218. Rogue Shark Tooth Ale

Well look who it is! Another beer from Rogue. Our well documented love of Rogue continues; this is our tenth Rogue: John John, Mogul Madness, Dirtoir Black Lager, Yellow Snow IPA, Chipotle Ale, First Growth Wet Hop Ale, Juniper Pale Ale, Maierfest and Capt’n Sig’s Northwestern Ale are all the previous victims of our voracious thirst.

Shark Tooth Ale has a grainy and citrusy nose with a crystal clear golden color and a light white head. The graininess of the nose bleeds into the opening flavor; there is some dry wheat malt that mixes with the grainy malt flavors before shifting to low levels of bitterness in the middle with cleaner malt characteristics, and ending with an emergence of the coriander and ginger flavors before closing dry with hint of tartness and citrus zest. Light bodied and crisp, Shark Tooth has a decent carbonation bite that starts early in the beer—almost within the front third. The ginger and spices contribute to the bright flavors without overwhelming the light body. This beer would be good summer drinking—it is light and fresh, and would go down well on a hot summer day. Too bad we’re drinking this in early February.

Craft Breweries per Million People (from Wikipedia); Oregon is fourth

From the bottle: “Enjoy this crisp, cool ale with a hoppy bite. Brewed on the Oregon Coast to the highest standards. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of this ale supports the Oregon Coast Aquarium and its mission to expand our understanding of the ocean.”

Nothing on the Rogue website; Beer Advocate notes that Shark Tooth Ale is a pseudonym for Rogue’s Oregon Golden Ale, which is also not on the Rogue website. Every week it’s mystery meat.

IBU: 30
OG: 12° P
Malts: Harrington, Klages, & Wheat
Hops: Saaz & Rogue Farm Willamette
Other Ingredients: Coriander & Ginger

(2/3/2010)