Tasting a 1993 Oregon Nut Brown bottle in July 2007 (aka Rogue Hazelnut Brown Ale). Sebbie's interview & tasting with John Maier and Chris Studach

         

During the 2007 American Homebrewers Conference in Denver I invited by Charlie Papazian (founder of the AHA, and author of The Complete Joy of Home Brewing) to taste a 14 year old bottle of Oregon Nut Brown, a recipe created by Chris Studach.   Chris was asked to brew his recipe as the commemorative beer for the 1993 AHA conference and enlisted the help of his friend John Maier at Rogue Ales in Newport, OR.  Rogue Ales released Chris' recipe as a commercial product under the name Hazelnut Brown Nectar in 1994. Chris is a member of the Cascade Brewers Society.

Charlie cellars several bottles of each commemorative beer. After the tasting in Denver, he gifted me a bottle of 1993 Oregon Nut Brown which I shared with Chris and John during the 2007 Oregon Brewers Festival in Portland.   This video tells the story of this 14 year old bottle of beer!  Stacey Maier said the closing remarks, a favorite tag line of Charlie's:  Relax, Don't Worry. Have a Homebrew!

Here is a photo I took in Denver of the 1993 label and bottle:

Was I impressed with this 14 yr old beer? You betcha!   Kudos to Chris and John and thank you Charlie!

US Debut, 22 ounce Rogue Chocolate Stout

Rogue Chocolate Stout was released for sale in the USA in early 2001 in 22 ounce bottles and kegs. Until then it was brewed for export to Japan (12 ounce Choco Bear Beer) and sold on tap, very occasionally at Rogue Ales in Newport (before Issaquah Brewhouse, Eugene City Brewery and Rogue in San Fran, Portland & Astoria, Oregon opened), That all changed in 2001 and by 2003 Chocolate Stout became available year-round due to popular demand.

Infused with real Dutch bittersweet chocolate using an oatmeal stout as the base (Shakespeare Stout), Rogue Chocolate Stout is a hearty ale, chock full of body and flavor. Truly a 20th century recipe for the 21st century beer drinker!

Awards for Rogue Chocolate Stout include:
2008 New Zealand International Beer Awards—Bronze
2008 Mondial de la Biere Fest—Gold
2008 Australian International Beer Awards—Bronze
2007 Beer of the Year, Miami Herald
2007 World Beer Championships—Gold (Best of 2007)
2007 Montana Beer Fest—People's Choice
2007 Great International Beer Festival—3rd
2006 World Beer Championships—Gold
2005 Great International Beer Competition—1st
2005 Great British Beer Fest—1st
2005 BIIA—Gold
2005 Australian International Beer Awards—Bronze
2004 World Beer Championships—Gold
2004 Australian International Beer Awards—Gold
2004 Capital Food & Wine Fest—Best in Show
2003 World Beer Championships—Gold
2003 LA County Fair Beer Competition—Gold
2001 GABF—Silver
2000 International Beer Summit—Gold
2000 - Great American Beer Fest, Silver

meanwhile back in the year 1

from Stephen Beaumont's www.WorldofBeer.com broadcast in February 1998, Vol 3, No 2

"Just as I was preparing to file this edition of World of Beer, a press release crossed my desk touting a milestone for Rogue Ales. The event it trumpeted was the shipment of the Oregon brewer's one millionth bottle of beer to the Japanese marketplace.

According to the release, Rogue sent bottle number one on its way to across the Pacific back on May 9, 1994. At the time, the Newport-based brewer had three brands prepared for Japan, each labelled in traditional Japanese script: Brown Bear Beer, Red Fox Amber Beer and White Crane Bitter Beer. That number has now swelled to eleven, with Rogue having added such interesting brews as Chocolate Bear Beer, Kitami Mint Beer and Chitose Hasscup Malt Liquor to its Asian product line.

Acknowledged in the release as assisting Rogue "through the export red tape" was the proprietor of Beer Inn Mugishutei on Hokkaido, Phred Kaufman. A twenty-year resident of Japan, Kaufman is known to readers of several American beer publications, for which he serves as occasional correspondent, and is reportedly a prominent beer authority in Japan. He is also, according to the release, "wild about Rogue Ales."
Congratulations, Rogue, here's to the next million." http://worldofbeer.com/9802/news_globe.html

Blog Ob: Feb, 2008 -- this blog is Dedicated to a decade of Rogue Chocolate Stout, exploring its history and origin, pairing notes and recipe ideas, and looking to the future, sharing new food/beer epiphanies and experiences with you. Join me for the Journey ~ Salut! Bon Appetit! Prost! Enjoy!