Rogue 10 Hop IPA

__Aroma:__ “Sherry, tobacco, damascenone (red berries, tobacco), vinous. There’s very much an aged or cellared character that is certainly interesting. The cherries sneak in and have a red ‘classic’ cherry-candy aroma. Some rich malt. Rich caramel and toasted malt character, and some definite alcoholic heat. Bordering on some barleywine qualities.” __Flavor:__ “Classic Belgian quad with background cherry. Massive dark stone-fruit character floats on top of a traditional quad malt bill. The cherries are well blended with the fermentation esters and phenolics, and the alcohol is present but not hot. The finish is dry with some lingering perceived sweetness, and the high ABV kind of numbs your palate. A bit more carbonation would make everything pop just a touch.” __Overall:__ “A rich Belgium quad with a complement of dark fruits flavors and esters. Complex aged or cellar character. I could see wandering into the cellar and wiping the dust off a bottle you’d forgotten about. Interesting beer but in very small amounts. Enjoy and savor.”

__Aroma:__ “Strong juicy orange, tangerine, and lemon. Plenty of malt, with notes of toast and caramel, bread crust, and a touch of booziness. The hops are hard to find, but there’s a hint of dank earthiness underneath, as well as New Zealand hops that hint at notes of kiwi and grape. Berry notes from yeast esters.” __Flavor:__ “Bright orange citrus throughout intermingled with a complex malt character not often seen in fruited IPAs. The touch of bread crust and lightly toasted malts reminds me of orange marmalade on toast, with a hint of Grand Marnier. Not a lot of bitterness for an IPA, but some earthiness and floral hops characters. Reads a lot like an amber ale.” __Overall:__ “Unique in that it offers more malt complexity, but perhaps a touch too much—it’s pronounced and aggressive, and the bitterness is missing. The citrus seems to take the place of the hops bitterness, balancing the malt, and the two play well together. But is it an IPA, or is it an orange Amber ale? Very drinkable and complex.”

**Aroma:** “Grapefruit/lemon zest. Interesting floral herbal notes (light vanilla, jasmine, spruce), some slight cheese, earthy. Strong malt sweetness—caramel, toffee.” **Flavor:** “Some spice, citrus, tangerine, orange, caramel, bread crust. Bitterness increases as it warms into earthy, spicy, grapefruit. Caramel candy in the flavor—cracker jacks? Low mint in the background with a musty yeasty earth character that gave it some dimension.” **Overall:** Complex hop aroma carry-through. Nice sweetness in body helps to balance the citrus and earthy dank hops. Gains in complexity as it warms. Not cookie cutter—more points for originality with this one.