Rogue Introduces First-of-its-Kind Stouted Whiskey & Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout Returns

Discussion in 'Beer Releases' started by Todd, Jan 20, 2019.

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  1. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,254) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Newport, Ore. (January 17, 2016)—From Rolling Thunder Barrel Works, Rogue’s Newport-based cooperage (barrel-making facility), comes the return of Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout and the new Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey. A first-of-its-kind stouted American Single Malt whiskey, Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey is the culmination of all things DIY from Rogue.

    Released each February, Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout is aged in whiskey-soaked barrels that are made at Rogue’s Rolling Thunder Barrel Works. Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey takes it a step further:
    1. Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey starts with barley grown and harvested at Rogue Farms
    2. That barley is brewed into wash and distilled into whiskey
    3. While Master Distiller Brian Pribyl is distilling the whiskey, Rogue cooper (barrel-maker) Nate Linquist makes a barrel out of Oregon Oak (Quercus garryana)
    4. The whiskey is aged one year in these Rolling Thunder Barrel Works barrels.
    5. Towards the end of that aging period, Brewmaster John Maier brews his imperial stout.
    6. Brian’s whiskey is then transferred to new barrels and John’s imperial stout is transferred to the whiskey-soaked barrels. After nine months, the beer is pulled and released as Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout.
    7. The original whiskey is put back into the whiskey- and stout-soaked barrels for an additional two years of aging.
    Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey, the final product of all this hard work and time is hand-bottled in hand-numbered bottles and topped with a hand-branded topper.

    The Rolling Thunder family of products is what sets Rogue apart from other craft breweries and distilleries. “As the only farmer-brewer-distiller-cooper in the world, we are the only company who can create Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey completely in house,” says Rogue President Dharma Tamm. “We grow ingredients we use to brew and distill and make the barrels we age those products in. As Rogues, we are excited by the possibility of creating things by hand that no one has the patience to do.”

    Opening with subtle aromas of smoke and sea air, Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey has notes of dark cocoa, toffee and dried fruit and a coffee and grain finish.

    This year, Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout features prominent notes of chocolate and coffee that complement the flavors of whiskey-soaked Oregon Oak.

    Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey is available in limited quantities nationally in hand-numbered 750ml bottles.

    Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout is available in limited quantities nationally in hand-numbered, 500ml (16.9 ounce) bottles. Use the Rogue Finder to find it near you.

    About Rogue Ales & Spirits
    Rogue Ales & Spirits, the only farmer-brewer-distiller-cooper in the United States, was founded in Oregon in 1988 as one of America’s first microbreweries. Rogue has won more than 1,900 awards for taste, quality and packaging, and is available in all 50 states as well as 54 countries. Proudly rooted in Oregon soil, Rogue’s beers, spirits and sodas are made with ingredients grown on Rogue Farms in Independence, Oregon. Rogue Spirits are hand-distilled on a 550-gallon still in Newport, Oregon, aged in the thick ocean air of the Yaquina Bay and bottled by hand. Since 2008, Rogue has shared the terroir of Oregon by growing its own hops, barley, rye, wheat, honey, cucumbers and pumpkins and using them in beers. https://www.rogue.com

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  2. Dupage25

    Dupage25 Savant (1,020) Jul 4, 2013 Antarctica

    Not that hard to find a whiskey aged in stout barrels. I was hoping it would be a whiskey made with roasted barley.
     
  3. surfcaster

    surfcaster Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2013 North Carolina
    Trader

    Chime in you ubiquitous Rogue haters........

    Rogue made some innovative and tasty stuff in their day and this is certainly worth a try if it makes it east: but we see a bit less of them in these here parts.
     
    NeroFiddled likes this.
  4. Dan_K

    Dan_K Initiate (0) Nov 8, 2013 Colorado
    Trader

    Sounds really interesting, would love to try. Any idea what the retail price of these bad boys are?
     
  5. Harrison8

    Harrison8 Grand Pooh-Bah (5,771) Dec 6, 2015 Missouri
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I thought New Holland already aged whiskey in their beer-aged whiskey barrels (confused yet?).

    Regardless, I'd consider picking up the Rogue whiskey variant if it's appropriately priced. For further pricing and examples, see Rieger's aged in Side Project barrels, with 750mL bottles netting $10+ over their basic whiskey version, although that's not all 'completely in house'.
     
  6. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,122) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    This is true, but to be honest, we've never really seen a lot of Rogue on the east coast.
     
    anfield86 likes this.
  7. anfield86

    anfield86 Pooh-Bah (2,594) Nov 21, 2006 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Yeah, I used to be a huge Rogue fan. Brutal Bitter Ale (back when it was an ESB), Shakespeare Stout, Chocolate Stout, Smoke Ale, Hazlenut Brown, Dead Guy....all of those beers are a big reason why I turned into a microbrew (now known as "craft beer") fan.

    All that being said, their pricing has always been unreasonable and there have just been way too many horror stories from those that have worked there for me to continue supporting them. Some of the shit they have pulled over the years is so bad that @abagofit would probably ask for his job at Trillium back (tequlia slushies and all!)

    Why people would continue to support them is beyond me. It's now 2019. There is much better quality beer to be had out there at much better prices made by people who don't treat their employees like assholes.

    TL;DR = Buy Deschutes
     
    #7 anfield86, Jan 21, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2019
  8. GOBLIN

    GOBLIN Pooh-Bah (2,562) Mar 3, 2013 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    1334 beers in and I have never had a rogue beer ... this probably should have been mentioned in another thread. I inexplicably can't explain why.
     
  9. deleted_user_1007501

    deleted_user_1007501 Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2015

    After reading those threads and multiple others, it just makes me wonder...how the fuck are they still in business and why do people even work for them? Good thing I don’t think I’ve ever bought a Rogue beer, so thankfully I don’t have any guilt about supporting them.
     
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  10. rgordon

    rgordon Pooh-Bah (2,689) Apr 26, 2012 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I always liked St. Rogue Red, Shakespeare Stout, and Hazelnut Brown. The beers were pricey and they were intended to be hyper retail as a marketing strategy. It was always tough to sell the full line-up, but they were innovative. That St. Rogue Red was powerfully flavorful and striking...And way ahead of its time in the market.
     
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  11. surfcaster

    surfcaster Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2013 North Carolina
    Trader

    Great points.

    I guess I have seen so much overt negativity on these boards for them (some of which is certainly warranted) to the point of complete dismissal. Agreed that lots of stuff has eclipsed them but still enjoy a Dead Guy with a pizza here and there and do recognize them for the innovation they brought--and some good things that still come out.

    We do still get some kegs of surprisingly good things down east worthy of a pint.
     
    anfield86 likes this.
  12. anfield86

    anfield86 Pooh-Bah (2,594) Nov 21, 2006 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Yeah, I really do appreciate what they’ve done for the beer scene as we know it today. I just feel as though they’re not worthy of my dollar anymore, unfortunately. Barring some huge changes (highly unlikely) it’ll stay that way.

    Cheers
     
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