ROGUE GETS A NEW IPA IN THE FAMILY

The long-revered ROGUE BREWING now have dozens of beers in their stable, and they also have a small line of brewpubs on the west coast that brew their own lineup of interesting, sometimes experimental beers. One of their “sub-brands” is the EUGENE CITY BREWERY in Eugene, Oregon. By the looks of things, the brewmaster there is able to run wild & create his own concoctions, and offer them up to the greater Rogue family; the same appears to be true at the Issaquah, WA outpost for Rogue. All these drinks come together at San Francisco’s ROGUE PUBLIC HOUSE, which doesn’t actually brew its own beer but serves up those brewed at all the other Rogue locations such as the Eugene City Brewery. Hopefully you’re following me so far, partner.

Last week I tried out something called the 100 METER IPA, a strong and, uh, “zesty” IPA that the barkeep recommended to us. This one’s from the Eugene location, and here’s what they have to say about it:

100 Meter Ale is an anniversary brew celebrating the 100th batch of beer by Trevor Howard. Combining two of his award winning recipes, Natty Red and and Track Town IPA, this ale features the best of both. Rich aroma, mildly floral and big with a smooth finish! 100 Meter is made from Pale, Munich, Crystal, Chocolate and Carastan malts, with Chinnok, Simcoe, Centennial, Palisade, and Cascade hops, with a dry-hopping of Amarillo hops. Available on draft only.

Those are all my favorite hop varietals! Wow! And they even use Carastan malts! Actually I have no idea what I’m talking about. I just know that this 100 METER stuff is a very good addition to their lineup, and tasted more malty, less hoppy, and less fruity that most 21st century IPAs. And I dug it. 7/10 – and I’ll bet this has a good chance of making it to bottles in the near future.