A really simple beer to review and talk about in my opinion.

This has the aroma of a classic Saison, perhaps is a little too dark but I can live with that, and gives a Saison taste for a few seconds and then guess what? Well, as is SO often the case, the over-hopping bitterness of Rogue cuts across and through absolutely every redeeming quality.

It simply does not work. A Saison is unlikely to be a brew that Rogue can pull off, and this confirms it. They appear to have attempted to combine a Saison with a winter, hopped beer and of course, the result is a mess.

Why the West Coast Hop kings would attempt this subtle style is beyond me. I suppose you could argue that they wanted to put their own stamp upon the style – and that’s fair enough – but this just makes a mess of the style and fails to do it any justice. Nowhere near representative. Leave well alone.