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Friday, September 23, 2011

Drunk Good Beers Don't Come in Pink Bottles

Posted by Ned Lannamann on Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 5:08 PM

roguevoodoo.jpg
A disturbingly pink bottle of beer turned up at the Mercury office this afternoon. No, it isn't Pepto-Bismol. It's Rogue's new Bacon Maple Ale, a dark orangish-brown ale—at one point it seemed like they were going to make a porter, which this definitely isn't—that's been brewed with the addition of apple-smoked bacon (sorry, veg heads), maple syrup, and a ton of smoky malt. It's a tribute to-slash-collaboration with Portland's Voodoo Doughnuts, and while the bottle reminds us of Voodoo's candier options, this one's meant to be the beer equivalent of a bacon maple bar.

It goes on sale tomorrow at Rogue's pop-up SE Portland outpost (1001 SE 9th). And—deep breath—it goes for $156 a case. That's 12 bottles (750mL each). That's 13 FUCKING DOLLARS A BOTTLE. If you are the kind of person that pays $13 for a bottle of beer that was brewed in the same state where you live (as opposed to a rural Belgian monastery or something) then I don't think we should continue this relationship any further. Oh, and for some reason, our sample bottle came accompanied by a condom (also pink).

No idea how strong the beer is; Rogue is always cagey about the ABVs of their brews. We had a quick tasting here at the office, and the results ranged from "no" to "oh!" to "jerky" to "campfire" to "that's not good" to "I don't like it." It generally tastes like a dirty, ashy smoked beer without any of the subtlety of the finer Bamberger rauchbiers. The maple syrup notes pop up now and again, but the smoke flavor, along with fatty hits of unwanted bacon, dominate. Smoked beer enthusiasts might get a kick out of it, and perhaps it could pair decently with a porky, syrupy breakfast of some kind, but otherwise the blend of sweet and smoky is jarring. Also: $13 A BOTTLE.

 

Comments (12) RSS

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1
"veg heads?" Dumb. Also, the idea for this bear is dumb. Hipster-bacon-fetishism is so 2009.
Posted by mchanning on September 23, 2011 at 5:23 PM · Report
2
Maple bacon bears. Dumb.
Posted by baileyy on September 23, 2011 at 5:28 PM · Report
3
The last time I paid $13 for something and there was a free condom involved...well, I'm still trying to forget.

Having said that, somebody thinks that people who'll stand in line for an hour for trendy doughnuts will pay through the nose for sugary meaty "doughnut" beer. And that someone may be right. (Or this stuff may end up at Trader's for $3 a pop before long.)
Posted by Todd Mecklem on September 23, 2011 at 7:43 PM · Report
4
yuck.
Posted by McAngryPants on September 23, 2011 at 8:13 PM · Report
5
Is this any different that paying at least $10 for Upright's inconsistent output? Stupid bottle color aside, at least I know it'll be good.
Posted by jake on September 23, 2011 at 9:54 PM · Report
6
Especially for the crap tasting beer that had the Clash on the label---ol' Joe must have been rolling in his grave over that $10 ripoff. Punk indeed.
Posted by jake on September 23, 2011 at 9:57 PM · Report
7
I think this is meant to be paired with bourbon and donuts.
Posted by Fruit Cup on September 23, 2011 at 9:58 PM · Report
8
Just noticed the price of Rogue's regular selection over at Freddy's just went up. Sorry guys, didn't want to buy a bottle at 5+ dollars, certainly won't be buying one at 6+. You're not THAT good. Nice try at doing what Grey Goose did. You're not top-shelf.
Posted by What recession? on September 23, 2011 at 10:53 PM · Report
9
sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I'd never know 'cause I wouldn't eat the filthy motherfucker.
Posted by # on September 24, 2011 at 8:43 AM · Report
10
this beer will not be available for long, and some poor Rogue employee is going to have a "pink beer" party with the afterbirth
Posted by Spoolo on September 24, 2011 at 9:06 AM · Report
11
That's the shark jumpiest thing I've seen in a good long while...
Posted by Tommy on September 24, 2011 at 11:37 AM · Report
12
DEC 2011 Grocery Outlet $8 per 6 pack.
Posted by Rosy on September 27, 2011 at 8:19 PM · Report

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