22 oz, screen printed bottle. Usual Rogue presentation.
Cloudy orange pour with a high head which is wispy and quickly dissipates. some scant lace. The orange color and the head makes it look a little like an American IPA.
Pretty reserved smoke in the nose, and to be honest it seems just as reserved in the taste. In NO way would I characterize this as a smoked beer since it really just drinks like a typically unbalanced Rogue (large hop presence without much malt to back it up) with smoke notes added.
It seems to have some diacetyl in the finish too.
Pretty unimpressed all around. If you are looking for a genuine Rauchbier I wouldn’t be looking here; if, on the other hand you want to drink a typical Rogue beer that has a bit of smoke character then you’ll be pleased. For me, no thanks.