Rogue Ales- Chatoe Rogue Wet Hop Ale: Fresh and Clean?
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 5:46PM | by Wes 
Ever since I had Sierra Nevada’s Wet Hopped Harvest Ale last fall I have been I love with the style. The oily resin of hops fresh off the vines can lend some amazing flavors to beer. So when I came across Rogue Ales’s Chatoe Rogue First Growth Wet Hop Ale, I snatched it up. If you are unfamiliar wet hopping is when you pick the hops of the vine and get them in the brew kettle as fast ass possible. Hops are traditional dried before winding up in beer. It is a small but exciting and growing new beer style that is quickly peaking my interest.
Chatoe Rogue Wet Hop Ale is part of Rogue’s GYO or grow your own series, where they make brews with ingredients that they grow and harvest themselves. Hats off to the dedication shown here boys. Chatoe Rogue WHA pours a rusty bronze hue. The head is thin and whispy. I was astonished by how earthy and raw this beer smelled. The fresh hops add hints of pine and citrus and the beer base is malty with hints of apple and wood, very fine indeed.
Rogue has crafted an interesting beer here. The base is very close to an amber ale with a creamy/ dairy profile that is slightly malty. The hops add a strong oily afterburn that is floral and very citrusy. The flavor is strong but honestly not all that appetizing. Chatoe Rogue WHA has a slightly sour end that borders on acidic. Rogue has crafted a beer with lots of promise, but a serious lack of execution.
ABV: 6.4%
Consumed: Globe Glass
Verdict: Buy A Twelve Pack
