a classic. Hazelnut Brown Nectar is 5.6% ABV with 33 IBUs.

Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout – Oatmeal stouts are known for being rich and creamy, and Rogue’s Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout gives these both and more in strides. Ebony in color, this beer pours with a rich creamy beige head for a presentation that’s exactly what you’d expect from a stout. You should be able to pick up on some oatmeal aroma, especially as the beer warms. Unlike other stouts, oatmeal stouts tend to lean towards the bitter side of things, and while this is true for Shakespeare, it does so in a very balanced way, with some chocolate and coffee to back things up.

Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout comes in at 5.8% ABV and a substantial 60 IBU.

Brutal India Pale Ale – With a name like Brutal, one might think this beer is more mission than pleasure, but one would be dead wrong. Surprisingly enough, the bitterness in this beer is far from brutal levels, and it is in fact a very well balanced IPA.

Brutal IPA features a big, citrusy hop flavor along with some pretty intense hop aroma. The mouthfeel on this IPA is in the medium range, giving it a nice overall feeling, as you can drink it without feeling like it’s coating your tongue. The citrus comes from the Rogue Farms Alluvial hops, and the balance comes from a mix of standard and Rogue Farms hops, making this an all-around amazing beer, and at 6.3% ABV and 46 IBUs, it’s easy to enjoy, too.

Think of it this way, the name Brutal should scare the lesser-read folks away, leaving this amazing beer for those of us in the know to enjoy. Just don’t let them know, ok?

Dead Guy Ale – You already know about Dead Guy from above, but a beer this good is worth talking about twice. Originally brewed back in the early 1990’s, Dead Guy Ale started its life as a tap sticker to celebrate the Mayan Day of the Dead on November 1st. The design became so loved that Rogue decided it had to do something great with it, so they chose to make it the label for their Maibock ale, and changed the name to be, what else, but Dead Guy Ale.

Brewed in the style of a German Maibock lager, but with Pacman ale yeast, Dead Guy is truly a unique beer that’s easy to drink and love. Dead Guy is deep honey in color with a malty, bready aroma up front with more bready taste in the middle, finishing up with a balanced mix of hop and malt.

Rogue Ales are proudly distributed in and around the Pittsburgh area by Fuhrer Wholesale.